Musk Creek Farm

by Warren Wruck

Those inspecting their draft the year before have also fared well with Musk Creek selling several winners including Dundeel’s first Group winner Irukandji.

Farm Manager Scott Williamson has been busy in the lead up to another big sale and is looking forward to getting back up to the Gold Coast.

What can buyers expect from your 2019 MMGC draft?

We are presenting a nice, even bunch of well conformed yearlings with great pedigrees. We try not to do too much with our youngsters so trainers have plenty to go on with when they get the horses home in preparation for two-year-old racing.

What do you like best about selling at the Gold Coast?

It is always a good buying bench and, being the first sale of the year, a great atmosphere. The Gold Coast has that party vibe to it and buyers and vendors alike enjoy that.

Williamson took us through the Musk Creek draft...

Lot 399 - Chestnut filly by Sebring from Bellissima Miss (by Zabeel): first foal for a daughter of Waikato International Stakes-Gr.1, 2000m winner Veloce Bella. “She is such an impressive first foal that we repeated the mating this year; she has a lot of quality.”

Lot 412 - Brown colt by Spirit Of Boom from Boomalicious (by Red Dazzler): brother to the promising Boomtown Lass out of a city winner from the family of recent Toorak Handicap-Gr.1, 1600m winner Land Of Plenty. “He is a very athletic, good sized, strong boned colt.”

Lot 519 - Brown filly by Pride Of Dubai from Footprint (by Redoute’s Choice): dam is a half-sister to the stakes winners Marching and Gait out of a half-sister to the Stradbroke Handicap-Gr.1, 1400m winner Crawl and the dam of Trapeze Artist. “She has got a lot of quality and an effortless walk; she is our best walker and I’d say she’d be right up there with the best of them at the sales.”

ALREADY MUSK CREEK’S 2018 MAGIC MILLIONS DRAFT HAS STRUCK GOLD WITH THE FIRST TO RACE FROM A GROUP THAT SOLD FOR UP TO $475,000 BEING UNITE AND CONQUER; WINNER IN EARLY OCTOBER OF THE MARIBYRNONG TRIAL-LISTED, 1000M.

Lot 606 - Bay/brown filly by Real Impact from Fustaan (by Ekraar): boasting crosses of the excellent mares Nothirdchance and Pocahontas, she is out of a halfsister to dual Group Three winner Sharnee Rose from the prolific Easy Date family. “She has been the big improver of our draft; a filly with great bone and substance and a lot of presence. She is a very good representative of her first season sire.”

Lot 629 - Bay filly by Vancouver from Grand Excess (by Exceed And Excel): out of a winning daughter of Grand Archway, four times Group One winning dam of stakes winners Stand Tall and Seul Amour. “She is an out-and-out two year-old type who will be keenly sought after by those looking to target the Magic Millions race.”

Lot 674 - Brown filly by So You Think from If I Can I Can (by Iffraaj: carrying crosses of Special and Flaming Page, she is out of a stakes winner whose dam is a sister to the Listed winner Etoile du Nord, dam of triple Group Three winner Epingle. “There is quite a lot of Iffraaj to her, she is more muscular and compact than many of the So You Thinks and looks like she will have speed.”

Lot 743 - Bay colt by Vancouver from Light Touch (by Charge Forward): out of a stakes placed mare whose dam is a half-sister to the Group One mare Bonaria and the Group Three gallopers Time Out and Legally Bay, dam of Merchant Navy. “A very athletic colt with a great attitude and a superb walk.”

Lot 125 - Brown colt by Lonhro from She’s A Vamp (by High Chaparral): first foal for a sister to Group Three winner Sacred Eye and 3/4 sister to dual Group Three winner Tulip. Carrying crosses of Special, Lalun and Natalma, he hails from the prolific Fanfreluche family. “He is typical of the Lonhro breed, he has a lot of quality and looks more a miler/Classic type. He has a lot of class with the pedigree to back it up.”

Lot 279 - Brown filly by Street Boss from Warrington (by Fastnet Rock): first foal for a winner whose first four dams are stakes winners; the Listed winner Pardon, the Group One winner Furlough, the dual Group Two winner Blitey and the triple Group One winner Lady Pitt. “A strong, precocious first foal with a lot of strength; she looks an early type.”

Lot 1025 - Black colt by Fighting Sun from Madoni (by Lonhro): hailing from the prolific Cotehele House branch of the Eight Carat family, he is out of a half-sister to the dam of this year’s stakes winner She’s So High. “An athletic colt from a great family. A great walker with a lot of Lonhro about him.”

What are the main factors you take into account when planning matings?

Obviously in Australia horses bred for precocious speed are in high demand so we gear our matings to meet that market, especially those being aimed at the Magic Millions.

What was your first job?

My first job with horses was on a small farm near Epsom; Woodcote Stud. For a small, 70 acre farm they have had great success breeding such horses as Kingston Hill and Poet’s Word.

If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes, whose would they be and why?

I wouldn’t mind being in Chris Waller’s shoes at the moment, how exciting it must be to be in charge of guiding such a high class group of horses.

Who was the biggest influence in your life?

I have been fortunate enough to work under some great people and I have learned a lot for all of them, taking the best from each; people like Todd Claunch at Lane’s End, my brother Grant Williamson (now at Fasig-Tipton), Grant Burrill at Widden and Mick Talty at Edinglassie. l

2019 DRAFT

125 Lonhro (AUS) - She’s a Vamp (AUS)

279 Street Boss (USA) - Warrington (AUS)

399 Sebring (AUS) - Bellissima Miss (NZ)

412 Spirit of Boom (AUS) - Boomalicious (AUS)

591 Pride of Dubai (AUS) - Footprint (AUS)

606 Real Impact (JPN) - Fustaan (AUS)

629 Vancouver (AUS) - Grand Excess (AUS)

674 So You Think (NZ) - If I Can I Can (NZ)

743 Vancouver (AUS) - Light Touch (AUS)

1025 Fighting Sun (AUS) - Madoni (AUS)

www.muskcreekfarm.com.au | Scott Williamson: 0438 398 679 | Flinders, Victoria