A Derby-winning talent with origins first exhibited Down Under

Anthony Van Dyck’s Investec Derby success could have significant repercussions for the breeding industry in Australia, even if there is a slight case of 'what might have been' from those who were previously responsible for the Classic winner’s dam.

Believe’N’Succeed, who was useful at sprinting distances during a brief career with Mark Kavanagh, was with Glenn Burrows at Willow Park Stud before reaching the hands of renowned consignor Brian Nutt. She was bought by Tom Magnier on behalf of Coolmore at the Magic Millions in 2014 for A$1.1 million (around £600,000).

"I got her in 2012, she was purchased by a client of mine called Michael Burchall, who is a barrister from South Australia in Adelaide and we subsequently mated her to Street Cry on two occasions," Nutt explained.

"On the first occasion the yearling sold for $950,000, purchased by George Moore from Hong Kong. My owner decided to downsize because he was getting on years and he thought it was becoming a bit stressful, so we actually entered her in a sale in 2014 having been covered by Street Cry again. She went to the National Sale in Queensland, the corresponding sale of what we’re having at the moment, and she fell ill.

"She didn’t get sold at that sale and remained in Queensland for a few months until she was better. There happened to be a very large dispersal sale by Patinack Farm at the time and it was an opportunity to put her in that sale, so she sold a few months later."

Of the sale itself, where Magnier had made the decisive bid in the firm believe that Believe’N’Succeed would prove the ideal partner for Galileo, Nutt added: "Had she not fallen ill we think she probably would have made more money than that, having got sick in June and selling a few months later probably took a bit of gloss off it.

"She still sold for 1.1 million, which is a lot of money, and I believe she went back to Coolmore Australia to foal down and I think was then sent to Europe to be mated with Galileo, and then we get Anthony Van Dyck."

Nutt, who continues to have a wide representation at the sales despite selling his own premises, Attunga Stud, was struck by what he saw from the mare during the two years she was in his care.

"She was a very good racehorse, well related being by Exceed And Excel, who is one of our leading sires down here and has done well in the northern hemisphere, as well as proving to be a very good broodmare sire.

"I only really saw a couple of her foals including [New Zealand champion] Bounding and the Street Cry yearling, who was only an average racehorse, but she threw a great type.

"Bounding was very good, she’s now in America breeding. The year she got sold, when Believe’N’Succeed took ill at the sale, I know that John Moynihan, acting for [US breeder] Barbara Banke at the time, was extremely interested in her. Unfortunately he never got the opportunity to buy her but then bought her champion daughter the year after."

Nutt is also happy to focus on the wider picture.

"I’m certainly not taking any credit whatsoever for the success but it is great for our industry down here and that’s the main thing really," he said. "We’ll be probably hanging our hat that we now have a broodmare produced in Australia who is the dam of the Derby winner."

If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like...

A first for Frankel and the marvel of Meon Valley: Anapurna's breeding in focus

Galileo moves closer to immortality with record-equalling fourth Derby winner

Coronation Cup hero Defoe a new Group 1 winner for retired Dalakhani