Ellibaby’s racetrack debut was delayed after coming off second best when tangling with a fence, which made it all the sweeter when the daughter of Merchant Navy got off the mark at her first start in the Stradbroke Season On Sale Now Maiden Plate (1300m) at Doomben on Wednesday.
Ridden by Kyle Wilson-Taylor for David Vandyke, Ellibaby sat on the speed set by Ashilla. Reaching the lead 200m out, the daughter of Merchant Navy found the line strongly to defeat the favoured Fastnet Rock mare To Wish by a neck with the $320,000 Savabeel filly Addition back in third.
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“I’ve been out for a while, and Dave always finds a way to put me back on the map,” Wilson-Taylor said.
“I had the pleasure of trialling her, which was great, as I knew what I had to work with.
“She will continue to improve as she has a lot of furnishing to do.”
A $180,000 purchase for Ontrack Syndicates/David Vandyke from the Middlebrook Valley Lodge draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Ellibaby is the second foal of the unraced Scat Daddy (USA) mare Elliptical Orbit (USA).
Her first foal, Reo (Rubick), reeled off wins at Mornington, Sale, and Sandown before finishing second in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm.
Purchased by M & R Services Pty Ltd for $90,000 2020 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale, Elliptical Orbit (USA) is out of the stakes-winning Sadler’s Wells mare Starbourne (IRE), a sister to stakes-placed Starrystarrynight, the dam of Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks winner Gust Of Wind (Darci Brahma).
Middlebrook Valley Lodge consigns a half-brother to Ellibaby and Reo, by Written By, to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale (lot 5). Her 2-year-old sister, Scripted, made $140,000 at the Magic Millions last year and is in training with Matthew Dunn.
At the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Paramount Thoroughbreds consign a Capitalist colt out of Gust Of Wind’s half-sister Trieste (Fastnet Rock) (Lot 795).
Coolmore Stud Stakes and Royal Ascot Diamond Jubilee Stakes hero Merchant Navy stands at Kooringal Stud for $13,200.
