From Rogue to Racehorse

Tara Madgwick - Thursday February 21
A one time rogue headed for the broodmare paddock is now a Randwick winner thanks to an inspired purchase and the patience and skill of Adam Mackrell and his team at Bell View Park Stud.

Adam Mackrell spends a great deal of time looking for broodmare prospects worldwide to be astutely mated and on-sold by Bell View Park at the leading broodmare sales each year.

Eugene's Pick was a winner at Randwick on WednesdayWhile looking at gavelhouse.com New Zealand, Mackrell's attention was captured byan unnamed Mastercraftsman (IRE) filly from the family of Group I winners Bonanova, Telesto and Fraternity. She was a half-sister to six winners including the dam of current Group III winner Five to Midnight, but was offered as a breeding prospect only.

"I didn't mind her pedigree, so I asked an ex staff member of mine, Eugene Casement who lives in NZ to go and have a look at her," Mackrell recalled.

"Eugene inspected her and gave me a positive report, so we bought her off Gavelhouse for NZ$3,400."

She arrived back at Bell View Park on the South Coast of New South Wales and there was no plan to put her into work, however some further investigation revealed she was in fact sound to race, but had been a real handful to break in and train.

"We decided to give her a chance on the track so Peter (Ward) and our staff put a lot of time and effort into educating her," Mackrell said.

"Slowly but surely she came good mentally and we sent her to Robert and Luke Price to train and she was named her Eugene's Pick for obvious reasons."

Eugene's Pick ran third on debut at Kembla in May last year and then won at Kembla and Goulburn as well as placing two more times from six starts in her first preparation.

"Robert and Luke did a great job with her and in her first race preparation she won impressively twice and was placed at Rosehill. She went out for a spell and came back a much more mature horse and won second up at Randwick on Wednesday," Mackrell added.

Eugene's Pick led all the way to win the Benchmark 70 event over 1400 metres for fillies and mares by half a neck and has now won over $80,000 in prizemoney.

"Given her breeding, the fact that she keeps improving physically and is now straight forward to train, we are quite excited about her and hope her best is yet to come," Mackrell concluded.

Footnote: Mastercraftsman is the sire of the dam of Group I Blue Diamond favourite Loving Gaby, who is by I Am Invincible.



Advertisment
More Reading...
Switzerland Wins the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes for Coolmore
After Coolmore’s $875,000 I Am Invincible colt Home Affairs captured the Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2021, it was the turn of the $1,500,000 Snitzel colt Switzerland to do the sponsor proud in the $2,000,000 Group 1 feature at Flemington on Saturday.
Second Group One Win for Mastercraftsman Mare
The Chris Gibbs and Michelle Bradley-trained Danzdanzdance made it consecutive Group One successes when winning the Group I Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day in sensational fashion.
Danzdanzdance Glides to Group One Success
Four-year-old mare Danzdanzdance made light-work of her rivals in Saturday’s Group1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham and could be New Zealand Racing’s next weight-for-age star.
Third G1 Win for Star Savabeel Mare Atishu
A year after flying home for second behind Pride Of Jenni in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), Go Racing’s pin-up girl Atishu(NZ) (Savabeel) returned to Flemington on Saturday and went one better for the Kiwi syndicators.
Saint Emilion Wins Group Three
Rugged front-runner Saint Emilion once again showed his penchant for the Ellerslie track when he led all the way to win the Group III OMF Stakes (2000m) on Tuesday.
William Haggas Trained Lake Forest Triumphs in Golden Eagle
William Haggas is playing his part in keeping the UK economy afloat, taking home a further $5,250,000 after Lake Forest (GB) won an action-packed James Squire Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill.
Bravo Centurion - How Good is He?
Ridden by Chris Parnham for Luke Fernie, Bravo Centurion stretched his winning run to six, making every post a winner to defeat Saloon Bar (Sessions) by a long three and three-quarter lengths with Crippalenko (Maschino) a half-length back in third.
Fawkner Park Back to Winning Ways in G3 Rosehill Gold Cup
Since winning the Listed Albury Gold Cup in March, Fawkner Park has undergone an amazing transformation.
Superstar for Mastercraftsman
Former Windsor Park shuttler Mastercraftsman (IRE) is no stranger to Group I success as a sire but may have soared to new heights with star filly Alpha Centauri, who posted her third consecutive win at the highest level overnight when winning the Group I Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
Invincible Mares Quinella G3 Furphy Sprint
The first foal of triple Group I winning mare Shoals, blueblood I Am invincible mare Isthmus has been threatening to win a stakes race this year and got the job done when charging clear to score a dominant victory in the Group III VRC Furphy Sprint (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday over another I Am Invincible mare in Kundalini.