GRAND JOURNEY WINS GRADE 1!

Grand Journey WON the $500,000 Grade 1 for 3 year olds on Sunday, April 6, by beating a field of colts at 2 miles at Ascot in Perth. Grand Journey defeated favoured gelding Yuro by Fusaichi Pegasus. Grand Journey (a filly) now has 5 wins and 5 placings from 17 starts for $604,850 earnings. Winning sire, Good Journey, who was used almost exclusively in Australia by private owner Written Bloodstock (covering 27 mares in 2003, 44 in 2004, 47 in 2005 & 22 in 2006 for a total of 160 AUS foals) before being exported to the US is the sire of Bright Journey!! (Grand Journey was purchased at auction as a yearling for $6,500. From now on - Journey horses will fetch much more than that).

GRAND JOURNEY HAS NOW QUALIFIED TO RUN IN THE MELBOURNE CUP. That is the most prestigious race run in Australia. Her next race is on April 30, 2008. The Melbourne Cup is in October. If she runs - I will be there.

This is amazing news! When I decided to breed to Good Journey, none of his foals had run yet. He was an unknown quantity. The fact that he has sired one Grade I and Grade II winner in his first crop means that he is a demonstrably prepotent stallion who will stamp most of his foals as runners. That bodes really well for Bright. Many good stallions never get a single Grade 1 winner in their entire career. Good Journey got one in his first crop. This is very exciting. I took a risk breeding to him because I believed in his pedigree and talent. Looks like my faith in him might be well deserved.

This is Good Journey's first crop of runners. From 27 mares bred, 23 foals were born. 16 have made it to the track, and of that number, 9 are winners and 2 are graded stakes winners. For a new stallion, you could not ask for a more impressive debut. Good Journey is the real deal!