Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare’s yearling half-sister to be offered at Magic Millions sale

Vow And Declare’s yearling half sister will be offered at January’s Magic Millions Yearling Sale and now has an exciting pedigree update.

Vow And Declare’s mother Geblitzt with her new foal.

• Gympie crew bask in home-grown hero’s Cup success
• Genetic tests showed Cup winner would be a star

Two young ladies gained an almighty lift to their pedigree page profiles when their older brother Vow And Declare prevailed to win Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

The first is a filly foal by Shalaa with her mum Geblitzt at Widden Stud, blissfully unaware her older big brother won Australia’s greatest race on Tuesday.

The other is Vow And Declare’s yearling half sister by Star Witness, who will be offered by Widden on behalf of breeder Paul Lanskey at January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“It’s an exciting pedigree update for the filly who is heading up to the Gold Coast in January,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.

“The success Paul Lanskey has had with the family started with the purchase of Geblitzt at out Gold Coast sale for $20,000 as a yearling in 2008.

Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >

Vow And Declare’s mother Geblitzt with her new foal.

“There’s a long Magic Millions theme associated with it, because Geblitzt is by the Magic Millions winner Testa Rossa.

“We’re thrilled Paul has entrusted us to offer this beautifully bred filly in January.”

Widden Stud’s Ryan McEvoy said the filly going to Magic Millions was more in the style of her sire Star Witness, than a staying type like Vow And Declare .

“Vow And Declare is a lengthy scopey staying type,” McEvoy said.

“This filly being by Star Witness, a speed sire, there’s elements of Vow And Declare in her, but she’s certainly a stronger, more short coupled speedier type and looks an earlier type than her older half brother.”

Vow And Declare’s trainer Danny O’Brien said the Cup winner would stay in Australia at least for another 12 months, in a bid to win the race for a second time, but not before he has a good break.

The half-sister heading to the Magic Millions.

“He’s a happy horse. He’s very relaxed. He has a great nature. He will head down to our beach property this afternoon and a week or two down there,” O’Brien said.

“He will be a better horse next spring and he will need to be. He will need to carry more weight.

“He’s a young horse we think can get better. The next 12 months he’s going to try and win the Melbourne Cup with more weight and he would have to do that before we thought about travelling him (overseas).

“He has to (improve) because he won by a neck with 52kg. If we think we’re going to beat Joseph an Aidan (O’Brien) over there we’re going to have to find a few more lengths.”

O’Brien said Vow And Declare proved the best Australian horses can still win a Melbourne Cup, but he said you need to be realistic and accept numbers are not on our side anymore.

“Might And Power and Saintly would win every Melbourne Cup I’ve seen for the last decade or so,” he said.

“(Good Australian horses) will still pop up. Our training is evolving. My horse was trained more European than Australian style and ultimately that’s been a successful formula (but) there will be 20-plus European breds and the odd Australian (in the field).”