b4breeding

That was an eye-catching win by Princess Arts (Art Major x Natal Franco) today at Methven, in tricky conditions. She bided her time, then came home with impressive speed over the top of them. That makes it 6 wins and 5 places from just 21 starts. She was bought at the 2013 yearling sales for $37,000. Owner Alta Breeding Ltd is the company of astute North Island breeders Tony and Val Dickinson. What a lovely purchase as a future broodmare. You can read Alta Breeding updates here – including the comment about this mare that:

Our plans are to retire her to the broodmare paddock in October – however, if she steps up a notch over the coming weeks, those plans may be put on hold while she competes in the major mares races later in the season.

Her dam Natal Franco was good enough to come 4th in the Nevele R 3yo fillies final, 3rd in the Oaks, and 6th in a field of 12 in the 3yo Diamond Jewels at Cambridge, all in a cluster of really good performances as a 3yo in 2008, and ended up with 7 wins and $117,307 stakes before she was retired. A very good mare rather than an outstanding one, and a prime candidate for a broodmare. Her first foal was a Bettor’s Delight colt who was never a starter and is now a hack at 5yo. Princess Arts is her next foal and is looking like she could do even better than her mum. Her third foal is a Christian Cullen filly called Christian Who, offered at the Christchurch yearling sale earlier this year and bought – also for $37,000 – by the Whittakers, who had prepared her. Natal Franco didn’t have a foal last season, and is due to Art Major this season.

Looking at the yearling sale pedigree page you can spot why I am especially interested in this family – Natal Franco is a half sister to the mare I bought off Spreydon Lodge called Nostalgic Franco.  I bought her in foal to Tintin In America, and judging by the way the wider family and that sire are going at the moment, I might end up with a more commercial foal than I expected! Fingers and toes all crossed for a safe landing.