Memorable Week for Elsdon Park

Joshua Smith, NZ Racing Desk

Matamata thoroughbred nursery Elsdon Park have had a memorable week in Sydney with the progeny of young broodmare Daniela’s Magic, culminating in stakes success at Randwick on Saturday.

While the eight-year-old daughter of Per Incanto never made it to the races, her progeny is more than making up for it, with her first foal, Panic, extending his record to four wins from six starts over the weekend when taking out the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) for trainer Michael Freedman.

Bred by Elsdon Park principal Lib Petagna, the three-year-old son of Time Test was offered through Blandford Lodge’s 2022 Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was purchased by bloodstock agents Mick Wallace and Paul Moroney for $80,000.

He has proven to be an astute purchase, having now accrued more than A$179,000 in earnings.

“He was in the last draft that we sold under Blandford Lodge,” said Elsdon Park General Manager Kerrie Cox, with Petagna owning a share of the farm at the time before investing in what is now Elsdon Park.

“He was a beautiful type and a lovely moving horse. He was the first foal and he was just big and strong, a lovely mover, and had a great head on him.”

Cox said his yearling half-brother by Ardrossan is cast from the same mould and sold accordingly through the farm’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft earlier in the week.

“We had a really good Easter Sale where we sold three horses, including the half-brother to Panic, who was the only Ardossan in the sale,” Cox said.

“He made A$260,000 and when talking to Michael Wallace over there, who bought Panic with Paul Moroney, he said he (Panic) was going to be running in a stakes race and they were pretty confident.

“It was great to see him get that win, especially in a big field like that.”

They are the only two live foals out of Daniela’s Magic to date, who is now in-foal to Yulong’s Alabama Express.

“Lib owns a share in Alabama and it has turned out to be a pretty good mating,” Cox said.

“She is a lovely type of mare. She is leaving a really nice types and they look like athletes.”

Daniela’s Magic is a full-sister to Group One performer Saracino, who went on to win four races, including the Gr.2 Danehill Stakes (1200m), Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m), Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m). He was also placed in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.1 NRM Sprint (1400m), Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m), Listed Beaufine Stakes (1000m), and two editions of the Listed Scenic Blast Stakes (1200m), earning nearly A$500,000 in prizemoney.

Meanwhile, Elsdon Park has experienced further success on the track in Australia of late, with the Petagna-owned Kalapour placing in the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) on Saturday, while farm graduate Hezdarnhottoo became Elsdon Park’s first winner at Randwick a fortnight ago.

“Kalapour won the Tancred (Gr.1, 2400m) a couple of weeks ago, and was a really commendable third in the Sydney Cup,” Cox said.

“Hezdarnhottoo was the first horse that was branded at Elsdon Park and he won as a two-year-old in Sydney a few weeks ago. That was pretty exciting for us to see our brand cross the finishing line there.

“I think there have only been four two-year-olds to the races so far with our brand on and they have gone pretty well. We have had Macaluso who was stakes placed as a two-year-old and also ran in the Karaka Millions.

“We have had some nice success with that first crop. It wasn’t a very big first crop so it is nice to see those results coming through as two-year-olds already.”