Precious Fillies Arrive at Coolmore
13th August 2007
The foaling season is now in full swing around Australia with new babies arriving every day including a couple of high profile fillies at Coolmore Australia.The brilliant win of star filly Sliding Cube (3f Rock of Gibraltar - Shantha's Choice, by Canny Lad) in the Group Three AJC San Domenico Stakes at Randwick on Saturday only served to emphasize her outstanding female family, which gained a new member last week with blue-blooded mare Twyla producing a bay filly by Encosta de Lago on August 7.
By champion sire Danehill from the outstanding producer Dancing Show , Twyla is a three-quarter sister-in-blood to Redoute’s Choice, Platinum Scissors and Sliding Cube.
A Coolmore owned mare, Twyla was purchased by Demi O’Byrne for $380,000 from the 1997 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where she was the fifth highest priced filly sold at the sale.
She won one minor race at Canterbury and after running an inglorious last in the Group One QTC Queensland Oaks was retired to stud.
In her new career, Twyla has had three foals to race all winners including the Group Three winning Giant’s Causeway filly Murjana, who resumed from a spell with a strong finishing third at Moonee Valley on Saturday for the David Hayes stable.
Twyla’s now two year-old, a filly by Encosta de Lago set the pace at Easter for fillies this year, fetching $2.2 million to the bid of Woodlands Stud to be the top selling female at Australia’s number one yearling sale.
Named Movin’ Out, she is also the most expensive yearling filly ever sold in this country at public auction by Coolmore Australia, so it’s easy to understand why high hopes are held for her new baby sister.
“She is lovely big strong scopey filly with a lot of quality,” commented Coolmore’s Peter O’Brien on the new arrival.
“We’re very happy with her and Twyla will be going back to Encosta this year.”
Another notable foaling at the Coolmore nursery was the very first foal for Group One AJC Flight Stakes heroine Unearthly, who produced a bay filly by Redoute’s Choice on August 4.
“She’s a terrific filly, as good a first foal as you would hope to see,” added O’Brien.
The filly is bred by John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds who enjoyed much success with Unearthly on the track, having purchased the daughter of Zabeel as a yearling in New Zealand for $360,000 on the advice of astute agent James Bester.