It was a productive few days for Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ breeding operation as the Dubai-based team celebrated a cross-Hemisphere double.
A victory for the promising Royal Mule at Kilmore on Friday (November 3rd) got the weekend off to a perfect start. The four-year-old mare has needed plenty of patience to reach her potential, but she is paying her connections back now. The victory was just the Waterhouse Bott inmate’s second trip to the race course and she relished a step up to a 1462m.
Breaking from a wide draw under jockey Winona Costin, Royal Mule was soon setting the fractions for the 10-runner field. The Phoenix filly looked to be the first in trouble around the turn with Costin getting to work, but her stamina kicked in and she stayed on to see off all late challengers.
“She’s tough and has a great constitution. She is incredibly well-bred, not being too far from Anamoe,” stable representative Rebecca Shanks said.
“Hopefully, she improves stepping out in trip, which the Kingman’s should do.
“She has her quirks, but we have found that Melbourne is really her home.”
The Anamoe link comes via Royal Mule’s increasingly impressive mare Amuletum, a half-sister to the nine-time G1 winner. Fast becoming one of the stars of Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ Australian broodmare band, she is also the dam of G2 winner Tiz Invincible, while her Pierata colt sold at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$200,000. She’s also produced a yearling brother to Tiz Invincible and a colt foal by Aclaim.
The second leg of the homebred double could prove even more profitable than it has already. It came courtesy of Make The Boys Wink, who was very impressive in scoring on the turf at Churchill Downs on Saturday (November 4th).
The More The Ready filly is out of stakes-winning mare Pacific Pink and she could be on her way to emulating some of the success of her dam judged on her comfortable success in Allowance company. Given a well-judged and positive ride by Declan Cannon, the Brendan Walsh trainee was able to sweep past her rivals around the turn before accelerating down the stretch to secure her second career victory.
If she does go on to claim stakes success, it could well be for new owners, with the three-year-old now heading to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale on Tuesday (November 7th), where Denali Stud will consign her as Hip 271.