One of the best quality bands of broodmares in NSW is that belonging to the Marheine's Stratheden Stud at Tamworth. Buyers at this month's Magic Millions Gold Coast Premier yearling get the opportunity to benefit from this quality, and also from the management's astute selection of sires, through a draft Stratheden have lined up including offspring of Beautiful Crown (USA), Secret Savings (USA), Magic Albert, Hussonet (USA) and Fasliyev (USA).

One of the yearlings, a Secret Savings filly, is one of the most fashionably bred anywhere. It is from the Semipalatinsk (USA) mare Blue Eye, a sister to top race fillies Palatious and Memphis Blues. Now in Gerry Harvey's great band of mares at his Baramul Stud, Palatious is the dam of Danelagh (Danehill winner of the Blue Diamond) and grandam of Vengeance of Rain (Zabeel winner of the Hong Kong Cup and Derby) and her sister Dizelle (AJC Australian Oaks).

Two of the Stratheden yearlings are from mares which have already produced stakes winners. One of them is a filly by the very popular Beautiful Crown (USA) and from the Marscay Sydney winner Feisty Kate. She has three winners to her credit including Our Fuji, a winner of nine races in New Zealand including the Group 3 Taranaki Cup and second in the Group 2 Auckland BM Trophy.

One of the top prospects from this stud appears to be the colt in the first crop of the Danehill sire Manner Hill and from the good producer Comely Lass. She has had six winners including the Danehill products Vigil (four wins including the three stakes; also second in five stakes including the AJC Surround Stakes-Gr.2 and Gimcrack Stakes-LR) and Dragon Wind (three wins and HK$1.8million in Hong Kong).

Another of their Manner Hill yearlings is a filly which is a half-sister to three winners and from Luge, a winning sister by Mighty Avalanche to Sandown Guineas-Gr.2 winner Blixen, dam in turn of Doomben Roses-LR winner Avilde.

Manner Hill himself was a versatile stakes performer got by Danehill from the great race mare Mannerism. He won six races, succeeding from 1100m to 2400m and including among them the N.E. Manion Cup at Rosehill Gardens and the Craven Plate at Randwick, a course on which he had a fourth placing in the Group1 AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Initially at Stratheden, Manner Hill was moved to Danny Rose's Cherokee Rose Stud at Lancefield in Victoria last year and had a big book of mares.

Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service