Nathan went to $70,000 for an athletic bay filly by Downbytheseaside from Greater Good at the Auckland sales and it was no impulse buy. He and Mark had sorted the close relation to Elle Mac as worth a much higher figure.She is now in the latter stages of syndication and there can be few better speculative sorts from the sale as she is at that money.
“I liked her from the start. She is very athletic , a nice walker. Some of the Downbyseaside’s can be a bit bigger than we think is ideal but she is a nice medium size and of course has plenty going for her on her pedigree.”
Nathan noted that the filly resembled Elle Mac very strongly around the head and that was a factor in her selection, Elle Mac being a sister to this filly’s dam, Greater Good.
“The Elle Mac filly in the sale was more like her than I had noticed with her earlier foals who tended to throw to the stallion. Our one is a little more compact than Elle Mac but as I said a lovely mover and resembles her in other ways that struck a chord with us”
Greater Good was bred on the golden Bettor’s Delight-Christian Cullen cross and the family had been a proven source of race fillies and mares for over a century.
Granddam Goodlooking Girl was a half-sister to the high class racemare, Waitnornone (Queen of Hearts G1) whose daughter Waitforever ran a 1.50.6 mile. A half sister,Windinherhair,took a 1.54 time in Australia.
Beside Elle Mac, Goodlooking Girl, all of whose fillies to race won, left the rather unlucky Miss Streisand. Her best race in NZ -she was also placed in the Young Guns Delightful Lady Classic-was runner up in the Yearling Sales 2yo Final for Tony Herlihy which is not rated a Group race. Then in Australia she ran second in the Queensland Oaks to the all conquering Princess Tiffany after a fourth in the Victorian Oaks to Belle of Montana.Other siblings included Fight Fire With Fire.
Elle Mac after another Group 1 Win
The family began over a century ago- with some controversy – in Southland. That was over the the true identity of the family founder here, Miss Fortune, of Australian extraction, who left an 15 foals in 16 years and 11 of them winners, several top liners. Down through the the years there were a consistent run of top mares like Maida Dillon,Va Vite, Sweet Jessica, Chiffon Highland Flirt etc before the modern division kept up the tradition. Those mares had to race against the boys on equal terms.Many were still notable broodmares. There have also been a long list of top male performers in the family.
Highland Flirt was a half sister to Tobacco Road, an ill fated star of his era when he was best rated two year old in New Zealand (Oamaru Juvenile, Welcome Stakes,Sapling Stakes then top rated events) and won the NZ Derby at three. He went to Sydney for the New South Wales Derby and after an extraordinary run thanks to a “visitors welcome” treatment of trainer-driver the great Maurice Holmes.At one stage he was pushed to the outside rail near which he remained,and a rails finisher pipped him in the last stride. Tobacco Road died suddenly on the boat home to Christchurch. There are many other younger stars from this family.
Elle Mac was typical of them winning 12 races.She won two Group Ones at 2, the Caduceus Stakes and the Two Year old Championship ;and at three won the Great Northern Oaks;,the Nevele R Final and the Filly 3yo Championship going down to Australian superstar Shez All Rock in an All Stars NZ Oaks stable trifecta with Bettor Trix third
Elle Mac went down to the remarkable Dream About Me in a couple of four year old features before ending her career on a high note winning the Harness Jewels feature for her age group and being purchased by Breckon Farms from Jean Fiess for her breeding career.
Regularly producing top racing females for over 100 years and adding two such commercially bred parents to add renewed vim to that great tradition should show the Purdon judgment to be spot on once again.
*As of Tuesday her ownership should be finalised though some shares may remain available