Father and son trainers Peter and Luke Fernie prepared aptly-named filly Smarty from the first crop of Galah and they have unearthed another talented daughter of the former Rangeview Stud sire in the Goldfields.
Galah filly Blitzem Babe won the Aquila Mining Maiden (1100m) first-up at Kalgoorlie on Friday for Luke and jockey Vicky Corver. She had finished a promising fourth to Augment (NZ) in her only other start at Belmont in March.
Rangeview Stud owners Rob and Jody Gray bred and sold her for $42,500 to the Fernies at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions. Her dam Liberty Isle (Statue Of Liberty) is a half-sister to the dam of Fontiton (G2 MRC Blue Diamond Preview) and Sartorial Splendor (G3 MVRC Red Anchor Stakes).
Liberty Isle had already thrown the Galah winners Tajmali and Kakadu and her latest foal is a yearling colt by Long Leaf (Fastnet Rock) who has his first 2yo runners this season. He stands for a $5,500 (inc GST) service fee and his first-crop averaged more than 13 times that service fee at this year’s Perth Magic Millions.
“Long Leaf was a top-class 2yo and the support was fantastic,” Rob Gray said following the Swan Valley Sale. “They’re big-bodied, muscular and precocious.”
Smarty won four in a row at Kalgoorlie and Ascot in October-November 2019 for the Fernies and owner-breeder Andrew Inglis before her career was cut short following a fall later that season at Ascot.
Galah (Redoute’s Coice) completed a day-by-day double with Trisuem in the Pearl Classic (1300m) at Broome on Saturday. The 7yo mare was ridden by Ava Catarino for trainer Peter Farrell and part-owner Marto Cobb.
Trisuem and Ava Catarino return to scale at Broome / Photo: Western Racepix
Trisuem had opened her account as an autumn 4yo winning two on the trot at Ascot and Saturday’s victory was her second on the Pearl Coast this month. She was bred by Bill and John Olsthoorn from Duchees Express (Danehill Express) whose older half-sister Mekong Miss had also waited until she was an autumn 4yo before breaking her maiden at Narrogin.
Mekong Miss (Ihtiram) went on to win at Listed level for trainer David Harrison in the 2010 Bunbury Stakes (1400m) and 2011 Miss Andretti Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.
