News

SEGENHOE SET TO STAR AT EASTER

14th Mar 2007

With the 2007 William Inglis & Son Australian Easter Yearling Sale due to commence in under a month, vendors are taking great interest in any relevant pedigree updates that may add an edge to their immaculately prepared yearlings. Michael Sissian’s Hunter Valley based Segenhoe Stud is one such vendor that is justifiably excited about numerous recent pedigree updates.

Who wouldn’t be excited about offering an Exceed And Excel three-quarter-brother to the current Group One STC Golden Slipper favourite in Murtajill, who was incidentally bred and sold by Segenhoe as a weanling. Add to the mix a Lonhro colt and an Exceed And Excel filly from the immediate family of another highly touted Golden Slipper prospect in Forensics, the same family as recent Group One MRC Blue Diamond Stakes second placegetter Zizou.

Since taking over Segenhoe Stud in 1989, Michael Sissian and his team have produced an astonishing 16 individual Group One winners of 37 Group One races. Not a bad feat at all for a boutique breeding operation with a current permanent broodmare band of around 30.

Heading to Newmarket with a draft of nine yearlings, five fillies and four colts, Sissian is confident that his draft is, “the best ever prepared for a sale.”

The anticipated draft topper, Lot 495, “is an outstanding individual by Exceed And Excel,” says Sissian. “Skating, the colts dam is arguably one of the best producing mares in the country, with seven of her eight foals winning, three at stakes level, while the other three are stakes placed.” If Murtajill happens to come out and wins the Group One STC Golden Slipper, this colt’s value will sky rocket.

Come Slipper day, the Segenhoe Stud team hope to be celebrating with further updates to the pedigrees as close relations to three of the draft will have runners in the $3.5 million race.

Following closely behind the Skating yearling is another colt by Danehill’s (USA) dual Group One winning son, Exceed And Excel. Offered as Lot 559, the chestnut colt received a significant boost recently due to the victory of Flying Spur filly Forensics who took out the Group Three Kindergarten Stakes. Proving the Danehill (USA) blood works with the family, the colt is sure to prove a sale highlight from the nine strong draft.

Two outstanding fillies will see Lot 540 lead the draft as the sole Redoute’s Choice yearling on offer. From a very current family, the filly is a half-sister to the Listed winning, Group One placed In The Wings (USA) filly Upstaged, as well as the Lee Freedman trained El Pauji, a winner of five from eight.

Sissian has placed a lot of his faith in first season sires, with six of his nine strong yearling draft by stallions with their first crop going through the Easter sale ring. Lot 430, a filly by first season sire Lonhro is from the Segenhoe raced Regrowth, a dual Listed winner. From a pedigree similar to Lot 559, the filly’s pedigree has not only received recent updates through the deeds of Forensics, but also through that of stakes performed Eight Moons and the Golden Slipper bound Zizou.

Segenhoe has always been an active Easter vendor of the highest calibre with last year’s draft netting $1.66 million at an average of $415,000 for the four yearlings sold, well above that of the sale average of $287,295.

In recent years Segenhoe’s star performers include 2000 William Inglis & Son Australian Easter Yearling graduate Grand Armee, the winner of 13 races from 33 career starts. A career highlighted by an impressive array of seven individual Group One wins, one of his most memorable victories was that over 11 time Group One winner Lonhro in the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes. It seems almost fitting that Segenhoe will offer Tambour, the dam of the gallant Grand Armee in foal to Lonhro at the 2007 William Inglis & Son Australian Select Weanling & Broodmare Sale as Lot 688

Absolutelyfabulous, the winner of Saturday’s Listed AJC Eskimo Prince Stakes is another success story for Segenhoe. Having been foaled and raised on the property, the filly was sold through the 2005 William Inglis & Son Classic Yearling Sale. Joker’s Girl, the filly’s dam will also go under the hammer as Lot 820 at the upcoming Broodmare Sale, after being served by Darley’s multiple Group One winner Refuse To Bend (IRE).