Australian buyers purchasing European yearlings with a view to targeting Australian features is not new, but leaving them over to grow out and start their racing careers is.
It is something Chris Waller has done with success in partnership with James Ferguson, an arrangement that has produced Cox Plate placegetter El Bogedon and Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup winner Francesco Guardi.
OTI is getting in on the act and this week launched an initiative aimed at securing suitable middle-distance and staying horses from Europe more economically than buying tried stock.
In partnership with Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock, OTI has pulled together a package of four yearlings who will start their careers with young trainers in the UK before coming out to Australian-based trainers, most likely at the end of their three-year-old seasons.
"With the price of tried stock continuing to increase, we felt that there was an opportunity to better link trainers in both hemispheres and to improve the cost effectiveness of bringing young middle-distance/staying types to Australia," OTI's Gus Boyd said.
Boman stuck to strict physical confirmation guidelines that suited Australian conditions when selecting the yearlings and had a pedigree checklist that included proven or first-season stallions, young mares, families that have worked in Australia and a predicted preferred distance range of 1600-2400m.
Colts by Muhaarar, Night Of Thunder and Le Havre and a Sea The Moon filly make up the initial package.
The Le Havre colt is closely-related to this year's Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip. His dam Sarkiyla, who is by Oasis Dream, is a half-sister to Gold Trip's dam Sarvana.
He will start his career under Tim Donworth in England before joining Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr at Cranbourne, while the filly by Sea The Moon – sire of this year's Caulfield Cup winner Durston – from the Iffraaj mare L'age D'or will go to Anthony and Sam Freedman after his time with George Boughey.
The Muhaarar colt, who is out of the Nathaniel mare Nurse Nightingale, a half-sister to Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner James Garfield, will start his career under Harry Eustace before joining Annabel Neasham in Sydney.
The colt by Night Of Thunder from Authorized mare Twilight Sky, a half-sister to English Oaks winner Love Devine, will also end up in Sydney, with John O'Shea, after doing the early work with Tom Ward.
The Australian trainers will get the traditional entitlements but the UK conditioners will also be looked after with a percentage of earnings by the horses in Australia forwarded on in recognition of the grounding they performed.
"We've been able to acquire four horses who we feel will suit Australian conditions in time and they've been placed with rising trainers who have been exposed to our way of doing things.
"The incentivised links will ensure those trainers continue to benefit from their early work."
