Mustang Valley retired

[Wandering Eyes]

Multiple Group One winner Mustang Valley has joined her mother in the Windsor Park Stud broodmare band with both set to visit the Cambridge farm’s new stallion Paddington.

The top-quality mare carried 60kg to victory in the open mile at Tauranga on Saturday in what was to have been her lead-up to another crack at the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), but was found to have bled and has been retired.

Bred by Windsor Park, who remained in the ownership group, Mustang Valley was trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman with the latter taking sole charge following Baker’s retirement in 2022.

“She’s going to be served by Paddington and that was the plan anyway,” Windsor Park studmaster Rodney Schick said.

“She would have run this Saturday and then be mated and race on but unfortunately, it’s been cut short a little bit.

“The main thing for us is that she’s safe and sound, she’s won two Group Ones so she had nothing to prove. She’s been a wonderful mare.”

A daughter of resident stallion Vanbrugh, Mustang Valley’s seven career victories were highlighted by successes in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) and the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) and earned just shy of $900,000.

She is the first foal of the New Approach mare Cream Of The Crop, whose pedigree page features Windsor Park’s famous son and multiple top-flight winner Might And Power.

“I bought her at the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale for $5,000, she was a maiden off the track and Mustang Valley was her first foal,” Schick said.

“I did cop a bit of stick from the boys for buying such a cheap mare, the flight cost more than she did.

“I was certainly happy though, it was a good family and as breeders we always like to stick with families we know and have worked with.

“It was a weaker branch of that family, but she was a lovely, scopey sort of mare and thought she’d physically suit Vanbrugh and it paid off.”

Earlier this year, Windsor Park sold Cream Of The Crop’s filly by Hello Youmzain to trainer Tony Pike for $220,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.

“She’s had a Savabeel colt, an absolute cracker, and she will be going to Paddington,” Schick said.

Paddington is a four-time Group One-winning son of champion sire Siyouni who has shuttled to Windsor Park from Coolmore in Ireland for his first season of duty.

“He’s very popular and rightly so, he was an absolute champion of a racehorse and we’re very lucky to have him in New Zealand,” Schick said.

“He’s got a full book and will suit most mares, he’ll be serving 160.”

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