Blue blooded mare Charm Stone sent her broodmare value soaring when she stormed home for a brilliant win in Saturday’s A$1 million Group One Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville.
Charm Stone (Mark Zahra) storms home for a brilliant win (Magic Millions)
At just her eleventh start, the daughter of I Am Invincible notched her fifth win, but her most important to date, when she came from well back in the field to win emphatically.
The four-year-old was first up and coming off a Cranbourne trial win. She was last seen in a race when a gallant second to West of Africa in the A$2 million Magic Millions Cup (RL) at the Gold Coast in January.
“It has been a great race for the stable,” Mick Price who co-trains the filly with Michael Kent Jnr said. “The very pleasing thing is she’s a beautiful mare.”
“We’ve had her since she was a baby. She’s one of Sheamus’ (Mills) yearling buys and look, he’s one of the main players in the stable with Heath Newton and Anthony and it’s just very, very satisfying to get a Group One for those guys, the mare has deserved it.”
“Zahra is Zahra, he just lives in the Group One world, doesn’t he? But really, really pleased for the mare and the ownership group.”
“She ran in the Golden Rose, ran super, couldn’t get a run, got beat a length and a half, chipped a knee. So we gave her all the time she needed.”
“She was a sizeable sort of a filly at the time, and she just needed time. To Sheamus’ credit, when we discuss things, he listens. He’s always been patient and they’ve reaped the benefit of all those decisions.”
“We’ve got a good horse, a good rider, and a good team at home. All the staff work very hard. It’s a very good barn there at Cranbourne, so I’ve got to thank all the staff at home.”
“She’s always been a good mare. Seamus said, what about the Group One? He’s always chasing the best that he can do for those broodmares and all his fillies that he buys.”
“So I said, mate, we got the right horse to do it. It was a long-range plan, she’s been at Cranbourne for a long time, and we just gradually brought her up. So, very pleasing.”
Price said the mare would definitely be back to Adelaide in a fortnight to chase the Group One sprint double and take on all-comers in The Goodwood.
“Definitely,” Price confirmed. “She’ll come back to Cranbourne and then she’ll come back across.”
In winning aboard Charm Stone, superstar Melbourne jockey Mark Zahra was able to clinch a running Group One double after capturing the Australasian Oaks on homebred Benagil.
“It’s special. A bit of luck this time last year, a bit more luck this year, but nice to get a couple of good rides for people I ride for, and the races have just worked out, everything went in my favour today.”
Zahra praised the stable for their preparation of the Sangster winner leading into today’s big race.
“To have that time off, she looked like she’d be really good early days.”
“She had setbacks, to get her back and get her a Group One. Now it’s all right when you’re three. When you get older, you take the older horses on, and she’s done that today and won at the highest level.”
“I drew wide. I just said I’m going to leave her alone, get her a nice rhythm, and I managed to get the back of Commemorative. I didn’t travel that well, actually.”
“I sort of had to give her a little click up to tack up, and she did. She got to the back of them, the further the race went, the more with confidence she grew. I was able to save the best for the finish.”
“It was a busy enough finish,” Zahra summed up. “But I thought I won pretty convincingly in the end.”
Charm Stone was bred and sold by Emirates Park for A$1.55 million at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. It was a great result for Emirates – breeding the runner-up as well.
The winner is from the incredibly talented and untapped Northern Meteor mare Najoom – who was short priced favourite for the Stradbroke Handicap after brilliantly winning the Fred Best Classic at Group Three level at her final start.
A start earlier she had won the Group Three Hawkesbury Guineas. Unfortunately when injury curtailed her race career she had notched five wins and two seconds from just seven starts.
While Najoom sadly didn’t get to show her ceiling on the track, her efforts as a broodmare have catapulted her to the elite level.
Her daughter Najmaty is a Melbourne and Brisbane stakes winner – one of four winners from four to race for Najoom.
Aside from Charm Stone she is also the dam of Najmah, a Sydney winner by Snitzel who is the dam of this season’s 2YO Cinderella Stakes placegetter Naifah.
Importantly Emirates Park will offer a pair of two-year-olds at the upcoming National Broodmare Sale on Day One – the racefillies section. One is the aforementioned stakes performer Niafah, while the other is Charm Stone’s half sister by Capitalist and she won a trial in Sydney during the week.
Winner: Charm Stone
Breeding: I Am Invincible-Najoom (Northern Meteor)
Race: SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes Gr1 (1200m)
Sold for: A$1,550,000
Sale: 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Earnings: A$1,341,775
Breeder: Emirates Park Pty Ltd
Vendor: Emirates Park
Buyer: Sheamus Mills Bloodstock
Owners: Sheamus Mills Bloodstock Ladies (Mgr: Mrs M Mills), Newton Ladies (Mgr: Mrs AC Newton), Chesapeake Ladies (Mgr: Mrs C Roberts) & Mrs S Cummings
Trainers: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr (Cranbourne)
