Bargain Bowness Graduate Floors Gr1 Rivals

Saturday’s knockout hope in Morphettville’s Gr1 Australasian Oaks (2000m), 3YO filly Media Award (Shamus Award-Music Media, by More Than Ready), became the latest of 61 individual Inglis Group 1 winners since 2018, bringing to 30 the number of which could have been bought for $100,000 or less. Bought by Mark Arrowsmith (Aintree Park) at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne VOBIS Gold Sale for just $5,000 – his maximum bid on any yearling in the sales ring – Media Award also provided a stunning first Group 1 result for trainer Chris Calthorpe. By Rosemont Stud’s former Gr1 Cox Plate winner Shamus Award (Snitzel) – a Black Type Sires Premiership Top 10 stallion – Media Award added to the exceptional Group 1 record of John and Helen North’s Bowness Stud at Inglis sales. That list includes young Widden Stud stallion Trapeze Artist (Snitzel), a 4-time elite-winning sprinter, and half-siblings Youngstar (High Chaparral) and Funstar (Adelaide). The result also moved Bowness back into the Top 10 of the 2020-21 Australian Black Type Vendors Premiership, a remarkably consistent performance for the thoroughbred nursery near Young in New South Wales. Both Indian Pacific (Zoustar) and Chapada (Bullet Train) are also Group 1-placed graduates for Bowness this season.

$5,000 yearling Media Award earns Gr1 honours (pic: Mark Gatt)