Classic Beauties

Racing is advertised as a sport that never sleeps, requiring each participant's full attention at all times to keep track of the dire pace of thoroughbred training. It was certainly the case for Pfieffer this week, balancing his 30-strong team of horses in work with new arrivals and a successful hit and run mission at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

Any yearling sale is an arduous process, from the first catalogue arriving on the desk of the trainer to multiple conversations with bloodstock agents and finally the physical inspection with a team of vets and advisories. In the end, Pfieffer places his bid on the best types he can find and puts faith in his latest purchases to deliver on their promise when commencing training with him a few months later.

Pfieffer got lucky, and was able to sign for two athletic fillies that “could sell themselves on type alone”, and importantly with the pedigree to back up those all important physical traits. Joined by Andrew Ferguson of Bell River Thoroughbreds, an respected member of the breeding fraternity and responsible for the exceptional dual G1 winning colt Extreme Choice and our very own Denmagic, Pfieffer and Ferguson have formed an enviable partnership that will feature prominently at this year’s major yearling offerings.

On Sunday evening a Dundeel yearling with “a glistening page” was purchased for an impressive $110,000, a bargain considering the young sire’s incredible run of success with his first yearlings startling the Magic Millions Gold Coast buyers with an average well over $250,000.

Importantly the filly has the dam-side to back up her sire’s impressive racing performances. Can’t Hackit, by the champion European sprinter in Fasliyev, was talented enough to perform at stakes level being third in the competitive G2 Matamata Breeders Stakes. She has since succeeded as a matron, having produced the G2 QLD Guineas placegetter in Spot The Rock, adding to her tally of an impressive six winners from seven foals, all bred for speed and performing over the sprint distances. This speed is sure to compliment the incredible staying prowess of Dundeel - a winner of six G1 events and easily the most dominant middle-distance to staying performer of his generation.

The filly has proven to be structurally sound and impressed on type, pedigree and with her attentive attitude.

“As with her sire, I expect this filly to excel once fully mature as a 3YO and with a genuine mixture of speed and staying ability from her sire and dam we can be expecting her to be fluent enough to sprint well over the shorter distances and be effective over the more classic trips” commented Pfieffer.

The second of Pfieffer’s purchases came in Monday morning’s session, with a precocious filly taking the eye and passing the Pfieffer seal of approval, sold for a bid of $95,000.

By the versatile sire Star Witness, a brilliant Group 1 conquering 2 and 3YO, this filly has been bred to perform early. Star Witness has been having a season to remember with dual G1 winning filly Global Glamour catapaulting the young sire into the spotlight, showing her incredible will to win on Monday in the G2 Light Fingers Stakes. Among his six stakes-winners is the durable, G1 placed colt Star Turn who was recently syndicated by Vinery Stud to stand after his career, as well as the G3 Kevin Hayes Stakes winner in Fuhryk - a real rising star who is set for better races.

From the unraced Strategic mare in Incensed, this filly hails from an impressive family with her grand-dam Zacheline (herself by multiple champion broodmare sire Zabeel) having won the G1 Queensland Oaks as a 3YO. Strategic was a powerful 2YO sprinter that excelled over the 1200m and claimed an important G1 win as a 3YO in the Australia Stakes, before becoming a successful sire that produced the likes of G1 winning 2YO Meurice and has had further accolades as a broodmare sire with 15 stakes winners including the G1 QLD Derby winner in Sonntag.

“This filly oozes class and strides out with real purpose and attitude, with a copper chestnut coat like her famous sire and quality structure that defines the best sprinters. To my eye she is a confident 2YO type that will physically and mentally withstand the pressures of racing from an early age.”

“There is a lot of strength to this filly with a deep girth and strong forearms to compliment her athleticism.”

Meanwhile Team Pfieffer will be represented by two strong chances at Randwick today, headlined by the anticipated second race of the visually striking I Thought So in the 3YO Maiden Handicap.

I Thought So is one of the more impressive gallopers to be in work at Warwick Farm, a clear image of his famous sire and evidently talented with his latest trial win installing confidence within his connections.

“That latest trial was impressive in both time and how well he let down when asked, teaching him to sprint over the concluding stages” said Pfieffer.

“He is a promising horse with plenty of upside, being beautifully bred and having the looks to match, now he just needs to put it all together on race day and be competitive”.

Joining I Thought So is the “Randwick Specialist” in Chestnut Road, a desperately unlucky gelding of late with wide barriers and torrid runs ruining his chances of an overdue victory. The gelding drops in weight for today’s task and has Corey Brown booked to ride, giving him every chance to make amends over the famous Randwick mile this evening.