Swift upside for trio's faith in Witness

When a promising filly emerges, as Swift Witness did earning favouritism for the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a win in the traditional Gold Coast lead-up race, breeders and bloodstock agents are naturally drawn to looking up where the rest of her family are at.

It was with a sense of opportunism that the owners of her half-sister, Taylor's Dream (Rubick), threw an entry in for the Inglis Digital Sale which was due to finish three days before the running of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.

Ready to pounce was Bell View Park Stud, whose business model relies on the savvy trading of mares, and Adam Mackrell managed to snap up the filly for $85,000.

"Swift Witness was favourite for the Magic Millions when the catalogue came out. It was just before the race," Mackrell told TDN AusNZ.

"Our bloodstock agent Brett Howard had looked at Taylor's Dream as a yearling. The family looked progressive and had a good future and there was a colt at the Magic Millions that sold for good money that was a nice type as well.

"We thought we’d buy her, cross our fingers and hopefully there was some upside there."

Assessing potential upside in a family is one of the many factors Bell View Park looks at when securing a mare.

"We judge them on a few factors. Pedigree and race record is one thing and type is also really important when you are re-selling them. If there is a possible upside there, and you are looking to hold a mare for a certain time, it's a bonus again," he said.

A swift response

Swift Witness didn't win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, but it was clear that she was a filly of considerable promise, and, as fate would have it, her yearling brother was to be offered by Widden Stud as the first lot of the Saturday night session across the road at the Magic Millions Sales Complex.

Bruce Slade was already well-versed in the virtues of the family from his role as director of bloodstock at Newgate Farm, and buying through his Kestrel Thoroughbreds operation, combined with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to pay $300,000 for the Star Witness colt. Not that he had to do any convincing to ensure they bought him.

"Terminology, who was the second Star Witness out of the mare, was purchased by Geoff Wilson, through John Hutchinson as agent and had joined Geoff's broodmare band and came back to Newgate," Slade said.

"We learned a bit about the family through that association. She is a lovely, big, strong type of mare who showed good ability in her own racing career."

Racing for Waterhouse and Bott, Terminology was placed in a Listed Gosford Guineas, and led all the way to win the $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden in 2019.

Twelve months later, the training partnership paid $260,000 for Swift Witness through the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The filly had also taken Slade's eye and it was no surprise to see her develop into such a promising 2-year-old. Fast forward to 2021, and he was playing his own role in securing her brother.

"With the colt this year, to be fair, I was probably a bit of a passenger with Gai and Adrian. They had Terminology and Swift Witness and were really keen on buying the full brother. He was basically a male version of the two fillies. They are big, strong, robust animals," Slade said.

Swift Witness would go on to run a fast-finishing second in the G2 Reisling S. in the autumn, before finishing down the track in the G1 Golden Slipper S.

Double the offering

In terms of the next opportunity to secure a foothold in the family, that came at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in May, where her dam, Taylor's Command (Commands) and her sister, In Hiding, were both offered by Widden.

As well as producing two stakes-performers, Taylor's Command is also a half-sister to two stakes winners in So Pristine (Zabeel {NZ}) and Restored (Red Ransom {USA}).

Rising 13, she wasn't the typical profile of mare that Roger Sousa of Platinum Breeding and Racing and Dave Mee of Pinhook Bloodstock would buy, but a tough market and a sense of opportunity saw them bidding.

"Everything was going ballistic in terms of prices and she was there at the end of the second day. It’s a team effort when we do these things," Mee said.

"I’d seen the previous three foals and I knew she threw a good foal. We had serious input from Shannon Evans, our form analyst and he had a big opinion of Swift Witness. We use Shannon and we have a pedigree guy, Geoff McMurray, who casts his eye over the previous matings on horses we shortlist."

Taylor's Command was in foal again to Star Witness, and the possibility of another filly from a burgeoning family also appealed, so they went to $250,000 to buy her.

"There were a number of contributing factors that were all positive. We were out on our feet. It was our last bid," Mee said.

A Hiding to nothing

Among the underbidders on Taylor's Command was Slade, but he returned later in the Sale to purchase Taylor’s Commands' first foal by Star Witness, In Hiding, for $16,000 in partnership with Alexia Fraser Bloodstock and businessman Sean Ryan. She was offered in foal to Supido.

"We had a good crack at Taylor's Command and Dave Mee and Roger Sousa were too strong for us. I went straight up to them and said 'congratulations, there is a bit happening in this family and a bit more to come‘,” he said.

"The full sister came through later in the Sale and for $16,000, we thought she was well worth a punt, knowing what was to come in the family."

Swift Witness' return to the track had been eagerly anticipated by the various parties which purchased into her family this year and when she delivered with a Group 2 win on Saturday, it was roundly celebrated.

"That victory was an excellent result and hopefully there will be more to come," Mee said.

For Mackrell, it backed up what he had hoped would happen when he purchased Taylor's Dream back in January.

"It adds some value and some interest," he said. "It’s a 2-year-old family, so hopefully the full brother can hit the track sometime soon."

Slade's assessment of the yet-unnamed 2-year-old will be music to the ears of Mackrell, Mee and Sousa.

"He's up and going now for Gai and Adrian, is very well-educated and very forward and I expect we’d see him at the early trials, all going to plan," Slade said.

Differing approaches on stallions

All three mares are headed to different stallions this spring, with Mackrell revealing Taylor's Dream is going to Darley first-season sire Bivouac, after which she is likely to be re-offered through next year's broodmare sales.

Sousa and Mee have had plenty of success trading mares, but will likely hold on to Taylor's Command, who is set to go to Coolmore's Wootton Bassett (GB) after she foals in October.

"We think it's a great mating and we have heard good things from all accounts about the Wootton Bassett type and it suits that mare physically," Mee said.

"Normally, Roger's focus is short term, but we have a lot of options with her. It's one of those things where if she has a nice filly and Swift Witness keeps going, there is an option there to retain that filly, so we will keep an open mind."

Slade confirmed In Hiding would head to Widden Stud's Anders, while the other sister, Terminology, who is still managed by Hutchinson on behalf of Wilson, would visit Newgate resident Deep Field.

Slade sees a great serendipity in the fact that so many different people have benefitted from Swift Witness' victory on Saturday.

"It’s so helpful having so many different family members, all working for each other," Slade said.

"When you know that the sisters and brothers are in good hands and with good stables and good breeders, you are an extra chance of nailing that next result, while trying to build your own value."