🔒 🔒 Laurel Oak full of hope for Coolmore upset with Marffiano

Regardless of the results, Flemington’s Derby Day sums up everything Louis Mihalyka has tried to achieve in the more than 40 years he’s been dedicated to the thoroughbred industry.

With a loyal band of partners behind him, the Laurel Oak Bloodstock principal will be trackside to witness Marffiano run in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

At 70-1, Marffiano’s odds don’t necessarily reflect the Home Affairs colt’s chance in the “stallion-making” Group 1, nor the opinion held of the last-start Blue Sapphire Stakes winner by Mihalyka and Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes.

In a deliberate ploy, Marffiano heads into the Coolmore second-up from a spell, as does favourite The Next Episode, who had the former’s measure in the $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic in Queensland in May.

“Had we not won at the Blue Sapphire, then we’d be taking on a lesser race somewhere over the carnival, but as it is, we’re very, very, very pleased to have a crack at this one,” Mihalyka told the Straight Talk podcast.

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained filly Natural Fling, who is also by Home Affairs, finished runner-up in the same Gold Coast race and is an $8 chance in the Coolmore.

“They did beat us on their merits at the Gold Coast … we didn’t have a lot of luck in the run and the race setups weren’t ideal for us,” Mihalyka said.

“So, while they were certainly better, we weren’t that far away that there should be such a big gap in the market. 

“And, by the look of things, we may well have improved. I believe that the ratings for the Blue Sapphire weren’t that great from the point of view and that probably explains the price because we don’t fit in the old algorithms, et cetera. 

“But at the same time, the reality is those two horses are favourites and we weren’t that far away and who knows what’s going to happen down the straight.”

The Sheriff Iskander-bred Marffiano, a half-brother to the Hayes brothers-trained Group 2 winner Tycoon Star, wasn’t a cheap purchase by any means, with Laurel Oak teaming up with Lindsay Park to buy the colt for $475,000.

Laurel Oak clients committed to 50 per cent with Lindsay Park clients taking on the other half of Marffiano.

“We figured that because of Tycoon Star, they (Lindsay Park) would be on him, so I touched base with them beforehand and they were keen,” he said.

Three races earlier, Golden Slipper-winning owner-breeder Mihalyka will also have more than a passing interest in the Wakeful Stakes, the traditional lead-up to the VRC Oaks, with the Laurel Oak-bred Anglais lining up.

By Widden Stud’s Zousain, the Nick Ryan-trained three-year-old heads into the Wakeful on the back of a Ballarat win, the same 1400-metre maiden taken out by last year’s subsequent Oaks winner Strictly Business.

Out of Melbourne-placed mare Promada, who was raced by a syndicate of Laurel Oak clients, Anglais has delivered for her breeders from the outset even if she was meant to be by another Widden stallion.

“We bought the dam as a yearling. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but at the same time, she’s well-related, she’s a half to a couple of stakes horses, and with that we put her through the sale,” he said.

“We didn’t really expect to be buying her back, but we had a $30,000 reserve on her, but she wasn’t going to get to $30,000, so a few of the owners decided that they’ll happily breed from her. And that’s how we wound up buying her back and reforming the breeding syndicate.”

Anglais sold for $280,000 at the Inglis Classic sale to Ryan and Sharona King “which was an incredible result for a Zousain filly at the time”.

A man who considers his matings intently, Mihalyka planned for Promada to be mated to Portland Sky but she wouldn’t go in foal.

“We thought that was a really good mating at the time, and she got covered two or three times and just wouldn’t go in foal (pregnant),” he said. 

“I remember receiving a call at the Call of the Card at this time of year in Melbourne by Kerrie Tibbey (at Goodwood Farm) saying, ‘This mare’s not in foal again.’ I said, ‘Well, let’s go to Zousain. He’s very fertile.’”

“The first foal was a, a beauty, just a great type and she sold really well. And then pleasingly, she’s also racing very well, so we’ve got high hopes for her and really hope that she runs well.”