Satchell chasing biggest Award
Like most breeders, Ralph Satchell knows it is no certainty to be allowed to retain an interest in a yearling once it steps into a sale ring.
Vendors often like to buy back into horses they sell and Satchell was thrilled Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas allowed him to take a percentage of Another Award after paying $150,000 for her at the 2019 Magic Millions Sale in Adelaide.
The daughter of Shamus Award – who Satchell bred at Willow Grove Stud, 35km east of Adelaide – is a chance to provide him and several of his fellow owners with their biggest win in Saturday's $500,000 Group 1 The Goodwood at Morphettville.
"It'd be a huge thrill to win because we bred her, offered her for sale and got to keep a share in her, which was super," Satchell said.
"We've been breeding lots of winners from South Australia and it would be lovely to breed a big-time Group 1 winner in our backyard."
Another Award is part of a family that Satchell has developed since paying $5000 for her mother, El Milagro, in-foal to Written Tycoon at Inglis's Great Southern Sale in 2012.
El Milagro had already had two foals by God's Own,Inner Warrior and Concrete Johnny, with the Written Tycoon mating producing a colt who sold for $70,000 as a yearling and raced as El Taikun.
Satchell then put El Milagro to Mint Lane, who was standing at Willow Grove, and had 10-time winner Our Gladiator ($25,000 yearling purchase) before producing dual Group 3 winner Tequila Time ($170,000) after a visit to Stratum.
El Milagro was given a year off after having Tequila Time and the plan was to return to Stratum in 2016 only to be forced to change direction.
"We sent her to Stratum initially because he was the best available son of Redoute's Choice and she was going to go back to Stratum the year she conceived Another Award, but he died just prior to that stud season," Satchell said.
"She was already up at Widden, so it was the obvious choice that she'd go to Shamus Award because he's by Snitzel, who is a son of Redoute's Choice."
El Milagro visited Palentino after having Another Award, producing a filly who sold for $120,000 and raced as Spanish Miracle, and the following year had a filly by Astern who died after birth.
She wasn't served in 2019 and has failed to get in-foal the past three seasons, which has resulted in Satchell calling time on the 20-year-old's breeding career.
"She's been a very good mare to us, having produced three Stakes winners, but she's on the pension now so she can live her life out in our paddocks," Satchell said.
Satchell would love for Another Award to take the baton from El Milagro as one of Willow Grove's star residents, but he is only part of the ownership group and understands this might be the best time to capitalise on a career-best campaign.
She heads into The Goodwood off a second placing in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes having logged her first Black Type win – in the Listed Matrice Stakes – earlier in the preparation and boasts a career record of seven wins from 32 starts and $529,250 in the bank.
"It makes commercial sense to go stud this coming year, or sell her, but we'll see how she goes in The Goodwood I suppose," he said.
"She'll probably be sold after The Goodwood but, who knows, she might not either. She might race on another season because she's a lovely, sound mare."
Another Award has drawn barrier three in The Goodwood with Jason Holder, fresh from five winners at Morphettville last Saturday and four at Gawler on Wednesday, to get down to 52.5kg for the ride.
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