3 minute read
Rejuvenated Group One winner Scales Of Justice is proof that luck is worth a fortune when making an initial breeding investment.
Beymatilla, the dam of Scales Of Justice, was purchased out of a paddock, never made it to the races and was the first breeding investment for her novice Victorian owners Gerard and Kathy Hammond.
"I decided to start up a small breeding business with just a handful of mares and she was my first mare. I loved her pedigree and I fiddled around a bit with fairly cheap stallions," said Gerard Hammond.
A daughter of Umatilla, Beymatilla was a half-sister to the stakes-placed Rancho Rose (Rancho Ruler) and had the champion mare Dual Choice as her fourth dam.
She subsequently left four winners from four foals to race including Scales Of Justice (Not A Single Doubt) and the stakes performer Cruyfforme (Johan Cruyff) before her untimely death in 2016 when in foal to Magnus.
At the time she was under the care of Richard Kerry and Jarrod Byers at Millford Thoroughbreds, who were gifted the mare by the Hammonds after they had put Scales Of Justice through the 2014 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale on behalf of the breeders.
Boomer Bloodstock's Craig Rounsfell purchased Scales Of Justice as a yearling for $180,000 – almost double what the Hammonds expected - and understandably they have closely followed his fluctuating career with top WA trainer Lindsey Smith.
Smith was in an emotional state after Scales Of Justice made a super return to racing with a resounding win in the G3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday.
Now operating a satellite stable out of Warrnambool in Victoria, Smith revealed that the winner of Perth's G1 Railway Stakes at Ascot in 2016 had endured a long road back from injuries and setbacks since his last win in the G3 Strickland Stakes at Belmont in 2017.
"I didn't think he was going to race again," said Smith, who has trained eight G1 winners over the years including the Victoria Derby (Plastering) and Australian Cup (Old Comrade).
"I've nursed him and spoiled him, but he showed that it was worth all the effort.
"It's easy to get emotional … they are like your children."
Smith took over 40 boxes at Warrnambool in May and has since sent out 13 starters in Victoria for six winners.
Scales Of Justice is the obvious favourite, his Bletchingly win being his tenth in 24 starts for $1,540,450 in stakes.
Jarrod Byers said the Hammonds have endured a lot of the swings and roundabouts that breeding and selling thoroughbreds can throw up.
An example was a Written Tycoon colt they sold for just $5,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale. He was then pinhooked as a Ready To Run 2YO for $90,000 and went on to win over $HK5 million in Hong Kong racing as New Asia Sunrise.
Beymatilla founded a small but successful family for the Hammonds with her second foal Mikumi being the dam of the handy Victorian galloper Rat With Goldtooth and another daughter Another Show producing the smart Written Tycoon filly Score.
The Hammonds currently have two mares boarding at Milford Thoroughbreds.