Lightning Can Strike Twice

Saturday’s memorable Group I ATC Doncaster Handicap winner Nettoyer will go down in history as one of the all-time great Inglis Easter saleyard gifts, snapped up for just $20,000 from the draft of Riversdale, whose current Easter draft contains an intriguing male version of Nettoyer.

Riversdale’s Nick Hodges was thrilled with the career defining victory of Nettoyer, whose overall earnings now top $1.6million

“I can’t believe it. It was such a thrill to see her go around, but to win it, wow,’’ Hodges said.

“For a farm our size, we don’t sell a high volume of yearlings, so it means a huge amount.

“We’re very grateful to be able to sell yearlings for Greg and Jodie White (Robrick Lodge), we’ve sold their yearlings for years so to be able to be a part of their success, we’re very lucky. We’re just the vendors, they bred the horse and have been much more involved than us.’’

Riversdale will offer five horses at the virtual Easter Yearling Sale and two of those, both by Nettoyer’s sire Sebring, are bred by the Whites.

Lot 63 is a Sebring colt from Group II placed Mine Two, a half-sister by I Am Invincible to Group I winner Spright.

“He’s an interesting horse as when you take a look at Nettoyer’s yearling picture from 2015, their markings are very similar,” Nick Hodges pointed out referring to the image below.

“He’s a bigger, stronger nicer version of the filly. Same sire, same breeder same brand…. Hopefully same ability!”

Lot 401 is a Sebring filly from Group III winner Danesiri, who comes from the family of world champion sprinter Silent Witness and Group II winners Sister Madly and Empress Rock.

She’s a very typical Sebring in appearance and has a double cross of Danehill as do 18 of his stakes-winners including his Group I winner Amphitrite.

The remaining yearlings in the Riversdale draft are as follows:

Lot 306 Colt Star Witness x Academy Idol, by Made of Gold (USA)

Half-brother to Group III winner Meryl and stakes-placed Chosen Idol and Miss Idyllic. Closely related to stakes-winner Cosmic Alert, also by Star Witness. This colt is bred on the exact same cross as Group I performer and promising young sire Star Turn, also by Star Witness from a daughter of Made of Gold.

Lot 328 Colt Zoustar x Aramoana (NZ), by Cape Blanco (IRE)

First foal of a winning daughter of stakes-winner Causeway Queen, a half-sister to Group III winner Solar Charged, most famous as the dam of Zoustar’s Champion 3YO Filly Sunlight, a multiple Group I winner of $6.5million.

Lot 440 Colt Exceed and Excel x Femina Fashion, by Shamardal (USA)

From stakes-winner Femina Fashion, a half-sister to dual South African Group I winner Happy Archer.  Dam has now had three winners from four foals to race with her three year-old Rubick filly Amica winning twice at Goulburn for the Gerald Ryan stable since the catalogue was released. Also her smart winner The Runner was placed at Sha Tin last month.