Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday November 23

In a week where Rich Hill Stud lost their beloved Be My Guest stallion Pentire (GB), it may be timely to remember a daughter of Be My Guest who also left her mark in Australasia.

Carrying the colours of Robert Sangster, Formal Invitation (IRE) was a more than useful filly for Colin Hayes winning the first ever running of the MRC Blue Diamond Prelude for Fillies back in 1982.

She then finished fifth behind Rancher in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.

Rancher was to be one of Formal Invitation’s suitors when she retired.

It proved lean pickings for Formal Invitation after her triumph in the Prelude. She added the Listed VATC Catanach's Handicap at three and placed in the Group II A.V. Kewney Stakes, Group II Edward Manifold Stakes, Listed AJC Princess Handicap and Listed VATC Heath Stakes.

Formal Invitation did not make it past her classic season as she was retired following a seventh in the AJC Oaks.


She went on to produce 13 named foals, 11 made the track and 8 were winners.

The best performed were the Listed winner Don Bellotto (Bellotto) and the Listed Emancipation Stakes winner Hysterical while her daughter Eliza Dane (Danehill), did not earn a zac on the racetrack from three starts but she left two stakes winners and is the great-grandam of Ron Quinton’s hugely popular Group II winner Daysee Doom (Domesday).

A daughter of the Wolver Hollow stallion Wolverton (IRE), Hysterical is carving out a dynasty of her own.

She is the dam of the stakes winner Hy Fuji (Fuji Kiseki) and the stakes-placed Mary Machree (Quest For Fame).

Hy Fuji is the dam of the Group 1 Doncaster Mile and Group 1 All Aged Stakes winner Kermadec (Teofilo) who now stands at Darley Stud, while Mary Machree is the dam of Group III Liverpool City Cup winner and multiple Group 1 placed Triple Elegance (Mossman).

Another two daughters of Hysterical have produced stakes winners.

Teneales Pearl (Redoute’s Choice) is the dam of Listed winner and Group 1 SA Derby third Shoreham (Reset) while The Quarewan (Supremo) is the dam of the Listed VRC Chester Manifold Stakes winner At The Heads (Hussonet).

Born 17 years after her half-sister Hysterical was Helluva Party who was Formal Invitation’s last foal.

A daughter of the Danehill stallion Dante's Fury, Helluva Party was purchased for $27,000 as a yearling in Perth and more than paid her way on the racetrack winning three and placing in 10 of her 31 starts in Sydney with earnings of $178,675.

The first three foals out of Helluva Party have been winners including the stakes-placed Australia Day (Sebring).

The daughter of Dante’s Fury was consigned to the 2015 Easter Broodmare Sale. Carrying a positive test to Hinchinbrook she was knocked down for $50,000 and now resides at the Cook family’s Mystery Downs.

Helluva Party hit a home run for the Cooks as she subsequently foaled a filly that was sent to the 2017 Magic Millions Yearling Sale in the Fairview Stud draft and was purchased by Golden Eastern Horses for $210,000.

Named Countercurrent and sent to Bjorn Baker at Warwick Farm, the daughter of Hinchinbrook made light work of three opponents in a three-length romp over 900 metres at Queanbeyan on November 13.

Things will be ramped up a touch on Saturday when Countercurrent (pictured as a yearling ) travels down to Ballarat to contest the innovative $200,000 Magic Millions 2YO Clockwise Classic (1000m). It shapes as a test to see if she presses on for the $2 million Magic Million 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast in January.

More Reading...
Victorian Farms Celebrate Premier Success
Just minutes later, the Rosemont bred Lot 201, a flashy colt but world-class stallion Frankel, became the second million dollar horse sold at Oaklands Junction this week, rewarding its breeder for their support of their home auction.
$500,000 I Am Invincible Filly Stars at Inglis Premier Finale
The 2025 edition of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale continued to defy the pre-sale apprehension amongst participants, with the results from Day 2 of the sale showing further gains on the promising start to the sale on Sunday. 
Tuxedo Ready for NZ Derby
Shaune Ritchie couldn’t have wished for a smoother run with Tuxedo into Saturday’s $1.25 million Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
G1 Bonecrusher Next for Orchestral
Ellerslie has been the home of several of Orchestral’s career highlights, and trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are hoping she can add another on Saturday when she contests the $1 million Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m).
Kiwi Studs Celebrate G1 Australian Guineas Victory for Feroce
Feroce’s stunning Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) victory was celebrated in several of New Zealand’s most prominent stud farms over the weekend.
Sires With Winners - Monday March 3
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Premier Pinhook Winners – Wootton Bassett Filly Tops List
The Inglis Premier Yearling Book 1 Sale this week exceeded expectation with some pretty solid results and a number of notable pinhook success stories, so let’s take a look at some of the best.
G1 Sistema Stakes Next for Hello Youmzain Filly
Tony Pike will be represented in a number of the Champions Day features this Saturday, including the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m), the first top-flight appearance for his promising juvenile Lucy In The Sky.
2024 Busiest Australian Sires by Price Bracket
The official covering stats released by Australian Studbook this week have made for interesting reading and we’re going through to look at the most popular sires in different price brackets, so apples vs apples and oranges vs oranges.
$1million Toronado Colt Has Queensland Origins
Million dollar yearlings always have a story and while Gilgai Farm were basking in the glory of selling their stunning Toronado (IRE) colt from Hardly Surprising for $1million at Inglis Premier this week, up in Queensland Basil Nolan and his family at Raheen Stud were also feeling the joy.