Stallions

Arrowfield graduate gives Joy to Members

Arrowfield Magic Millions graduate Members Joy fulfilled the promise of her name with a smart debut win at Sandown today.

Pictured: Members Joy as a yearling at Arrowfield. (PHOTO: Katrina Partridge)

The daughter of Hussonet and Rosa’s Spur (by Flying Spur ) was bred by Michael Pitt and sold from the Arrowfield draft at the 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale. The successful bidder at $85,000 was Adam Sangster who subsequently leased the grey filly to the MRC Members Horse Club Syndicate, and whose Swettenham Stud also sponsored the race she won today.

The Club’s 9,000 members make a formidable cheer squad and will be kept busy if Members Joy heads to next month’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic, as her trainer Robert Smerdon suggests.

“It is something worth considering because she does have that constitution,” Smerdon said.

“She just copes. She is certainly not at the end of it. She is enjoying life at the moment and it might be an idea.”

Members Joy is the first foal of Rosa’s Spur, winner of six races including the QTC Dane Ripper Plate G3. Her dam Rosa’s Joy (by Rory’s Jester) was a 2YO stakes-winning daughter of New Zealand-bred mare Rosa Linda, by champion sire Three Legs, the source of Members Joy’s colouring. This is a branch of the family responsible for 1988 Melbourne Cup G1 winner Empire Rose, and 1961 New Zealand Cup winner Quite Able.

Rosa’s Spur has a yearling filly by Charge Forward entered for the 2012 Inglis Easter Sale and a filly foal by Manhattan Rain .

Purchased from Chile by Arrowfield in 2003 and now standing at Cornerstone Stud, South Australia, champion sire Hussonet is attracting fresh attention this season. There are two reasons for that: the appearance of Members Joy, Sheikh Mohammed’s progressive colt Tatra and 3YO Colorado Claire, from the crops conceived in the wake of Hussonet’s champion son Weekend Hussler; and the early success of his sire sons Husson and Husson Lightning.

It seems that new chapters are already being written to extend Hussonet’s outstanding story of 28 Group 1 winners among 75 stakeswinners.