Unlikely Pin Up Boy

When Guelph won the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes in 2013, horses bred with a double cross of legendary sire Danehill had found their pin-up girl, but it's taken four more years for a pin-up boy to emerge.

That horse is Paul Perry's headstrong colt The Mission, who led and dominated from the front to win the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes at Randwick last Saturday.

By Choisir from a daughter of Redoute's Choice, The Mission is the fourth Group I winner to carry the double cross and is only the second in Australia after Guelph.

Current statistics for the double Danehill courtesy of Arion show 46.7% winners to runners (1221 winners from 2614 starters) with 57 stakes-winners.

Among those stakes-winners are current season two year-olds Gunnison, Single Bullet, Debellatio, Ducimus, Pateena Arena, Seannie and of course The Mission.

The Mission is an interesting pin-up boy for a number of reasons starting with his pedigree.

The double Danehill configuration comes in many different patterns, but 3 x 3 in the male line pattern like The Mission has until now thought to be one of the least successful.

In his favour may well be Choisir.

When you run a report for the double Danehill cross, but look at only those involving Choisir the statistics improve markedly.

We find 51.3 % winners to runners with eight stakes-winners making for 4% stakes-winners to runners which is double what we find when just looking at the straight double Danehill.

Another factor making The Mission a somewhat unexpected star is his purchase price and yearling picture, neither would suggest star in the making!

Consigned to the Magic Millions by Edinglassie Stud, The Mission was only good enough for Book Two and was picked up by Paul Perry for just $32,500 making him the cheapest colt by Choisir sold at the Gold Coast in 2016.

As you can see in his yearling picture, The Mission was a work in progress and it's a credit to Paul Perry that he saw the diamond in the rough.

Young thoroughbreds go through growth spurts at various stages of their development and it's fair to day The Mission was not seen at his best last January.

Given his pedigree (the iffy double Danehill) and his type (work in progress), it's no wonder that this Group I winner was picked up cheaply and has now won over $400,000.