Last bid reaping major breeding rewards

[Wandering Eyes]

Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson was running on empty when he had the final say on the well-related mare Temolie at the Gold Coast.

Thompson was at the end of his budget with a closing bid of A$200,000 that secured the daughter of Star Witness at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where she was offered by Edinburgh Park.

“She was definitely on the list I had made before the sale and when I Iooked at her when I was doing the rounds at the sale she was a big, strong mare,” Thompson said.

“I thought she would be a good match for Proisir on type and pedigree with Galileo and Zabeel there.”

Temolie was purchased by Rich Hill with Greg Tomlinson’s Nearco Stud in foal to Castelvecchio, with the result the progressive filly Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio).

She posted her second career success from four starts for champion trainer Chris Waller when successful in Saturday’s Gr.3 Reginald Allen Handicap (1200m) at Randwick.

“Greg is a shareholder in Proisir and we decided to buy a nice mare that would suit him and I picked out Temolie and he’s halves with us,” Thompson said.

“I didn’t necessarily buy her because she was in foal to Castelvecchio, but it was nice that she was in foal to a reasonably high profile first season sire.”

Temolie subsequently produced a filly by Proisir who sold to Ciaron Maher and Victoria’s TFI at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for $250,000.

“We got another Proisir filly last year and she’s back in foal to him,” Thompson said.

“It was quite a late service so I’m not sure whether we’ll mate her again this year, it depends when she foals.”

Temolie is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Tattersalls Tiara (1400m) winner Invincibella and the Gr.3 JRA Cup (2040m) winner Secret Blaze with their dam the unraced Galileo mare Abscond.

Aeliana was offered through Rich Hill’s draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale and sold to Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds for $180,000.

“Denise raced Invincibella, who was a tremendous mare, and she wasn’t at the sale, so she rang (bloodstock agent) Guy Mulcaster,” Thompson said.

“He came and had a look at the filly on her behalf and liked her, so I guess it was a bit of a no brainer.”

Aeliana broke her maiden in August off the back of a debut fourth and then finished sixth before a short break and returned to claim black type honours.

“She’s a nice type and I don’t think it’ll be her last one,” Waller said.

“We had backed off her to try and have her ready for a race like this and booked James McDonald to ride, which was a pointer of what we think of her.” 

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