Sale debut for talented colt starts big few days for Victorian farm
Friday will be one of the biggest days of the year at Rosemont Stud, which opens the stallion parade circuit, but it will be hard for the team at the Gnarwarre farm not to be distracted by the days either side.
Millane resumes in Saturday's Group 3 Vain Stakes at Caulfield, but almost as exciting will be seeing Bews step out for the first time at Sale on Thursday.
Like Millane, Bews – a son of I Am Invincible and the Exceed And Excel mare Overstep – is a member of the Victorian Alliance group of colts that Rosemont spent more than $7.3 million on in partnership with some of the heaviest hitters in the breeding scene.
It has taken Bews until his three-year-old season to get to the racetrack, but Rosemont Stud principal Anthony Mithen expects the wait to be worth it with the $400,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling, who has been trialling impressively at Cranbourne.
"He's a very talented horse that we've had to be patient with just because a couple of little niggly things through his two-year-old year meant we couldn't quite see him at the races at two," Mithen said.
"But he's got a lot of talent and he's been showing that this preparation and we're excited to see him kick off on Thursday."
Bews, who is named after former Geelong and Brisbane AFL player Andrew Bews, will become the latest Victorian Alliance team member to debut when he runs in the $37,500 Kwik Tip Bins Maiden Plate (1106m) and he already has some big shoes to fill.
Brereton (Zoustar) is a Group 3 winner and Group 2-placed, Millane's (Zoustar) only start produced a Listed win, Hafey (I Am Invincible) impressed enough in his debut Bendigo win to be sent to the Group 1 Blue Diamond at start two, while Doull (Snitzel) is favourite for the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
The Alliance went again earlier this year, when purchases included a $1.3m colt and $1.25m colt, both by Zoustar, at Magic Millions and a $675,000 Pierro half-brother to Kings Legacy at Inglis Easter.
The second group are yet to be named but planning has already commenced and Mithen confirmed they will also be named after former AFL greats.
There is likely to be no shortage of name suggestions from the hundreds Rosemont will host on Friday, when they will show off star resident Shamus Award and his barnmates Hanseatic, Strasbourg and exciting first-season stallion Extreme Warrior to stallion parade visitors.
The stallion parade circuit will be in full swing from Friday with Yulong to follow on Sunday and several other high-profile Victorian farms the following weekend, when the New South Wales parades also commence.
This year's stallion parades - VICTORIA
Friday 12 August – Rosemont Stud 11am
Sunday 14 August – Yulong 10.30am
Friday 19 August – Widden 10am; Darley 1.30pm
Saturday 20 August – Cornwall Park 11am & 4pm
Sunday 21 August – Swettenham Stud 11am; Leneva Park following Swettenham
NEW SOUTH WALES
Saturday 20 August – Arrowfield Stud 2pm
Sunday 21 August – Arrowfield Stud 10am
Thursday 25 August – Darley 10am & 2pm; Widden 11am
Friday 26 August – Darley 10am & 2pm; Widden 11am; Yarraman Park 3.30pm
Saturday 27 August – Vinery 8.30am; Widden 11am; Kia Ora 3.30pm
Sunday 28 August – Vinery 8.30am; Widden 11am; Coolmore TBC
Monday 29 August – Widden 11am
QUEENSLAND
Friday 12 August – Aquis 5pm
Saturday 13 August – Aquis 10am
Sunday 14 August - Aquis 10am and 2pm
NB: Newgate Farm will host parades at times to be confirmed each day from Tuesday 23 August until Sunday 28 August.
