Scenic Lodge

BY KRISTEN MANNING

Scenic Lodge’s General Manager Jeremy Smith takes a breath after a busy breeding season and embarks on sale season - the new year always a busy time!

Especially when preparing and presenting such a big draft - Scenic Lodge proudly taking 33 well related yearlings through the ring in 2023. Which means that Smith is going to be well and truly kept on his toes during sales time, joking that “I might not have much time to leave the ring!”

Whilst Smith looks forward to the sales each year, he is at his happiest the day afterwards when the sales have been a success and he can catch a breath and be thankful that everything has gone to plan.

“The sales are a nerve-wracking time,” he said. “It is great getting the chance to show your horses off but so much goes into it and your whole year revolves around it. A good sale keeps things going for the next twelve months so the pressure is on!”

We were grateful that Smith did find a bit of spare time to have a chat with us as we shot a few left of centre questions at him...

What food are you a master at cooking?

Nachos, actually I was going to say toast - both are easy, that’s about all I can cook!

What place have you visited that filled you with awe?

I don’t remember much about the Contiki tour I did in my twenties but Las Vegas certainly stands out in my mind, all the bright lights and casino after casino.

What reality tv show do you secretly enjoy?

I watch Married At First Sight with my wife - how embarrassing! But racing is 24/7 so it is good to switch off and watch something that does not require any thought.

What do you typically do when you’re bored?

I look at sales catalogues, I feel like I spend a lot of time flicking through them!

Very happy with the strength of the Scenic Lodge draft, Smith highlighted a Shooting To Win colt (lot 167) out of the terrific broodmare Purfect Size whose first five foals are all winners including the G2 WA Derby winner Mystic Prince and the dual Listed winner Real Charm.

This is the wonderful Summoned family that has produced the big race winners Zeditave, Melito, Generous Tycoon, Greys Inn, Smart Call and Norzita.

“He is from one of those great Bob Peters families and he is a strong, athletic type - I really like him.”

He is also enthusiastic regarding the potential of lot 76, a Universal Ruler half-brother to the very talented Clairvoyance who has done such a good job winning seven of his 11 starts including the Listed Pinjarra Classic.

The son of the multiple city winning Perugino mare Dance On Air is described by Smith as being “just magnificent.”

“He is big, strong, impressive and flashy - he reminds me a lot of Scenic Blast (son of Universal Ruler’s sire Scenic) and he is sure to sell well.”

Lot 137, a Magnus half-brother to the promising two times Ascot winner Rare Encounter out of a winning daughter of the dual Group 1 winning Marscay mare Miss Margaret is another eye-catching member of the Scenic Lodge draft.

“He is a nice type by a stallion who everyone knows does a great job, and this is another in-form Peters family.”

One which has produced the G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Confront and the Listed mare Celebrity Miss, dam of the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Celebrity Queen.

Bred on a 2 X 4 cross of Snippets, lot 36 by Snippetson out of the Snitzel mare Via Regina is another one to have caught Smith’s eye.

“He is a nice quality colt who looks like an early runner. He is compact and strong and his dam is a half-sister to Testamezzo who was a terrific horse.”

Sadly Scenic Lodge lost Snippetson to a paddock accident in early January so it is a bit poignant selling his yearlings now. Much missed at the farm and by local breeders, Snippetson has several other nice contenders including a colt from the family of Scenic Blast (lot 3), a half-brother to the stakes placed Henchard from the Group 1 family of Magnifisio and Barakey (lot 27), a filly out of the three times winning Smart Missile mare Kleva Kezza from the family of the very fast Group 1 winners Gold Ace and Final Card (lot 286) and a colt out of the dual city winner Princess Jasman from the family of the G2 Perth Cup hero Black Tom (lot 315).

The draft of Scenic Lodge’s Universal Ruler’s draft is also a strong one, inclusive of a filly out of a half-sister to the Gold Coast Magic Millions winner Karuta Queen (lot 78), a colt out of the four times stakes placed multiple city winner Red Blast from Scenic Blast’s family (lot 84), a daughter of the multiple city winner Secret Nova (lot 181), a full sister to the metropolitan winner Let Me Impress and the recent impressive maiden winner Uninook (lot 209), a filly out of a sister to the durable stakes winner Lotion who did such a great job winning 13 (with 27 placings) of his 103 starts (lot 220), a filly out of a city winning half-sister to the G1 Telegraph Handicap winner Vonusti (lot 310), a half-brother to the Listed WA 1000 Guineas winner Like A Butterfly and the talented four-yearold Featherweight (lot 313) and a filly out of a daughter of the triple stakes winner Lady Belvedere (lot 327).

Supporters of the local industry, Scenic Lodge also have nice types by Long Leaf (lot 261 out of the multiple city winner Foxalicious who has made a good start to her stud career producing the dual city winner Snipillicious and the city placed winner Foxy Son), Maschino (lot 270 out of the dual city winner Gracie May whose first two foals are both talented) and Sessions (lot 309, a half-sister to the consistent multiple city winner Safety Bay from an in-form family whose members include the recent Hong Kong winner King Eccellente and the promising two-year-old Summer Loving who at just her second start was a close up third in the Wyong Magic Millions).

Several successful eastern state stallions are also represented in the Scenic Lodge draft - Magnus by a daughter of the Listed winner Kim Classic (lot 118), Shooting To Win by a halfbrother to the spring city winner Ruby Noir (lot 265), Smart Missile by a half-brother to three city winners out of a halfsister to Miss Finland (lot 98), Santos by a half-sister to the city winning juvenile Galaxy Affair (lot 38), Nicconi by the first foal for the Listed Natasha Stakes winner Jedaffair (lot 281), Xtravagant a half-sister to four winners out of a two times winning daughter of the G3 Adrian Knox Stakes winner Starry Way (lot 125), Rothesay by a colt out of a half-sister to the high class sprinter Snippets Land (lot 232), Lean Mean Machine by a half-brother to the Hong Kong winner Superb Daddy out of the stakes winning Royal Academy mare Mygoodgrace whose dam is the Group 1 mare Good Faith (lot 299) and All Too Hard by a colt out of the speedy city winner Princess Is Ready (lot 314).