Breednet recently featured a list of broodmares that made $1million or more at public auction and the international star Sun Classique featured prominently.
The Australian-bred daughter of Fuji
Bred and part-owned by Lionel Cohen, Sun Classique was honoured as champion three-year-old filly of her year in South Africa with three wins at the highest level, the Cape Fillies Guineas, the Fancourt Majorca Stakes and the Woolavington at Durban.
Sent by trainer Mike de Kock to Dubai, Sun Classique reeled off three wins in as many starts including the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic encouraging connections to set their sights on the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Newmarket.
Before making her European an injury brought an end to her career on the track that yielded nine wins and over $4.2 million in earnings.
That's a handy return on the $32,500 Cohen outlaid at the 2003 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale, for the Last Tycoon mare
With the notable exception of Sun Classique,
The daughter of Group 1 South Australian Oaks winner Gamine had 10 foals, seven of them reached the track and Sun Classique was the only winner.
Before leaving Britain, Sun Classique visited Oasis Dream and was shipped backed to Australia.
She was consigned to the 2012 Inglis Easter Broodmare where the big spending Nathan Tinkler shelled out $2 million to take her back to Patinack Farm.
Disappointingly for the mining magnate, it proved a bad investment although he did get $850,000 of it back when the Oasis Dream colt sold at the 2012 Easter Yearling sale.
That colt failed to win in ten starts and Sun Classique's second foal, a colt by Husson (ARG) has failed to place in three starts to date. Named Husonique his most recent start came a fortnight back when seventh in a maiden at Tamworth.
The third foal, a colt by Lope De Vega died shortly after birth so Sun Classique's legacy will rest with her final foal, also a colt by Husson, named Octavian Augustus (pictured as a yearling) , who makes his career debut in a maiden on the Beaumont track at Newcastle on Saturday.
The Chris Waller-trained colt was a $325,000 purchase out of the Kitchwin Hills draft at the 2015 Inglis Easter Yearling sale.
Covered by All Too Hard in 2013, Sun Classique died in August the following year without leaving a filly to carry on the line.
Hopefully, Octavian Augustus can do justice to her memory.
