Lot 136's 2nd dam Salameh won the Gr3 Fernhill S. (pic: Steve Hart)

Nestled in the heavenly Segenhoe Valley in Scone’s prestigious Hunter Valley, Holbrook Thoroughbreds is very much the synthesis of the best of nature and the best of nurture.

And its draft at the 2018 Adelaide Magic Millions is the fruition of careful preparation and some terrific pedigree pages. 

Lot 72 opens the Holbrook accounts and, pardon the pun, but it is literally a terrific pedigree. It’s the Husson colt from a half-sister to stakes-winner Terrific Taurus. Put simply, Husson has the ability to produce a really talented athlete. Think Gr1 William Reid winner Luckly Hussler and Gr1 Golden Slipper runner-up / Gr2 Reisling winner Frolic. This is the second foal of a young Oratorio mare that will likely inject speed even further speed into this pedigree. It’s also a family with Gr1 depth tracing to Gloaming winner Constant Flight.

Sixty lots later (Lot 132) is the second of 6 Holbrook colts and the first by a first crop yearling sire. More Than Ready is obviously a household name in the top drawer sire ranks in Australia and his son Verrazano looks certain to continue his rich vein of success. The dual Gr2 winner’s colt from Commands mare Naivety comes with a nice page. The dam is a three-quarter-sister to precocious Gr2 Maribyrnong Plate-placed Insurgents. The family also includes stakes-placed juvenile Neverland. 

Arguably the hottest first season yearling sire to emerge this year is Northern Meteor’s son Deep Field. Averaging north of $200,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast season opener, his types are athletic and imposing. Lot 136 fits this mould. He’s from Johannesburg mare Noor El Ain, the dam of 3 to race for 3 winners so far. This is a pedigree with serious depth. 3^rd dam Show Dancing is the purple of purples in breeding terms. She’s a half-sister to Hurricane Sky, Umatilla and Shantha’s Choice (dam of Redoute’s Choice, Platinum Scissors, Manhattan Rain, Sliding Cube and Echoes of Heaven). She also produced Gr1 winner and top sire Al Maher. Plus second dam Salameh took the Gr3 Fernhill and produced a Listed winner in Big Time.

Uncle Mo has sired 36 SWs including a Gr1 Kentucky Derby winner and his colt from Choisir mare Prefer (Lot 160) is another family with serious roots. Second dam Belsoeur is a three-quarter-sister to Black Caviar’s prolific sire Bel Esprit. Add third dam Palace Beat, a half-sister to Gr1 Blue Diamond winner Mahaasin and the picture gets even more interesting.

Another colt by a sire-son of Northern Meteor in the Hobrook Draft is Lot 298, by Gr2 Stan Fox winner Eurozone from Nadeem mare Bengal Angel. She's a half-sister to the up and running WA 2YO and Gr2 Karrakatta Plate runner-up Trichologist. Plus the family tracks to 4^th dam Tilly Foster and her freakish Swettenham Stud brood of Kensington Gardens and her clan of Blackfriars, Larrocha, Manton, Waterford Road etc.

Ten Lots later (Lot 308) is another chance to invest in the Terrific Taurus family. This time the grey colt from two-for-two winner-producer Budderoo Miss.

Lot 310 is a Rubick filly from Canny Lad mare Canny Dancer. This a well-considered pedigree that exploits a double-cross of Canny Lad via Shantha’s Choice. The dam has the runs on the board also with 5 winners including talented WA galloper Foxy Commander. Just down the page you’ll find the Ingham-raced stakes-winning pair Dodge and Tenor. 

Rounding out another quality and diverse Holbrook draft is Lot 378, by Exceed and Excel’s Gr2 winning son Sidestep from Octagonal mare Real Pleasure. Another with a strong WA influence, the dam is a half-sister to Listed winner and Gr3 Bunbury Cup runner-up Noble Cavalier. This is a family that continues to get winners.