Cover image courtesy of Inglewood Stud
Midweek racing in Victoria was at Sandown on Wednesday, and the first race off the blocks was a 3-year-old maiden over 1200 metres. The topically named Squid Game proved best of the field, posting a soft win in his first-ever start for trainer Patrick Payne.
Ridden by Michael Dee, the 3-year-old gelding jumped from barrier eight and worked across to be among the leading division early. The speed was set by Surcote (Exosphere) and Treporti (I Am Invincible), with Squid Game an early third settling down.
Around the first bend, the gelding sat outside of Treporti, and the pair put a length between themselves and the rest of the field, which was how they entered the straight.
At the 300 metres, Dee began to move on Squid Game, and they inched ahead of a gallant Treporti, who stuck with them. At the 50 metres, the gelding finally moved away and it proved a soft, confident win in the end.
The final margins were Squid Game by 1.25l to Treporti in second, while Masterful (Deep Field) was third by 2.25l. The track was a Good 4 in warm conditions, and the 1200 metres was ticked off in 1:11.24.
Tactical talent
Squid Game’s win was a good one optically, with the gelding doing a lot of early work to cross from his wide gate to a prominent early position. Despite that, he was still able to win under hands and heels by Michael Dee.
Michael Dee | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“It was just a matter of how he began today,” the jockey said post-race. “He really jumped and sprung into the bridle, and he worked across really well and basically did the rest. He travelled nice and strong, and he travelled well into the straight for me. I was able to get a really nice kick and I felt we were pretty comfortable on the line.”
Dee said Squid Game would learn a lot from the Wednesday outing.
“He’s got a lot of talent, and I felt that if he’d been challenged he would have really fought in this race,” the jockey said. “He’s had the few trials now and he looks like he’s just progressed through them, and he’s come here in tip-top shape, ready to go.”
“He’s (Squid Game) got a lot of talent, and I felt that if he’d been challenged he would have really fought in this race.” - Michael Dee
The question on everyone’s lips trackside was whether the jockey had seen the Korean television series Squid Game.
“I have, and I wish I never did,” Dee said.
Good buying
Three-year-old Squid Game was bred in New Zealand by Gus and Bianca Wigley’s Inglewood Stud, with its oak-lined laneways and hawthorn hedges in Ohaka on the South Island.
The gelding is by Shooting To Win from the Keeper mare Macavity (NZ), who was a private purchase by the Wigleys from Auckland bloodstock agent Robert Dawe in 2012. They bought the mare as one of four they initially set out with when taking over Inglewood, all in line for their then debut stallion Zacinto (GB).
Squid Game (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Among these initial four purchases, Gus and Bianca Wigley bought Macavity, but also Rich Esprit (Bel Esprit), whom they paid $17,000 for and who eventually became the half-sister to multi-millionaire Redzel (Snitzel). They also snagged Bequests (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) among the four, who cost the same price and who foaled the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner Ugo Foscolo (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) in her first season at Inglewood.
When it came to Macavity, she had a stout pedigree that has only improved since she arrived at Inglewood for a song (NZ$10,000).
Macavity (NZ) and her filly by U S Navy Flag (USA) | Image courtesy of Inglewood Stud
The broodmare is a half-sister to Velocitea (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}), a winner of the G1 The Goodwood H. as well as a pair of Group 3 wins, and she’s also a half-sister to the stakes winner Weaponry (NZ) (Declaration Of War {USA}).
However, the pearl in the pedigree is that Macavity is additionally a half-sister to Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who was multiple times Group-placed and, later, the dam of G1 Manikato S. winner Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible).
However, the pearl in the pedigree is that Macavity is additionally a half-sister to Maastricht, who was multiple times Group-placed and, later, the dam of G1 Manikato S. winner Loving Gaby.
Maastricht was sold this year at the Magic Millions National Sale for $1.2 million, heading to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Nxt Level Syndication from the draft of Kia Ora Stud. Two years earlier, she had sold at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale for $2.25 million.
Gus Wigley is the studmaster at Inglewood, and he said the purchase of Macavity was ahead of any of these major results.
“At that point, she was a half to Velocitea,” Wigley said. “Weapony has come out in the meantime, and Limehills (another half-brother) is a black-type performer. And then Loving Gaby came out. I think we paid NZ$10,000 for Macavity privately as a 5-year-old mare, so we thought it quite interesting when Maastricht got those big figures, and we’ve certainly enjoyed the rub-off.”
"I think we paid NZ$10,000 for Macavity privately as a 5-year-old mare, so we thought it quite interesting when Maastricht got those big figures, and we’ve certainly enjoyed the rub-off.” - Gus Wigley
The Wigley family has produced six foals from Macavity since her purchase and, after Squid Game in 2018, they got a filly by Time Test (GB) who is now a yearling. They haven’t nominated that horse for the yearling sales, with Wigley admitting she needed more time in the knees.
In mid-October, Macavity foaled a U S Navy Flag (USA) filly, and the mare is currently in foal to Inglewood’s resident stallion War Decree (USA) (by War Front {USA}), who had fetching results at last week’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Race Sale.
“Macavity’s dam has already left a stakes winner to Declaration Of War (Weaponry),” Wigley said. “So going to War Decree was a mating we were quite keen on, putting that War Front blood back over Macavity, which is also why we sent her to U S Navy Flag, and hopefully we’re onto something there.”
Shooting big
The Wigleys sent Squid Game to Book 1 of the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale. He was Lot 76, one of five yearlings by Shooting To Win in the Book 1 catalogue.
Gus Wigley and Kevin Hickman
He sold to Patrick Payne for NZ$150,000, the highest-selling of the Shooting To Win progeny.
“He was a lovely, big horse,” Wigley recalls. “He was quite imposing because he was this really rich, bright chestnut colour with a big white face and some flashy legs, so he was a horse that really caught the eye. And he was a really straightforward horse all the way through, right from when he was a foal to his yearling prep. He had a good nature about him and a good brain on him, and he certainly was an eye-catcher at the sales.”
“He (Squid Game) was quite imposing because he was this really rich, bright chestnut colour with a big white face and some flashy legs, so he was a horse that really caught the eye." - Gus Wigley
Wigley was happy with the money he got for Squid Game.
“We thought he went to a very good home,” he said. “He was a big horse and Patrick obviously hasn’t rushed him. Hopefully he’ll get the rewards for that now.”
Wigley said Macavity was an equally big mare who was prone to throwing sizeable types, and it was one thing they were concerned about with sending her to Shooting To Win in 2017.
Macavity (NZ) and her filly by U S Navy Flag (USA) | Image courtesy of Inglewood Stud
“She’s a solid, heavy mare, and I’ll admit that while I liked the mating, I was little bit worried that we might end with something a little too big and heavy,” he said. “We’d had a couple of Shooting To Wins born on the farm, and they were big types too, but that didn’t happen. This guy was a ripping foal and a lovely yearling, and obviously he can run too.”
