Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Crabtree has enjoyed a near faultless year, having also bred and sold fellow black-type winners Crosswinds (Written Tycoon), who landed the Listed PFD Food Services Valley Pearl in March, while this year’s G3 Kindergarten S. and R. Listed Inglis Banner winner Semillion (Shalaa {Ire}).
“I am over the moon - this is my third Group-winning 2-year-old winner of the season following Semillion and Crosswinds, so we’ve had a really brilliant year,” Crabtree told TDN AusNZ.
“I am over the moon - this (Maximillius) is my third Group-winning 2-year-old winner of the season following Semillion and Crosswinds, so we’ve had a really brilliant year.” - Robert Crabtree
Crabtree sold Semillion to Blue International Thoroughbred Solutions for $300,000 through the Blue Gum Farm draft at last year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale and he was sent into training with Team Hawkes, while Crosswinds - who was also offered by Blue Gum - was bought by James Harron for $1.1 million at the same Sale.
Maximillius, like his counterparts, had been due to sell at public auction and was entered at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but Crabtree kept him to race after the colt injured himself before the Sale and given his strong ties to the family it was no surprise that he lost very little sleep over that decision.
“He kicked out at the fence and got a minor injury so we decided to race him instead,” explained Crabtree.
Robert Crabtree | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“You have to be a bit philosophical when things like that happen. It was only a minor injury and we knew it wasn’t going to stop him running, but it might have stopped him selling. We knew we had some good colts around us, so we were able to keep this boy.”
Maximillius hails from one Crabtree’s most prolific families, and one he has farmed over the years and he has turned it into one of the most sought after pedigrees in the Australian Stud Book.
The colt is out of Group 2-winning Fastnet Rock mare Scandiva, who was also bred by Crabtree and she is herself out of another mare bred by the Dorrington Farm supremo in Scandinavia (Snippets).
Scandinavia’s story is a path well-trodden and she is famed for being the grandam of unbeaten Champion mare Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), with Crabtree having also co-bred the unbeaten mare's dam Helsinge (Desert Sun {GB}).
Scandiva when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“We originally bred him out of a mare we raced called Scandiva, who was runner-up to Guelph in the Sires’ Produce, and we knew she was a quality mare with very desirable bloodlines so we were happy to keep him on to race,” said Crabtree.
"This is the third generation we have bred from this family and so we are obviously delighted with the result.
“He is a clone to Written Tycoon and has a very similar frame, but is slightly more correct then Written Tycoon. He is a real chip off the old block and even the markings are similar, it’s remarkable.”
“He (Maximillius) is a clone to Written Tycoon and has a very similar frame... He is a real chip off the old block and even the markings are similar, it’s remarkable.” - Robert Crabtree
It has not been plain sailing with Maximillius this season. The 2-year-old came into Saturday’s race having been beaten on his first two starts and Crabtree admitted the colt had disappointed the team with his first two efforts.
“This colt had disappointed us in his previous two starts, because he was running like a colt,” he said. “So we took the blinkers off him and just allowed him to free run and he forgot about being a boy and he just won with authority I thought. He led all the way and was headed at the 50-metre mark and fought back to win again and we were thrilled with him.”
Maximillius will now head for a break and Crabtree is hopeful he will be yet another Group 1-winning graduate produced off the farm.
Written Tycoon | Standing at Yulong
“He will head to the paddock now for a spell and I think Mick wants to aim him at the Caulfield Guineas because he thinks the distance will be perfect for him and also the timing is about right as well, so that is the plan at this stage,” he said.
Attention at Dorrington Farm will soon turn to preparation for next year’s yearling sales and Crabtree is confident that they have more top-class horses, which buyers will no doubt be anxious to get their hands on.
“We’ve got some lovely weanlings on the farm for next year. We have a beautiful colt by Blue Point, who is a half to Semillion and we’ve got two full siblings to Crosswinds and Maximillius. They will go to either Magic Millions or Easter, but we are very pleased with their progress so far,” said Crabtree.
