Stakes-winning bargain filly Australian-bound

[Wandering Eyes]

She’s A Con will join the stable of Grahame Begg. Photo: Race Images CHCH

Last-start Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) winner She’s A Con is on her way to Australia following the sale of a majority share to clients of Grahame Begg’s Victorian stable.

The deal, negotiated by Cambridge bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo, has been confirmed by Southland dairy farmer Allan Tyler, who owned the Contributer filly with his wife Marie, while she was trained by his Riverton-based brother Kelvin and niece Aimee.

“She’s going to be raced by Ace Bloodstock, who I understand is a new syndicator,” Tyler said. “They were happy for Marie and me to stay in her, so we’ve retained a 20 percent share.”

She’s A Con is a true bargain basement story, having been purchased as a weanling by the Tylers for $800.

After placing in three of her first five starts earlier this year, she broke her maiden over 1600m on her home track in early April and a fortnight later bridged the gap to stakes company with a half-length win over highly rated filly Luella Cristina in the Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton.

Consideration was then given to a Queensland winter carnival campaign, but was shelved due to the inordinate amount of travelling that would have entailed.

Out of the Fastnet Rock mare Rocks For Me, She’s A Con is related to the Australian Group One winners Sleek Chassis, Marble Halls and Amphitrite.

“She’s still pretty much untapped and I’d like to think it’s still all in front of her,” Tyler said. “Talking to Grahame Begg, he’s pretty excited to be getting a filly with her credentials.

“One of the big attractions with a filly like her is what our whole three-year-old filly crop has done this season – it’s quite phenomenal to think that Legarto, Prowess and Pennyweka have added Australian Group Ones to their New Zealand records.”

She’s A Con left Riverton during the week for the road trip to Auckland and a flight to Melbourne.

“We kept her ticking over with a saddle on her every two or three days and she really thrived, so they’re going to get a filly with plenty of upside in her.

“Talking to Grahame he doesn’t have any set plans for her at this stage; he’ll assess her once she settles in, but I get the impression he’ll give her as much time she needs heading into spring.”

The Tylers still have a number of irons in the fire locally, with their ownership interests including the talented Per Incanto gelding Lightning Jack and Proisir mare Classic Diva.

Lightning Jack took his record to eight wins and stakes of more than $380,000 with his last-start win in the Listed Great Easter Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton early last month, while Classic Diva posted her fourth win on the same day as She’s A Con’s Warstep Stakes victory.

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