Snitzel and I Am Invincible colts head to rookie trainer’s Warwick Farm stable.
Annabel Neasham - who spent four years with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, including two years as their assistant based in Sydney - announced last month she would be embarking on her own training career this season and she made her presence felt at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale on Monday, outlying $410,000 for two colts from the Baramul Stud draft.
Neasham will finish up with Maher and Eustace in a fortnight, having already secured 40 boxes at Warwick Farm and has already garnered the support of one of the biggest names in the industry in Aquis Farm, who she paired up with to buy the two colts on Monday.
"I have great support, particularly from Aquis, but we will be looking to syndicate these colts down and they have real stallion prospect pedigrees," said Neasham.
The most expensive of the pair was Lot 1330 - a colt by Yarraman Park's star stallion I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) - who she paid $260,000 for.
The colt is the seventh foal out of Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) mare Serious Speed (Royal Academy), who is already the dam of two winners.
Serious Speed herself is out of Listed winner Twitter (Kendor), making her a sister to Regal Flute - the dam of Edward Manifold Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Majestic Music (Al Maher), while she is a half-sister to Classic Status (Marscay) - the dam of Listed-winning duo Reldas (Testa Rossa) and Victory Chant (General Nediym).
Classic Status herself is also the grandam of Southern Cross Stakes (Gr 2, 1000m) Run Fox Run (Foxwedge), who finished second in the South African Fillies Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) at Scottsville on July 4.
"He is a gorgeous horse and has done well for the extra time," said Neasham. "He is well put together, just a lovely horse. I think he will be an autumn / winter two-year-old. He is one of those Vinnie's who has a lot of scope to him and he, like his mother, is only going to get better as a three-year-old and older."
Later on in the afternoon, Neasham made a play for a colt by Arrowfield Stud-based Snitzel (Redoute's Choice), eventually paying Baramul Stud $150,000 for the youngster.
Catalogued as Lot 1410, the colt is the fourth foal out of the six time-winning Pins (Snippets) mare Bellapin.
Bellapin is a daughter of Dazzling Belle (Desert Sun), who produced eight winners headed by Taranaki 2YO Classic (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Magic Dancer (Rip Van Winkle), Group 1-placed Manten (Encosta De Lago) and stakes-placed Perkins (Sir Percy), while she is also the grandam of last season's Frank Packer Plate (Gr 3, 2000m) winner Kinane (Reliable Man).
Pins is carving a name for himself as being a top-class broodmare stallion, with 38 stakes winners coming from daughters of the late sire, headed by six Group 1 winners and Neasham said this was an appealing aspect of the colt.
"He is from a good New Zealand family and there are a lot of two-year-old winners on the page," said Neasham. "He is out of a Pins mare, and he's really emerging as a top-class broodmare sire.
"Obviously with all these yearlings being two-year-olds already they have had a bit of extra time to develop and mature.
"He will get straight into the system. He looks like he will be one for the second half of the season."
Neasham said she rated the prices paid for the duo to be an example of good buying.
"I think the price signalled really good buying," said Neasham. "If you said to anybody you could buy a really well put together Vinnie out of a Group 1-winning Classic mare for $260,000 you would say that is very good buying and the Snitzel has a really nice family and it is not often you can buy a nice Snitzel for that price either.
"I think it was smart buying and they are ready to get cracking into the system and hopefully it won't be too long before you see them on the track."
Neasham was vehement in her praise for the two stallions, who finished first and second in the Australia's champion sire premiership last season, and said for a new trainer starting out to be able to train their progeny will only aid her starting out.
"To get two colts like this by I Am Invincible and Snitzel coming into my stable in my first year is the dream," said Neasham. "As a new trainer you hope to make a really strong start and I think you are judged in your first couple of years and it certainly helps if you've got well-bred stock in the stable.
"I have been so lucky to work for Ciaron with bluebloods in Sydney in the last couple of years and we have had great success. I have worked with a lot of Snitzels and Vinnies and there is a reason why they are doing so well, they have got great temperaments and they are very trainable and you can't really go wrong buying them, particularly if they are out of good mares, like these both are."
