Dubawi Filly Heads Back to Europe

Wednesday’s third session of the Keeneland September sale had its first seven-figure yearling when Charlie Vaughan-Fowler, bidding on behalf of the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Stables, went to $1.45 million to secure a filly by Dubawi (Ire) from the Lane’s End consignment. The yearling (hip 508) is out of G1 Epsom Oaks winner Casual Look (Red Ransom) and was bred by Lane’s End’s Will Farish. 

“It was a big number, but she is by Dubawi and there aren’t a lot of them on the market,” commented Vaughan-Fowler. “She is out of an Oaks winner, so we’re very pleased to get her. She is an absolutely beautiful filly who handled the sale very well.” 

It was the second year in a row that Flaxman Stables made a million-dollar purchase at Keeneland September. The operation purchased a filly by Medaglia d’Oro for $1.5 million in 2013. 

A homebred for Farish, Casual Look won the 2003 G1 Epsom Oaks and was third in the G1 Irish Oaks. She was also third in that year’s GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. She is the dam of stakes placed Casual Trick (Bernardini). 

The yearling is the only representative of Dubawi in the September sale and that led to some of her appeal, according to Lane’s End’s Bill Farish. 

“Dubawi is obviously a phenomenal international sire,” Farish commented. “We thought she was so different from anything else in this sale that she would sell well.” 

Of the yearling, Farish added, “She has always been a really special filly physically. She was raised with two other Dubawis in the same field over in England at Watership Downs. The three of them were just three exceptional individuals. It will be fun to see how she does on the racetrack, but she’s always been a really correct filly with a great mind. This whole sales experience, she just took it all with a grain of salt and never turned a hair. So it will be fun to see how she handles everything on the racetrack.” 

Asked if there had been any consideration to sending the yearling to Europe to sell, Farish said with a smile, “There was a lot of thought about selling her in Europe.” He added, “But it is hard when you’re not there. So dad wouldn’t have been able to be at that sale and he knew that she was a special filly and he wanted to have a better feel for her individually and for the whole process, so it was easier for him to have her here.” 

The yearling is the second seven-figure Keeneland September graduate for Casual Look. Savannah Bay (Mineshaft) brought $1.2 million at the 2007 September sale.