The Magic Millions/Atkins Photography SA Owners of the Month award winners for March Bevan and Lynette Crowell part owners of Blissful Bay. The Crowells told us this about their lives in racing: We have always had a strong interest in horses which included Bevan being clerk of the course at the Balaklava races for many years. Blissful Bay is a gelding we bred ourselves by a local stallion from a brood mare given to us by Darryl Dodson and we promised to send her first foal to him to train. Darryl trained one of our first racehorses, Polar Sun, which was incidentally Claire Lindop’s first South Australian winner. We have bred or purchased some reasonably well preformed horses including One More Jack, Its Been A Battle, Nasho, Ustinov’s Fury & Blissful Bay. We are also part owners of Sghrippa, Dodd & a number of young horses coming through. We have cut back our breeding program to one or two foals per year but still follow racing closely. Blissful Bay is a four-year-old by Hualalai from Hungry Kiss a Sebring mare. At the time of writing his race record stands at 1 win and 1 second from six starts and earnings of $24,000 including over $8000 in Racing Rewards bonuses. His dam Hungry Kiss has only produced two to race so far with Blissful Bay the best. The granddam Discretionary (by Hurricane Sky) has produced the seven-time winner Magnusificent (by Magnus); and another seven-time winner of over $170,000 in Dangerous Breeding (by Wanted). The third dam Sovereign Ruby (by Sovereign Red) left two black type winners in Doubting (by Redoute’s Choice) who won five stakes races including the Group 2 Kewney Stakes with her six wins earning more than $780,000 and Special Edition (by Umatilla) who won a Group 3 VATC Blue Diamond Preview and was latter exported to Macau. Others of her progeny include Yellow And Black (by Western Symphony) who produced Boudi Woudi (by Easy Rocking) who was a listed winner in New Zealand. The Crowells maintain a strong involvement in SA racing and have had their share of success with several of the horses they mention, perhaps most notably Sghrippa. We wish them continued success in the future. Apologies but we were unable to obtain a photo.

The Magic Millions/Atkins Photography SA Owner of the Month award winner for February is Sam Scaffidi-Muta part owner of Sabaj. We spoke to Sam about his time in racing. Sam has bred and raced horses for many years tasting early success with three times black type winner Let Him Ride (by Mustin Lake). Other good performers Sam has been involved with over the years include Gamblin Guru (by New Approach) another three-time black type winner and Follow The Ride (by Don’t Say Halo) who won an SAJC Christmas Handicap. Several of Sam’s horses have been owned in partnership with Harry Perks and most have been bred on the limestone pastures of Mill Park Stud. Indeed, Sam bred stakes winner and promising stallion Peltzer (by So You Think). Currently Sam has around fifteen mares at stud including Sabaj’s dam Bouzy Sabaj is a three-year-old gelding by Manhattan Rain from the Uncle Mo mare Bouzy, at the time of writing he has won three and placed second in his four starts earning  a touch over $110,000. He his trained by Richard and Chantelle Jolly with Richard having won on Let Him Ride back in his riding days. Bouzy was unraced and has also produced the handy mare Tipsy Vixen who is by Foxwedge and is also raced by Sam. Tipsy Vixen has won three from 17 and just shy of $150,000. Sam sent Bouzy to Peltzer and that mating has produced the yet to race Bred ‘Em All, she has returned twice more to Peltzer. The granddam is Champagne Jane (by Starcraft) she was very lightly raced for one win but has left Pimm’s Party (by Street Boss) winner of three, and Legless Lady (by Foxwedge) another three-time winner amongst others. The third dam Victory Cry (by General Nediym) is the dam of listed winner Guard Of Honour (by Northern Meteor) and Run Fox Run (by Foxwedge) winner in South Africa. Like most breeders Sam is still searching for that elusive Group I winner, here’s hoping that Sabaj can take him some way down that path.