Ontrack Thoroughbreds boss Grant Morgan cant hide his excitement at the prospect of yearlings by his former star Brazen Beau hitting the sales rings in 2018.
Morgan secured Brazen Beau from the 2013 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $70,000 from the first crop of I Am Invincible before syndicating him to a group of 38 clients. “I like looking closely at first season sires. I think its one of the challenges to try and identify potential and opportunities away from the obvious,” said Morgan. “I Am Invincible was not a headline first season sire. But he was a very good racehorse, with a nice colonial speed pedigree and was by an outstanding sire Invincible Spirit.” “None of the big buyers were on I Am Invincible back then, but they are all over him now. They are almost impossible to buy.” Brazen Beau went on to win twice at Group 1 level becoming champion 3yo colt of his generation before finishing a luckless second at Royal Ascot prior to commencing stud duties at Darley Stud. Proving his eye for first season sires was no fluke, Morgan returned to the Inglis Newmarket ring in 2015 where he again plucked an obscure first season sire to unearth the brilliant mare Savanna Amour. Going to $100,000 on the daughter of Love Conquers All, Morgan together with Meagher Racing have developed Savanna Amour into one of Australia’s best young sprinting mares. “Savanna Amour has won 6 races including 1 at Group 2 and 3 at Group 3 and over $545,000. She was a real athlete at the sales and the fact she was by another obscure first season sire helped me to buy her. In 2017, Morgan’s first season sire eye is again proving sharp. He targeted Spirit of Boom, securing one of the Queensland sires daughters at the Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. “Spirit of Boom is absolutely flying right now but he wasn’t on the shopping list of the bigger buyers, particularly those from interstate and overseas.” In 2018, Morgan has the mouth watering prospect of assessing the sons and daughters of Brazen Beau. But he is sure to have plenty of competition this time around. “I’ve seen a fair bit of them around the farms since they were born. They are very much like him. Compact, strong, well balanced, good tempered and fast,” said Morgan. Brazen Beau will be represented by some 55 yearlings that have been catalogued for sale commencing in January, February and March across the three auction houses of Australasia. On the Gold Coast at Magic Millions, Brazen Beau will have 27 lots sell from a wide range of leading farms throughout Australia. “They really should be ideal Magic Millions horses. They look precocious and tough.” “I think Brazen Beau could have been an early 2yo had he of been pushed that way.” “But we are patient with our younger horses and that wasn’t on our agenda. As it was he won in February of his juvenile year off a very limited preparation,” said Morgan. Talented racemare Test The world continued her march towards black type racing with another gritty performance to win at Rosehill on Saturday. Test The World took her career record to six wins and four minor placings from only 10 career starts and her earnings are now $311,475 which is a fantastic return on the $40,000 she cost Ontrack Thoroughbreds boss Grant Morgan at the Inglis Sale. “She was a nice yearling but we knew from day one we had to be patient with her so she didn’t step out in her first race until last Christmas when she debuted as a three-year-old at Scone,” said Grant Morgan. “She only had the three runs in her first preparation and that policy of being patient and letting them develop both physically and mentally is now paying dividends. “It’s hard to win six out of your first 10 starts anywhere, let alone in Saturday racing in Sydney so we are thrilled with how she is going. “The plan is to find suitable races that lead into a black type result for her. If she can land in the right listed or group race she is going to be competitive and a win in a stakes race will see her residual value soar,” said Grant Morgan. Trainer Bjorn Baker has made no secret of the high regard he has for Test The World and was thrilled with the way she came back at Rosehill. “I have always liked this mare and I’m confident there is a good race win in her future. She ran good time in winning, but the thing that impressed me most was the way she recovered after copping a decent bump when the horse inside her ran out under pressure in the straight. “Not many horses could cop such a severe bump and pick themselves up again and go on a win. She has a tremendous will to win and a lot of times she has looked beaten but manages to pin her ears back and get the job done. “She’s come through the race well and we will give her an easy time while we mull over the options for her in the next few weeks,” said Bjorn Baker. Congratulations to our owners: Forti Rossi, Garry Batchelder, Bruce Burnell, Alan Wetton, David Moretti, Denis and Margaret Frew, Michael Byrne, Peter Davis, Anthony Barbieri, Ray Barker, Pam Bayles, Tony Halloran, Gordon Henry, Ailsa Morrison-Galt, Wayne Muller, Kevin O’Brien, Mark Ostermeyer, Terry West. |
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