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Lime Country secure daughter of Blame for $550,000

Jo Griffin of Lime Country Thoroughbreds could not hide her excitement after the operation secured three time-winning mare Tell Your Mama (Blame) for $550,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on Wednesday. 

Catalogued as Lot 1078 and offered by Newgate Farm, the mare is out of prolific Listed winner Taletobetold (Tale Of The Cat) and she is herself a half-sister to Ballet D'Amour (Stravinsky) - who in turn produced Newgate Farm’s resident dual Group 1-winning stallion Russian Revolution (Snitzel), Group 3 scorer Turbo Miss (Sebring) and Miss Interiors (Flying Spur) - the dam of this season’s Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) winner Home Affairs and Group 1-placed Asyar (Deep Field). 

The mare was offered in foal to Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) meaning the resulting foal will be a three-quarter sibling to Russian Revolution and Griffin told Racing & Sports Bloodstock she was expecting to have to pay more for the mare. 

“She has been bought in partnership with the farm,” said Griffin. “She was injured before she came to the sale, so there were no photos or videos of her online, which I think helped us out in terms of her price. 

“We love Tell A Of The Cat and she also has Russian Revolution in her second dam and also a very talented colt in Home Affairs also in her pedigree. She is also carrying a three-quarter to Russian Revolution and she is a beautiful mare. We are over the moon to get her. 

“I am glad Newgate put her up and on the market and fingers crossed everything goes well with her from here. We were looking for something with a good pregnancy in her, well-related and we love buying mares with a stallion on the page.” 

While no plans have been set in stone for her next cover, Griffin said she would likely go to either I Am Invincible or back to Snitzel.

“I think she will most likely go back to Snitzel or to I Am Invincible.”

Newgate’s Henry Field told Racing & Sports Bloodstock he was delighted with the result, especially for Kentucky-based breeder Tony Holmes, who Newgate sold her on behalf of. 

“Tell Your Mama is a very attractive mare from the very active Russian Revolution family, who is a family that is sought after,” said Field. “She is in foal to Snitzel and she was a first venture with us. We were delighted we did well with her for him.  

“She is a beautiful mare from the one of the most active families in the book and in foal to a champion sire, so I think she was fair value.”

Over the past two days of trade, Newgate Farm have sold 18 mares for an aggregate of $7,530,000 at an average of $418,333 and they enjoyed another good result on the second day when Kia Ora paired up with James Bester to purchase 2018 Alexandra Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Think Bleue (So You Think) for $650,000. 

Catalogued as Lot 1089, the mare was offered in foal to Newgate Farm’s resident stallion Deep Field (Northern Meteor).

Think Bleue is out of Group 2 winner Ballybleue (Peintre Celebre) and further back she hails from the same family as Group 1 winners and successful sires Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) and Flying Spur (Danehill).  

“Think Bleue was a great result for us, bought by Kia Ora and James Bester,” said Field. “She is a beautiful mare and I’m glad they got her. She was obviously offered in foal to Deep Field, which looks a great cover.”

Newgate Farm will offer a further 12 mares on the third and final day of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, including Group 1 winner Volpe Veloce (Fowedge) and she will be offered as Lot 1114 in foal to I Am Invincible.