Tofane to Keep Racing After Tiara Success

The Rupert Legh-owned Tofane will race on into next season, despite being the subject of lucrative offers to head to stud, after claiming a third group 1 success in the June 26 Sky Racing Tattersalls Tiara (G1) over 1,400 meters (seven furlongs) at Eagle Farm.

Legh told ANZ Bloodstock News Saturday evening of plans to step the rising 6-year-old Ocean Park mare up in trip next season and target the Mackinnon Stakes (G1) at 2,000 meters (1 1/4 miles) in the spring, with the experienced owner believing her to have the potential to become 'a special mare' and the most valuable race mare in Australia. 

A comfortable 1 3/4-length victory Saturday saw Tofane become just the third mare to land the Stradbroke Handicap (G1)/Tiara double, after Dane Ripper (1997) and Srikandi (2015), as she added a third career top-flight success at seven furlongs following her win in the All Aged Stakes (G1) at Randwick last year. 

Legh and his fellow owners withdrew Tofane from the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in May this year in order to contest the Queensland carnival with her, a decision that has ultimately been vindicated with her two back-to-back group 1 triumphs. He intimated to ANZ Bloodstock News before the Stradbroke that she may still be on the market to head to the breeding barn this year, however that plan has been shelved in favor of racing on next year, a decision that was arrived at as the preference for the majority of her ownership group.

"We're going to race on," said Legh. "She'll go for a spell now but we'll bring her back for the spring and obviously race through the autumn and worry about the breeding barn after that. There have been (offers for her), but we've all made the decision and a lot of people in the horse just want to race her and have a lot of fun. 

"I think she's just really maturing and really reaching her potential. Today she just stepped it up another notch and even after the race she was bouncing, she was ready to go again."

The Mike Moroney-trained Tofane is one of three group 1 winners for Waikato Stud's Ocean Park this season and, while she has struck at the sprint distances, his other elite-level winners included Kolding, who won the Fujitsu George Main Stakes (G1) over a mile in the spring in addition to the All Aged Stakes in April, and Ocean Billy, who struck over two miles in the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (G1). 

Legh believes a maturing Tofane, who is out of a half sister to Queensland Oaks (G1) winner Youngstar and a three-quarter sister to Flight Stakes (G1) winner Funstar, can handle a step up in trip and will be targeted at the Empire Rose Stakes (G1) at Flemington and, should she win there, the Nov. 6 Mackinnon Stakes (G1).

"We'll put her out to the spring and then we'll probably take her up and get over a bit more ground," said Legh. "We'll test her over a mile and if she handles the mile we might take her up to 2000 and she might be one of those special racehorses where, from a breeding perspective, they can win over 1200, 1400, 1600, and 2000, she becomes a pretty valuable broodmare then.

"I think we'll target the million-dollar mares' race (Empire Rose Stakes) at Flemington and then, if she won that, then we might say we'll have a throw at the stumps and maybe run in the Mackinnon and see if she gets to the 2000 meters."

In an extraordinarily buoyant bloodstock market, Arcadia Queen became the most expensive broodmare sold this year when making AU$3.2 million in a deal reached with Arrowfield at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, while 14-time group 1 winner Melody Belle  fetched AU$2.6 million to Yulong's Written Tycoon Syndicate and Celebrity Queen sold to Coolmore for AU$2.5 million at the Inglis Chairman's Sale. 

With the addition of her two group 1 wins this winter and, should she be successful over an increased trip in the spring, Legh places his prized mare within those higher echelons, believing her to be one of the most valuable broodmare prospects in Australia.

"You're trying to be as humble as you can, but she'd be one of the most valuable broodmares that's racing in Australia at the moment," he said. "With that pedigree and with the depth of the page with Funstar, Youngstar, who knows, you've just got to pick the right market as to what she's worth, but in a market like it's been and as hot as it's getting, she could be worth anything between $3 and $4 million."

In her Stradbroke win, she left it until the final strides to fly home and score a half-length success over Vega One in the time-honored group 1, however, this would have been a much easier watch for Legh and his cohorts, as jockey Craig Williams hit the front on Tofane at the 200-meter mark, and careered away to win by a length and three-quarters over Nudge, who took second place in the stewards' room having crossed the line third behind Sweet Deal, but suffered interference from her rival inside the last 200 meters. 

Williams, who has enjoyed a fruitful Queensland carnival after wins, in addition to a dual group 1 scalp with Tofane, on Only Words in The Roses (G2), Tiger Of Malay in the BRC Sires' Produce (G2), and Brooklyn Hustle in the Dane Ripper (G2), said his task was made an easy one by the quality of the mare. 

"She gave me many options and she did a fantastic job running and I just had to steer her where we felt we were comfortable to be, but I could do what I wanted with her today," he said. "It's very easy to ride a horse in the form that she is in and with her ability today."

Tofane was bred by Curraghmore's Gordon Cunningham, who purchased her dam, Baggy Green, for just AU$23,000 from the Inglis Sydney Broodmare Sale in 2013. She has a weanling sister to Tofane and is the dam of three winners from three to race.