www.magi c mi l l i o n s.c o m.au • 2022 PERTH YEARLIN G SAL E
SKY’S the limit for ELITE breeders When Perth Magic Millions graduate Portland Sky crossed the line locked together with Celebrity Queen in the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield last February, it was a good moment for Western Australian racing - in particular for the Anderson family of Anita Vale Stud.
And an historic moment, Portland Sky a high class member of a family with which the Andersons have been breeding for six generations - purchasing their latest good horse’s fifth dam Sheltering in Sydney in 1982 as a yearling.
It was them, in fact, that steered Robert and Ann into the wonderful world of racing and breeding.
Unfortunately the daughter of the little known Valley Forge (his best runner from just two small crops was the Rockhampton Cup winner Firetint) did not display a great deal of natural talent, failing to threaten in five starts at Bunbury and Pinjarra.
As first timer luck would have it, the filly named Mardiarna would be pretty decent - winning five of her 17 starts including three in a row over the winter of 1976.
It was not an auspicious start for Sheltering but when buying fillies, Robert and Ann always had in mind what they could offer long term. And, being a member of a classy northern hemisphere family (one which produced amongst other topliners the oh so popular Sea Pigeon), Sheltering looked to be a good broodmare prospect. Sadly she died young having produced just the one winner - the lightly raced Sovereign Shade who broke her maiden at Pinjarra. Her sire was the terrific stallion Beau Sovereign, resident of Coral Park Stud - run by Glenn and Kathy Money who have been great, long time friends of the Anderson family.
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“Ann was offered a share in a Copenhagen filly Glenn and Kathy had purchased in New Zealand.”
As everyone who has quickly tasted racing success knows, it is rather addictive and Ann was hooked. “I was pretty busy with my career as a lawyer at the time,” Robert said, “so it was really Ann’s thing at first.” But her enthusiasm proved contagious and soon Robert was also enjoying the thrills that racehorse ownership offers. And it was not long until the couple decided to venture into breeding - upon hearing that trainer Vern Brockman was heading to the Adelaide sales, asking him to look out for a filly with “the building blocks” of broodmare potential. Back to that filly - Ancient Sky- later, for now continuing the story of Sovereign Shade from whom Anita Vale (the stud
