The highly anticipated Strawberry Hill Stud Dispersal features 57 lots and 22 of them or 38% of the catalogue trace in tail female line to celebrated matriarch Joie Denise and that’s not the only family to feature prominently at this sale, so we’ll be following these families closely in the lead up to the sale for any new developments.
Winner of the 1995 Group I Queensland Oaks, Joie Denise became a foundation mare for Strawberry Hill and two of her daughters Sunday Joy and Deedra have proven top producers and their descendants will be a highlight at the sale which includes Deedra herself (Lot 39), who at age 19 is not in foal.
There are eight entries including Deedra from her branch of the family, plus four from the Tuesday Joy line and then there are nine from the Sunday Joy branch that include champion mare More Joyous and three of her descendants.
Outstanding Dehere (USA) mare Dear Demi won the Group I VRC Oaks in 2012 and placed in a further seven G1 races and she too is in the sale along with six of her descendants, while 2009 Champion 3YO Filly Samantha Miss is also in the sale along with three of her descendants.
The Samantha Miss family is the one that holds interest today with Frankel mare Call Di returning for her first run as a four year-old at Rosehill.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Call Di has had six starts for a win and two stakes placings, so will be looking to head back to Black Type company after this Benchmark 78 event over 1400m.
She is the seventh foal of Champion 3YO Filly Samantha Miss and is a full sister to Group II winner Miss Fabulass, and both her mum and sister are in the sale as well as a yearling half-sister by Pierro.
2010 Group I Australian Oaks winner Once Were Wild has four descendants on offer, while Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Karuta Queen is for sale along with two of her offspring.