My Field Marshal holds the run of Galactic Star in the 2019 Retravision Fremantle Cup
When Anthony Butt guided My Field Marshal to victory over Galactic Star and Vultan Tin in last night’s $300,000 Retravision Group One Fremantle Cup he continued the remarkable record in the race for one of the most under-rated sires in the Southern Hemisphere.
My Field Marshal is the second foal from the three-time Group One winning mare Foreal, a daughter of the imported American stallion Washington VC which is currently standing his 19th season at Brydone, just north of Edendale (population 600) in the deep south of New Zealand.
Washington VC is well known in Perth having sired five successive Fremantle Cup winners in the nine runnings of the race before last night courtesy of Im Themightyquinn (2010, 2011 & 2012), Dasher VC (2013) and Im Victorious (2014).
His Fremantle Cup winning record rose to six in ten years last night with his first broodmare siring credit courtesy of My Field Marshal.
Washington VC has never stood anywhere other than at Keith and Tracey Norman’s Bryleigh Stud and semen from the stallion is rarely if ever made available for transport.
In fact there are just two Australian bred progeny of Washington VC – both foals from mares imported in foal to the stallion.
The Norman’s loyalty to their stallion has seen them refuse approaches from Australia to move the stallion across the Tasman.
The Norman’s love the son of Presidential Ball with a passion and it is little wonder as the 391 winners he has sired to date have between them won a remarkable 28 Group One races.
Unlike a lot of the high profile stallions brought to the Southern Hemisphere from North America, Washington VC could best be described as moderately performed with a record of eight wins from a 30 start career with earnings of $560,984.
His biggest win came in the Adios Stake as a 3yo but he clearly has the invisible genetic marker that differentiates between good and great sires and his first crop of 79 foals, born in 2001, produced 30 individual winners including Foreal – the dam of My Field Marshal.
Foreal won both a NSW Oaks and Great Northern Oaks before winning a NSW Ladyship Mile on her way to 18 wins and stakes of $664,800.
Washington VC stands for a moderate $3,000 plus GST but if West Australians want to access this remarkable sire then be prepared to ship your mare to the Southland of New Zealand and to buy them a heavy rug before they go.