Freakish Record Breaker Fernando Bale Bound

OWNER Adam Brandt remembers the nervousness he and his family felt at this very time last year as their star race bitch French Martini prepared for a tilt at the Group 1 Topgun.

“It was huge,” said Adam. “Just being part of the Topgun was amazing.”

French Martini (Aston Dee Bee-Sheez My Chicki) was never out of trouble in the Topgun finishing well back behind Photo Man.

The Group 1 Topgun will be run at The Meadows next Saturday night and eight others will this year get to feel just what Adam Brandt did in 2022.

But Adam has a much different scenario facing him this year.

French Martini is about to be put in pup to champion sire Fernando Bale and the Brandt family is all abuzz.

“Yes, there will be some for sale, but we will wait until we see how many she has first before deciding on how many and how much they will be sold for,” he said.

French Martini has taken over the Brandt household since her retirement.

“She is a princess but has become the Queen of the house,” said Adam.

The Gardens track record holder, and first ever to break 29 seconds there, she won the G2 Black Top, G3 Ladies Bracelet and Robert Smith Memorial Maiden.

Along the way she made the final of the Topgun, Million Dollar Chase, G1 Peter Mosman Opal, G1 Paws Of Thunder, G1 Rookie Rebel and G2 Flying Amy Classic.

All under the careful and professional mentorship of training dynamo Peter Lagogiane.

“I talked Michael Jones into letting me buy a bitch from his famous broodbitch line,” said Adam. “I wanted to get back into breeding again and thought this was the way to go.

“Right from the start of her race career, everything Peter set her for she made.

“The Topgun was huge and to make the Million Dollar Chase final, well I had a spring in my step all week.

“But, running the track record at The Gardens with her was something else, especially when she was the first ever to get under 29 seconds. We all really loved that.”

In all she raced 32 times for 15 wins and three thirds for stakes of $167,000.

“She has become our pot of gold,” said Adam.

He was well aware that French Martini's dam, Sheez My Chicki, had been to Fernando Bale for her first litter and produced a classy bunch that included Group class Ice Cream Story, One Dimension, Teddy The Bear etc.

“I had a dog called Lock Master from that litter and he ran 29.70 at Wentworth Park at his second race start,” said Adam.

“It was a no brainer to put French Martini to Fernando Bale. We can't wait.”