Wonderhorse Big Brown could always draw a crowd and he was very much the centre of attention at Three Chimney’s annual Open Day held in Kentucky last Sunday.
While all this was going on, Big Brown was making headlines half a world away when his first Vinery-conceived crop of yearlings were changing hands at the Magic Millions Sale on the Gold Coast.
Fifteen Big Brown’s were sold at the sale for a total of $1.46m at an average of just under $100,000.
Gai Waterhouse and James Harron Bloodstock bought the highest priced Big Brown spending $170,000 for a colt out of Danehill stakeswinner Shovoff.
The pair also picked-up the Big Brown – Miss Mooney Mooney filly for $130,000.
While Big Brown’s first Northern Hemisphere season results have won him many new fans, Harron formed his opinion of what Big Brown could offer early on.
“There were some very good weanlings by him, that were well grown and scopey animals that looked quite true to type,” Harron said,”miler types.”
“And coming through to the yearling sales, I felt that he had a nice range of horses. He had a few more precocious ones, particularly the On Type from Strawberry Hills that was bought by Star Thoroughbreds, right through to the Shovoff which was more more a miler type colt.
“So he had a nice array of horses there I thought.”
Big Brown ended his 2012 NH debut season as one of the most promising and successful first season sires on the global roster.
He was able to deliver 18 individual winners in the US, Canada, Europe and two in Japan led by the stakeswinner Brown Almighty and stakes-placed Brown Laddie.
“He’s got off to a good start,” Harron said. “I know Demi O’Byrne paid big money (US$1.3) for one at a Breeze-Up sale in Florida. It’s very encouraging when they can run time at a Breeze-up that early on.”
“As individuals, I think they should keep getting better with age.”
The colt whom Harron speaks of, named Darwin, turned in a sparkling debut win for Hall Of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher at Belmont in October last year.
