Eagle swoops for huge payday

[Wandering Eyes]

Loch Eagle added a massive boost to his career earnings at Randwick with a New Zealand-dominated syndicate cheering the five-year-old home.

Trained by Kris Lees, the son of Lonhro had finished runner-up in the A$1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange before he came off the ballot to claim the thick end of the prize in Saturday’s A$2 million Gr.2 The Ingham (1600m).

Victory also earned him a golden ticket into the A$4 million Gr.1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m).

Loch Eagle was purchased by Masterton bloodstock agent Bruce Perry out of Newgate’s draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$230,000 with his bank account now nudging A$1.8 million.

He is out of the unraced Irish-bred Shamardal mare Song Street, who is a half-sister to the dual European Group One winner and sire Laverock and to the dam of the five-time Group One winner and leading sire Pierro.

“The syndicate was in place when we bought him and the intention was to try and buy a couple of colts through the sale and one of them might hopefully make a stallion,” Perry said.

Bloodstock agent Bruce Perry (left) pictured with Elsdon Park principal Lib Petagna.
Photo: Trish Dunell

“Loch Eagle was gelded at the end of his three-year-old career though, Kris rated him all the way through but nothing went quite right for him as a three-year-old.

“He went some really good races and he won a couple of races, but he couldn’t get the decent Group win that he needed so we made the decision to geld him.”

Loch Eagle is now likely to be set for another major purse in Queensland.

“There is a $1 million race over 1400m for the older horses during the Magic Millions so there’s every chance he’ll head up there and then have a little break and target the Doncaster,” Perry said.

The Kiwi ownership group behind Loch Eagle includes Perry, Waikato Stud, Jamieson Park, Lib Petagna, Jomara Bloodstock, Aucklanders David and Nicki Wilson and Greg Clarke, of Mt Maunganui, with Victoria’s Rosemont Stud adding an Australian flavour to the syndicate.

“David and Nicki came into Ardrossan when we bought him as a yearling, that was their first venture into the game,” Perry said.

“Greg is racing one or two, he’s in a few of our horses and he didn’t race Ardrossan, but he’s got mares and breeds and bought a share in him.

“David and Nicki and Greg race (multiple Group Three winner) Milford with Lib as well.”

Ardrossan was a A$150,000 Inglis Melbourne Yearling Sale purchase for Perry and was a stakes winner and Group One placegetter before retiring to Waikato Stud.

He was represented by his first Australian black type winner when the Tony and Maddysen-trained Beau Dazzler claimed Saturday’s Listed Phelan Ready Stakes (1000m) at Eagle Farm.

He was bred by the Dewar Partnership, which includes Perry and his wife Anna, Petagna, the Wilsons, Max Brown and Tony Joyce.

Out of the Pentire mare Pwerfect, Beau Dazzler was sold through Mapperley Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $85,000 with Paul Moroney Bloodstock, Catheryne Bruggeman and Sears Racing signing the ticket.

The Dewar Partnership, which also bred another recent Ardrossan juvenile winner in Maracatu, will offer Beau Dazzler’s brother as Lot 907 in Landsdowne Park’s consignment at Karaka in 2024.

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