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Pippie and Ole Kirk headline lucrative weekend for Arrowfield Stud-based sire
The talents of Written Tycoon (Iglesia) abilities as a stallion were on show over the weekend, with the stallion - who was relocated to Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley from Woodside Park Stud in Victoria for the 2020 breeding season - siring three stakes winners headlined by Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) winner Pippie and three-year-old colt Ole Kirk, who landed the Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
With a Group 1 now safely on his record and given his impeccable breeding, offers to stand the Team Hawkes-trained three-year-old at the conclusion of his racing career will surely have been flooding in from studs all around the country.
Ole Kirk was bred by Gilgai Farm and purchased out of their draft by by International Thoroughbred Solutions at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $675,000 - the second most expensive yearling sold at the auction that year, bettered only by Ole Kirk’s stablemate North Pacific (Brazen Beau), who was purchased for a sale-topping $800,000 and finished second in Saturday’s Group 1.
The colt hails from Gilgai Farm’s best known family, being out of unraced Bel Esprit (Royal Academy) mare Naturale, who is herself out of Helsinge (Desert Sun), making her a sister to multiple Group 1-winning champion mare Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), while she is also a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and now Vinery Stud-based sire All Too Hard (Casino Prince).
Helsinge herself is out of Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Scandinavia (Snippets) and she proved herself a very good match for sons of breeding shaping stallion Danehill (Danzig), producing 2007 Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Magnus (Flying Spur), who now stands alongside the likes of Bel Esprit at Sun Stud in Victoria
Scandinavia also produced Group 2-winning pair Wilander (Exceed And Excel) and Scandiva (Fastnet Rock) and Listed winner Arctic Flight (Flying Spur), who are also all sons of the progeny of Danehill.
Meanwhile, Scandinavia’s placed daughter Danavia (Danehill) produced Listed scorer Iconic (Bel Esprit), while she is also the grandam of the Itameri (Exceed And Excel) - the dam of last year’s Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) winner Hanseatic (Street Boss).
Interestingly daughters of Snippets (Lunchtime) have proved a very good match with Danehill, with ten of his 14 Group 1 winners as a broodmare sire either being by sons or grandsons of Danehill and these include four-time champion sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and dual elite level winner and now Coolmore Stud-based sire Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock).
Scandinavia herself is out of unraced Vain (Wilkes) mare Song Of Norway making her a half-sister to Listed-winning trio Frosty The Snowman (Christmas Tree), Midnight Sun (Western Symphony) and Russian Tea Room (Raise A Cup).
Further back 2015 Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Boom Time (Flying Spur) features on the page.
Pippie and Ole Kirk are one of ten Group 1 winners for the son of Iglesia (Last Tycoon), while he was also provided with a 36th stakes winner on Saturday as his son Stageman took out the Black Heart Bart Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Belmont.
The gelding is one of two winners and first stakes winner out of Secret Savings (Seeking The Gold) mare Best Feature, who is herself a daughter of Best Picture (Scenic).
Best Picture herself is out of dual Group 1 winner Miss Margaret (Marscay), making her a half-sister to Group 2 winner Confront (Bluebird) and Listed winner Celebrity Miss (More Than Ready).
In winning the race the gelding became the second stakes scorer on the Written Tycoon / Secret Savings cross, joining Group 3 winner Sexy Eyes.
