JOCKEY SADDLES UP FOR SALE RIDE
RACING: She is one of Toowoomba’s best known racing faces, but booting home winners is not Skye Bogenhuber’s sole interest in the thoroughbred world.
The five-time premier Clifford Park jockey and animal lover has taken a number of former gallopers into her care at the end of their racing days.
That hobby eventually led her to an unexpected racing spin-off which will see Bogenhuber return to the Magic Millions sale ring next week.
Bogenhuber’s dabble into thoroughbred breeding continues on Tuesday when she offers a Husson filly from her mare Temple Girl on day two of the 2018 Gold Coast March Yearling Sale.
It will be Temple Girl’s third foal to go through the ring for Bogenhuber with two previous colts each fetching $90,000.
Bogenhuber’s unusual combination of jockey-thoroughbred breeder came about through her connection with Toowoomba’s Gollan family.
Trainer Tony Gollan offered Bogenhuber Temple Girl as a paddock horse when a fractured knee forced her early retirement from the track.
But a new career unfolded for the Break The Vault-Temple Top mare after Gollan later suggested to Bogenhuber she be tried as a broodmare.
The switch from pet to mother proved perfect timing for the Eureka-bred galloper who is now a member of one of Queensland’s most sought-after thoroughbred families.
Temple Girl is a half-sister to Temple Spirit — the dam of Group One winners Temple Of Boom and Spirit Of Boom who is currently Australia’s leading first-season sire by winners.
Bogenhuber has no longterm plans to broaden her interest in thoroughbred breeding but just enjoys mixing riding horses with providing them a retirement home.
“I love spending time with my horses and I was happy to take this mare and give her a home when she retired,” Bogenhuber said.
“I’ve still got her brother Ponche Soto as well.
“This is Temple Girl’s third foal and she’s got a Bel Esprit weanling this season.
“Her first two colts brought $90,000 and after getting a bit of advice on a suitable stallion for her third foal I settled on Husson, and she is a nice type.
“Peter Gillan has prepared all my yearlings and has done a great job getting this girl reading for next week, so we’ll she how she goes.”
This year’s two-day sale has 389 lots listed.
Seventy sires are represented when the sale begins on Monday including Eureka’s Spirit Of Boom with 44 lots.