New winner for Arletty dynasty
20 Nov 2024
It may have been a maiden win at a provincial track, but the dominant win by Star Pastures this week was the latest in a long list of winners born and raised at Willow Park from a highly successful family that has been on the farm for a number of generations.
A lightly raced four-year-old, Star Pastures (Deep Field) led all the way to win the Goulburn 1600m contest by 2.3 lengths easing down. The well-related mare was having just her fourth start for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, rewarding connections that include Swettenham Stud, who purchased her from our inaugural Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale draft in 2022 for $90,000, in partnership with John Foote Bloodstock.
Star Pastures (pictured) is the first winner for Assioma (All Too Hard), a Willow Park born half-sister to New Zealand Champion 3YO, Xtravagant [NZ] (Pentire). Assioma was bred and retained to race by long-term client Alan Galbraith, unfortunately retiring after only four starts due to injury.
Assioma's future as a broodmare was secure, hailing from a family that continues to produce top racehorses on both sides of the Tasman and even further abroad. Her dam, Axiom [NZ], was unraced due to blindness in one eye, but the daughter of the incomparable Zabeel has done a stellar job as a producer of fast horses.
Retired from stud duties last year, Axiom has been a resident broodmare at Willow Park since 2013 and her biggest achievement in the breeding barn was her fifth foal, dual Group 1 winner Xtravagant, who has produced four stakes winners at stud to date.
Axiom was incredibly close to being the dam of two Group 1 winners, with her second foal He's Remarkable [NZ] (Pentire) crossing the line first in the Gr1 WATC Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot, but later being relegated to second on protest. A winner at Gr3 level, He's Remarkable was also a close second in the Gr1 NZ 2000 Guineas, a race won by his younger brother Xtravagant.
The Willow Park connection goes deeper, including Axiom's half-sister Piaf [NZ], a winning daughter of Iffraaj [GB], who delivered three foals at WP. All winners, they are highlighted by the speedy mare Uncorked (Pierro), a winner in Australia before being exported to North America, where she won the Gr3 Royal Heroine Stakes (1600m) earlier this year. A winner of five races to date, Uncorked has also been stakes placed on three occasions up to Grade 2 level.
Another half-sister to Axiom is World Exclusive, whose Listed winning daughter Exclusive Lass (Nicconi) produced her first five foals as a resident broodmare at Willow Park for the late Fergus Doyle. Exclusive Lass is the dam of two winners from two to race thus far, including the $650,000 Inglis Easter graduate Boyfriend (Snitzel). A highly talented and lightly raced colt, Boyfriend was second by only 0.62 lengths in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at his third start.
Axiom, Piaf and Exclusive Lass all trace back to Arletty [NZ] (Centaine), a triple Gr2 winner in Australia who was a three-quarter sister to Gr1 Arrowfield Stud Stakes (2000m) winner Sixty Seconds [NZ] (Centaine). Arletty also spent two seasons at WP many years ago, producing two winners including Hong Kong winner Spinnaker (Stravinsky).
With a number of WP foaled and reared youngstock out of Assioma, Axiom, Exclusive Lass and Piaf still waiting in the wings, we look forward to more success in the future from this wonderful family. While Assioma is currently in New Zealand after producing four foals at WP, Axiom spends her well-deserved retirement as a nanny to new arrivals to the farm.