There is a story behind all of the horses that we buy.
Before an auction or private purchase, hours and hours of work go on behind the scenes researching pedigrees and sale catalogues, completing inspections and due diligence and deciding on valuations.
But we always start with the objectives of our clients to make sure the horses that we buy fit their brief.
Bjorn Baker Racing is a big supporter of Clarke Bloodstock and across the yearling sales season we work together to source a diverse group of horses so that there is something that is suitable to offer to all of the stable clients. This means that we buy a mix of colts and fillies as well as yearlings by proven and young, progressive sires at a variety of price points.
Maurice’s Medad was a colt that stood out in the 2020 Magic Millions yearling sale catalogue and looking back I feel that he complemented the other yearlings that we purchased from that sale.
His name reveals all, and he is from the first crop of the Japanese superstar miler Maurice. The Japanese have a reputation for breeding some of the toughest, soundest horses in the world and their stallions add depth and variety to our gene pool here in Australia.
It was not only his sire that piqued our interest. His dam, Presslist is from a very successful female family and is a half-sister to Group 1 winners Press Statement and Pressday.
I first saw Maurice’s Medad in December last year at Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley during my on-farm inspections ahead of the sale. Vinery is one of Australia’s great thoroughbred nurseries with a proven record of producing elite horses and buying from the best farms always gives me confidence that we are investing in quality bloodstock.
Looking back at my notes I commented that he was a medium sized, balanced colt with good bone, correct conformation and an athletic action. Throughout the week leading into the sale, Bjorn and I inspected him a number of times and we were convinced that he had the size, strength and quality to develop into a good horse. Time will tell if we were right!
From the sale he went straight to the breaker, Lewis Page, at Reavill Farm near Hawkesbury. Lewis gave the colt a glowing report during his breaking in and early education so he arrived in Bjorn’s stable with a reputation.
Maurice’s Medad will make his debut on Saturday at Randwick in the first Sydney 2yo race of the season, the G3 Breeders’ Plate. His breeding suggests he will be at his best as a three-year-old so to see him show talent this early in his career is a pleasant surprise. Hopefully he will put his best hoof forward on Saturday but if he is competitive in such a strong race it will be a very promising sign for his future.
The Group 3 Breeders’ Plate is race 3 at Randwick on Saturday 3rd October at 1:35pm.
Best of luck to all of the owners of Maurice’s Medad.
