Offered by Milburn Creek as agent was attractive grey mare Pinocchio, a full sister to champion miler Racing to Win that was offered in foal to Foxwedge in her first season at stud and knocked down to Magic Millions as agent for Wallings Bloodstock.
Wallings Bloodstock is Linda and Laurence Monds, who purchased the famed Tyreel Stud from the Fleming family.
Pinocchio produced a colt from that first mating to Foxwedge that made $82,000 at the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale and then $100,000 when he was re-offered at the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale where he was bought by Darby Racing.
Racing as Puppet Master , he has proven a great success winning four races and over $140,000 in prizemoney including a win in town.
Pinocchio's next foal, a colt by Not a Single Doubt, topped the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for Tyreel Stud when fetching $400,000 to the bid of Carmel Size and is now Classique Legend, one of the brightest sprint stars in training.
Winner of the Group II ATC Arrowfield Sprint, Classique Legend has already won over $700,000 in prizemoney and is being prepared for $13million The Everest.
Foal number three for Pinocchio is also shaping as a well above average performer.
A colt by Sebring, he made $575,000 for Tyreel Stud at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when bought by George Moore Bloodstock and made it two wins in as many starts when scoring easily at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Aethero was a hot favourite for the griffin plate over 1200 metres and won by more than three lengths eased down to the line by Zac Purton.
"Zac came back and was full of praise for him, he said this is very good, so he's giving him the right feel. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, it's stage by stage, he's still got to make his way right to the big time," said winning trainer John Moore.
"We'll take it race by race and we'll see how he handles it. He doesn't carry a lot of weight over those legs – he's got that great athletic look about him.
"That's about as good as it gets (in a Griffin race), so we'll look for a Class 3 now because he's going to go up to a rating of 74 or 76 or something – (the handicapper) is going to hammer him, but it's to be expected."
Pinocchio has no yearling having slipped the year before in 2016, but does have a weanling colt by So You Think and appears to be in foal to Capitalist after two unsuccessful attempts with Pierro and Merchant Navy.
Maybe it will be third time lucky for the lovely grey, whose owners will no doubt be hoping for a filly this time to continue her line.
Now, for those looking at buying a top class mare at this sale the profile of Pinocchio should be considered.
- Young lightly raced winning sibling to a top class horse from a proven Black Type family.
- By a champion sire in Encosta de Lago
- Free of Danehill blood
- In foal in first season at stud to a commercial sire, not necessarily a superstar.