3 minute read

Son of Sebring lives up to family expectation in Vain Stakes

With racing about to ramp up in Australia after the winter break, there was no better bred winner on the weekend than that off the Vain Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) winner - Our Playboy (Sebring). 

In winning the Caulfield Group 3 the three-year-old colt became the 61st stakes for the late Widden Stud-based sire Sebring (More Than Ready), who died of a heart attack in February 2019, but has left an indelible mark on the breed in ten seasons at stud. His progeny is headed by six Group 1 winners, including multiple Group 1 winners Dissident and Criterion. 

Purchased by his trainer for $210,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the Our Playboy is out of the unraced Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare Mischief Night who was bought for $200,000 by Hollymount Stud at last year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. 

Shamardal is showing good aptitude as a broodmare sire, with 45 of his daughters producing stakes winners, headed by five Group 1 winners, including Cambridge Stud-owned Hello Youmzain (Kodiac), who added a second elite level race to his record when winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot in June to go with his victory in the Haydock Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 6f), which he won as a three-year-old. 

Meanwhile, Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Latrobe (Camelot) - who finished second in the LKS Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) in 2018, is also among the elite level winners out of daughters of Shamardal. 

As a damsire in Australia Shamardal is represented by 93 winners, from 160 starters, which are headlined by nine stakes winners - including Our Playboy. 

Shamardal shuttled to Australia for five seasons, where he covered 432 mares, leaving 416 live foals. His Australian crop is headed by multiple Group 1-winning Hong Kong champion Able Friend and a further four elite level scorers. 

Meanwhile, Mischief Night’s 2018 Your Song (Fastnet Rock) colt - who is now called Royal Song - was purchased by D M G M Racing for $20,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and she produced a colt by Pierro (Lonhro) the following year, before being covered by Newgate Farm-based sire Capitalist (Written Tycoon). 

Mischief Night herself is out of Millie Fox Stakes (Gr 3, 1300m) winner November Flight (Flying Spur), making her a half-sister to All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner and now Aquis Farm stallion Pierata (Pierro), Group 3 scorer Ashokan (More Than Ready) and recent winner Jet Propulsion (Rubick), a $900,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale graduate, who broke his maiden at Newcastle last Thursday. 

November Flight has proved to be a lucrative producer, with her five foals to sell at public auction as yearlings have made $2,550,000, with Pierata having been purchased by Greg Hickman for $160,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, while in 2011 James Harron and Hubie De Burgh paired up to buy Ashokan for $810,000. 

The daughter of Flying Spur (Danehill) produced a filly by Pierro (Lonhro) in 2019 and was covered again last December by the Coolmore Stud-based sire. 

November Flight herself is a daughter of two-time winning Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare November Song, with November Flight being the best of her five winners, while she also produced Listed-placed Villa Splendido (Holy Roman Emperor). 

November Song herself is a half-sister to Listed-winning Crozier (Godswalk) and the dam of Counties Bowl Handicap (Listed, 1100m) Fully Funded (Fully Fledged), with the trio all being out of Chorus Star (Kaoru Star), who produced three further winners. 

Our Playboy’s fifth dam is 1979 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Century Miss (Century), who did not reach as dizzy heights as a broodmare sire as she did on racecourse, producing seven winners - headed by the Group 3-placed Volterra (Bletchingly). 

However some of Century Miss’ daughter’s proved themselves fair producers, with the mare being the grandam of 2005 Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Natural Blitz (Maroof), who also won at Listed level in Australia, as did his brother Castleton Keys (El Moxie). 

Meanwhile, further back Vega Magic (Lope De Vega) - who landed The Goodwood (Gr 1, 1200m) and the Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) also feature under the colt’s sixth dam.