Yarramalong Park

Yarramalong Park expanded and started upgrading their broodmare band from 2014, moving from breeding to race to a serious commercial business. Continual upgrading of broodmares resulting in high class graduates from the property reflects that investment. The purchase of the successful stallion Better Than Ready off the track and syndicating him to stand at Lyndhurst has been a big driver in Yarramalong’s growth and results.

Yarramalong Park’s Magic Millions 2021 graduate Steady Ready won on debut at two in March 2022, following that up with a strong second in the Listed Dalrello Stakes behind Exo Lady. Currently three year-olds, their 2021 draft already has five winners, while Yarramalong Park’s 2020 draft is headlined by Alpine Edge who won the Gr3 B J McLachlan Stakes, Listed Phelan Ready Stakes and was second in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Six of the nine horses, now four-year-olds, in that year’s draft are already winners. Other graduates from their Magic Millions drafts include Listed winner Better Reflection, and stakes placed Electroplate Alloy who recently ran second in the Listed Macau Chairman’s Challenge Cup.

In 2023, Yarramalong Park will present a draft of 18 yearlings, with eleven by Better Than Ready, who has been a big factor in the farm’s recent successes.

The Better Than Ready yearlings are highlighted by a halfbrother to Gr3 winner Amangiri, and a three-quarter brother to recent Gr2 placed More Secrets. He is Lot 345, and is out of the winning mare Secret Indulgence (Fastnet Rock), who is a half-sister to Gr1 winner Amalfi. Quality race mare, Summer Glen, won twice and ran fourth in the Gr3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes. Her third foal, a colt, is Lot 1270, and this is the family of group winners Grey Song, Tonz More Fun, Dirty Thoughts and Hypnos.

Lot 1095 is a colt who is the second foal of imported winning mare Finishing Touch (Invincible Spirit) from the family of Gr1 winner Fantastic Light. A filly, Lot 1110, is the second foal of Goldie River, a half-sister to Listed winner Ragged Rascal, from the Pedrille family. The second foal of Intensity (Snitzel) is a colt, Lot 1129, whose dam is a daughter of American two year-old Listed winner A Brilliant Idea; while the second foal, a filly, of winning mare Not A Single Woman (Not A Single Doubt) is Lot 189. This filly is from the family of group winner Inspire. Lot 182 is a colt out of New Wings (Choisir) who won at two and is a full sister to Religify, who won 13 races including three at Listed level.

Lot 1171 is a filly who is the second foal of Miller Avenue Snitzel), who is a half-sister to Listed winner Dublin Lass. Miller Avenue’s first foal is a winner at two. The second foal of Serial (Sepoy) is Lot 1243, and this filly’s second dam is Gr1 winner Regal Cheer, making her dam a half-sister to Listed winner and Gr1 placed Knoydart.

Headlining the other stallions with yearlings in the Yarramalong Park draft is So You Think whose colt, Lot 1080, is the first foal of dual Listed, and sixtime winner, Dreamarcher, who also ran fourth in the Gr1 American Oaks. She is from a strong American family, carrying multiple lines of Buckpasser and the La Troienne family.

A Pierata filly, Lot 911, is out of Grasse, who is a young half-sister to Gr2 winner Tarquin and to the dam of Gr2 winner Character, from the family of Fantastic Light. A colt by Rubick, Lot 1246, is the first foal of imported American winner (of four races), Shanghai Tootsie, who is a half-sister to two stakes horses and whose second dam Irish Linnet won an impressive 19 races, 13 at stakes level, and perhaps more impressively, won the Listed Yaddo Stakes five times. Not many horses are sound enough to win the same race five times! Irish Linnet was equally as successful at stud, leaving two stakes winners among her seven winners.

Lot 1004, a colt by Cliff’s Edge, has had a recent pedigree upgrade, as his dam Across the Ditch is a half-sister to this season’s good three year-old North Star Lass, who won the Gr2 Furious Stakes and placed in the Gr1 Flight Stakes. This is the family of Gr1 winner Instant Celebrity and many others.

A Too Darn Hot filly, Lot 1076, is the second foal of Djiva (High Chaparral) who is from the family of European Horse of the Year Goldikova, which is a prolific family, and Goldikova has already left two stakes winners as a broodmare, so there is likely more to come.

Brave Smash, whose colt, Lot 893, is the second foal of imported winning mare Garter, a daughter of Gr3 winner Princess Iris, from the family of Wicklow Brave, Excelebration, and many others. Brutal’s filly, Lot 1228, is a half-sister to two winners from the family of Gr1 winner Alverta, group winner Aerobatics, and Listed winner Revolte.

Yarramalong Park’s Richard Foster answered Bluebloods’ questions.

What is the best horse you have sold through Magic Millions?

Alpine Edge (sold for $160,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale; winner of 3 of his 13 starts, including the Gr3 BJ McLachlan Stakes and over $720,000).

When assessing breeding which influences/key horses do you mainly look for?

Sound, stakes winning families including two year-old performers.

Do you still get butterflies as your yearling enters the ring?

No, only the desire to see them going to successful owners and trainers.

What makes Magic Millions at the Gold Coast such a success?

The fabulous array of excited people and their ongoing success.

Where is the most unusual place you’ve visited?

Flying into a steaming volcano in Hawaii.

What’s the coldest you’ve ever been?

Chicago in the record winter of 2000.