Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Madame Pommery, a daughter of No Nay Never (USA) will be offered as part of the Chris Waller Racing draft and joins dual Group 1-winning stablemate Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) – who was desperately unlucky not to add a third in last Saturday’s Queen of the Turf S. – heading to the Gold Coast sale.
Madame Pommery was a close second to triple Group 1-winning stablemate Zougotcha (Zoustar) in the 2022 Tea Rose S. and from that point on, took on pretty much the best gallopers in the land each time she went to the races.
“To win a Group 1 with our first filly for our Ladies group was wonderful,” said Sophie Baker. “Part of my job with Chris Waller is to look after the owners at the races, and along with the Magic Millions Racing Women’s Bonus, led to a conversation with Chris about putting together a syndicate for Ladies only.
Sophie Baker | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I knew it would be heaps of fun and with the leading horse trainer training them and the leading bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster selecting them, I figured what could go wrong.
“What Madame Pommery has achieved has been nothing short of unbelievable. There are no words.”
Her career highlight came when triumphant in the G1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield that same spring and she went on to place in the G2 Millie Fox as a four-year-old this season.
Her quality was underlined by the fact she had a multitude of Group 1 winners in her wake during her career, including Fireburn (Rebel Dane), Sheeza Belter (Gold Standard), Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel) and Startantes (Star Turn), Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and She’s Licketysplit (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}).
Madame Pommery was a $150,000 purchase at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for Waller, Guy Mulcaster Bloodstock and Sophie Baker for an all-female ownership group and went on to win more than $850,000 in prizemoney.
Waller described Madame Pommery as a strong mare who was “straight forward” to train.
Madame Pommery kicked clear in the G1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She has a great temperament and she always coped well in training,” Waller said.
“As well as her good looks, great strength and impressive race record, she is by an international stallion and possesses a great pedigree.”
“As well as her (Madame Pommery) good looks, great strength and impressive race record, she is by an international stallion and possesses a great pedigree.” - Chris Waller
Madame Pommery is from the winning Exceed And Excel mare Candel, who in turn is a sister to the Blue Diamond winner and Golden Slipper runner-up Earthquake.
It’s a family that has been synonymous with Darley and Godolphin since sheikh Mohammed acquired the Ingham Bloodstock empire, with stakes winners including El Cambio (Commands), Complicate (Commands), Pandemic (Sepoy) and Palomares (Commands).
No Nay Never was a Group 1 winner himself and at stud is the sire of 59 stakes winners, of which seven have won Group 1 races.
Madame Pommery was raced by an all-female ownership | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
No Nay Never has only had a handful of runners as a broodmare sire, but it’s a field that his own sire Scat Daddy (USA) has had plentiful success in, with 50 stakes winners headed by 10 Group winners.
Madame Pommery joins a growing list of star mares headed to the Gold Coast in May, following earlier confirmation of fellow Group 1 winners Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun), Belclare (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) and the aforementioned Atishu.
Zoustar’s Group 3-winning daughter Platinum Jubilee is another headline act on the Coast, being a half-sister to this year’s Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon).
“Prospective buyers will be impressed with the quality of stock catalogued for the 2024 National Brodmare Sale,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. “There will be incredible opportunities at all levels of the market.”
Barry Bowditch | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The online catalogue for the sale is set to go live in the coming days.
And as for Baker’s Ladies Only syndicates – they now have four other fillies.
“I went with the champagne theme for the colours and the syndicates have continued that with the names. Collerette (Zousain) is a 2-year-old filly who ran second on debut, while She’s Got Veuve (Merchant Navy) broke her maiden and ran second last start. If she goes well next time, she might head to down an Oaks path. The other two fillies are currently unraced.”
Sophie Baker's silks for her ladies only syndicates | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
