Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday April 21

Catalogued to sell under the Mill Park banner at next month's Inglis Chairman's Sale, Mileva will contest Saturday's Group III RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville Parks in what could be her last hurrah for owner Michael Birchall and trainer Phillip Stokes.

It would be a popular win for the locals as the daughter of Headwater is not only owned and trained in South Australia, she was bred by Geoff and Chris Tucker of Little Hills Pastoral.

Mileva captures the Group III Monash Stakes (image Grant Courtney)

The family of Mileva traces back to one of the great South Australian families.

Mileva's seventh dam, Miss Pompilia, is a sister to the champion 2yo Pago Pago.

A son of the South Australian legend Matrice, Pago Pago won nine of his ten starts at two before selling to America. His wins included the Golden Slipper, VRC Sire' Produce Stakes, Merson Cooper Stakes and South Australian Bloodhorse Breeders' Stakes.

Pago Pago retired to Claiborne Farm in Kentucky and was later sold to Lasater Farm in Kentucky. He left a lasting legacy in his daughter Olmec the dam of Navajo Princess (Drone), who won sixteen races, including the Molly Pitcher Handicap.

Navajo Princess achieved renown as a broodmare by producing one of racing's undisputed champions, Dancing Brave, and the Prix Vermeille and Prix Diane heroine Jolypha.

Jolypha is the granddam of Westbury Stud's underappreciated stallion Redwood (High Chaparral).

Pago Pago was repatriated to Australia at age nineteen by Robert Homes a Court.

He s

Advertisement
tood for four seasons and defied the odds to sire a further 21 stakes-winners off small crops of foals.

Pago Pago's dam Pompilia was faithful to Matrice for twelve years.

The union produced another stakes winner, Lady Pompilia, and the multiple stakes-placed Tutuila, who placed in the VRC Newmarket and VATC One Thousand Guineas. Tutuila is the granddam of The AJC Doncaster Hcp and VATC One Thousand Guineas heroine, Magic Flute (Adraan).

Miss Pomilia did not reach the heights of her siblings on the track, winning twice and placing in thirteen of her 26 starts. She produced the SAJC Dermody stakes winner Johnnie's Luck. Still, a lot of the heavy lifting was done by her daughter Café Miss (Estaminet), the dam of Spring Champion Stakes winner Sakana (Rassendyll) and the Group III winner Rohatyn (Carnegie).

A $42,000 purchase for Dan Clarken and Oopie Macgillivray from Little Hills Pastoral draft at the 2019 Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Mileva made nine starts for Clarken and MacGillivray before her purchase by Michael Birchall and transferring to Phillip Stokes.

Mileva has banked $622,760 from a record of seven wins, two seconds and three thirds from 21 starts.

Mileva one of the stars on offer at the Chairman's Sale on May 4 (image Grant Courtney)

The 5yo daughter of Headwater has a Group III to her credit in the MRC Sir John Monash Stakes, and Listed wins in the Alinghi Stakes, Manihi Classic and Kensington Stakes.

Little Hills purchased Mileva's dam Lady Einstein off Vinery for $30,000 at the 2017 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale when carrying the future 4-time stakes-winner.

A winner at Geelong and Cranbourne in a light career of five starts, Lady Einstein is a half-sister to the Group II MRC PB Lawrence Stakes winner Second Effort (Mossman) and the Group III MRC Heath Stakes winner Diamond Effort (Mossman).

Lady Einstein foaled a sister to Mileva last spring and was covered by Headwater again.

Advertisment
More Reading...
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Tycoon Star Makes Winning Debut in G3 Maribyrnong Plate
Tycoon Star looked like the consummate professional when making a winning career debut in the Group III Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) to kickstart Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
Group One Goals for Headwater's Mileva
The family of the Phillip Stokes-trained mare Mileva has a rich history in the Listed Kensington Stakes, a race won by Mileva’s sire Headwater, while Headwater’s dam River Dove was second in 2003.
Fourth Stakes for Headwater's Mileva
There are few more likeable mares around than the Headwater 4yo Mileva, who earned a fourth stakes success when pulling the Group III Neds Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) out of the fire at Caulfield on Saturday.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Cup Day Stakes-Winner for So You Think
The Listed VRC TAB Trophy (1800m) for three year-olds on Cup Day at Flemington drew a competitive field of up and comers with So You Think gelding Opening Address stamping himself as a bright prospect for the future with a stylish victory.