Renowned breeder Greg Perry of Artorius (Flying Artie), Delectation (Shamardal), Marabi (I Am Invincible) and Aristia (Lonhro) fame strongly lobbied Coolmore to shuttle champion European miler Circus Maximus (Galileo) to the southern hemisphere.

Coolmore obliged, linking with Rodney Schick’s Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand to stand the son of the late breed-shaper Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), and Perry lived up to his end of the bargain, sending multiple mares, including Our Josephina (Zabeel), to the stallion since.

Yesterday, on day three of the Classic sale, Perry was rewarded for his belief, selling the half-brother to the Moonee Valley Vase (Gr 2, 2040m) runner-up Commander Harry (Reliable Man) for $260,000 to Annabel Neasham and agent Will Johnson.

The sixth foal out of Our Josephina, who is a sister to the Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Johnny Get Angry (Tavistock), became the most expensive yearling to sell so far from his first southern hemisphere[1]bred crop to go to auction in 2024.

“I kept saying to Tom Moore from Coolmore, ‘you’ve got to bring that horse down, Circus Maximus’, because I had never seen a horse fight in a finish like Circus Maximus since Giant’s Causeway,” Perry told ANZ Bloodstock News.

“He never gave in and John Magnier always said that you buy a stallion who has got a fight in him, he was a magnificent racehorse.”

“His fourth dam is Lady Winborne and my great mare - I love her - Grace And Power, the grandmother to Artorius and the mother to Delectation’s fourth dam is Lady Winborne, the Secretariat half-sister Allez France, so that’s the sire side.”

Perry also has great respect for the Circus Maximus colt’s female pedigree with his dam being sharp enough to be competitive over 1000 metres. “She won a maiden at Sale over 2200 metres and she missed the start by ten lengths but she kept coming,” he said. “I brought the mare back home [from New Zealand] because I wanted to send her to Maurice, so she foaled down at Vinery and the proof is in the pudding. He’s a magnificent individual.

The Circus Maximus x Our Josephina (Zabeel) colt sold for $A260,000 to Annabel Neasham at the 2024 Inglis Classic sale

Neasham hopes the colt can develop into a Guineas and Derby style three-year-old. “I only looked at him once, I didn’t need to go back and look at him again. For me, he was a standout physically. Although he’s bred to stay, he’s actually got a really big, strong hindquarter on him, he’s got a lot of power,”

Neasham said. “I loved Circus Maximus as a racehorse, he danced every dance, he was a prolific racehorse, so I am excited to get one of his sons.

“The mare’s already produced a stakes horse and he looks like he’s going to be a middle-distance, staying type for those Classic type races.” 

https://webcontent.inglis.com.au/sales/30000213/lot_videos/standard/552.mp4#t=1

Click on the video link above to view footage of the Circus Maximus x Our Josephina colt

The Windsor Park Stud shuttler, averaged AU$84,153 with 28 yearlings sold across the Magic Millions, New Zealand Bloodstock and Inglis Classic sales. Circus Maximus’ yearlings were bought by leading Australian trainers, including Chris Waller, Anthony and Sam Freedman, Peter Moody, Danny O’Brien, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Richard Jolly, Mick Price, David Payne, Mark Walker x 3, Brad Widdup and Edward Cummings.