His roots may be very closely tied to the National Hunt, and just this spring he won the most famous of them all – the Grand National with Noble Yeats (Ire) (Yeats { Ire}) – but Emmet Mullins has now scored himself another big payday – this time at the Apartment with a shark he bred, owned and trained to win a maiden at her local racetrack before selling her for six figures.
Thebestisyettobe (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) became the second 2-year-old winner of Mullins’ career competing in the first seven for the first time at Gowran Park on Saturday and in the process she has announced itself in the international market.
Duckett’s Grove was the Mullins’ first underage scorer and, like the Point Of Entry rooster the coach sold after he broke his maiden card on the try First in Cork in 2018, Thebestisyettobe is set up for export and has passed the veterinary authority.
“It’s only the second 2-year-old winner I’ve coached and it was done from start to finish with Thebestisyettobe, I suppose,” he said. “I bought the mare, raised her locally in County Carlow in Elzaam (Aus) through Joe Foley. It’s really the stuff of fairy tales. “
Mullins picked up the dam [Kramer Drive (Ire) (Medicean {GB})] by Thebestisyettobe for just €18,000 at a mixed sale at Goffs in February 2016.
“Elzaam is very commercial and also has great value. He keeps getting beautiful and highly desired horses in the international market as well as here” – Emmet Mullins, trainer
She has become a proven source of victory, with three of her racing-age ponies having won numerous races – none more so than Ventura Flame (Ire), by one horse. Another stallion is based on Ballyhane in Dany Man (Ire), who won seven in the UK – and Thebestisyettobe looks like she could be the best of them all in Gowran Park.
Mullins said, “Kramer Drive is a good waiter. I sold her first pony Shadow Breaker (Ire) (Anniversary {Ire}), for €12,000 and he went on to make good money after winning the hurdles challenge for Jimmy Coogan.
“The second pony is Ventura Flame, for whom I received €48,000 in the match to Middleham Park, and she won seven races for Keith Dalgleish in England.
“Midgetonamission (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) has two wins for David Evans and this one [Thebestisyettobe] hit sales last year as an aspiration but she didn’t make enough money so I asked Martin Wanless to buy her back for me.”
The decision to shop locally with Elzaam, who was less than 10 minutes from Mullins’ base in County Kilkenny, worked out when the trainer praised Foley’s stallion and described him as someone with special value.
“Elzaam is very commercial and also great value,” says Mullins. He is constantly getting beautiful and very desirable horses in the international market as well as here.”
Did you spot her?
THEBESTISYETTOBE (IRE) is built on a third in one @IrishEBF_ Barrier testing at @DundalkStadium scored on debut in @IrishEBF_ Auction Series Fillies Maiden at @ GowranPark1.
Filly by @BallyhaneStud Elzaam landed €10,000 #IREInc Chu vouchers in the process! 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/m5FZShNMOG
– ITM (@IREthoroughbred) July 24, 2022
With the benefit of a barrier test under her belt, where she showed clear promise and then Mullins asked a few questions, Thebestisyettobe showed ample ability to tackle a Joseph O. ‘Brien is well trained to hit the mark. at Gowran Park.
Less than a week after that promising debut, the dark horse is set to leave Mullins’ yard after passing all the veterinary procedures that come with the sale to foreign jurisdictions.
He said, “We got a few questions after the barrier test but I felt that I wasn’t going to get what I wanted for her so I told them. [the agents] keep an eye on her and she’ll be running in a couple of weeks and hopefully she’ll show her colors right. Dirty Joseph’s [Karaoke (Ire) (Acclamation {GB})]gets featured a lot and, although I don’t think Thebestisyettobe is a good thing to go and win, I know she’s going to run a big race. “
Mullins added, “The fingers have passed, she has passed all the tests and we are just waiting for the blood test. I think she will come to America.”
Like Kramer Drive, Mullins bred several National Hunt roosters with his cousin and champion amateur jockey Patrick. The couple has also had quite a bit of success.
Screaming Witness (Ire) (Shernazar {GB}) created a new hurdler practicing for 1st place in Airlie Beach (Ire) (Shantou) while the cousins were also breeding girls of the mare, Dr. Machini bumper and hurdler (Ire) (Dr. Massini {Ire}).
Mullins said, “Patrick and I have two young children. I have a foot of Screaming Witness with Patrick. We also acquired her first pony, Dr Machini, after she raced for Pottses. “Screaming Witness is an unbelievable platform for us. She has had five runners run on the track and five of them have been bumper winners.
“Airlie Beach won the G1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle while Screaming Rose (Ire) (Darsi {Fr}) also has a black skin for her so she is a big background mare.
“We have two more Screaming witnesses – a 2-year-old and an aspiring child – but she is now retired as she is quite old. We also have a couple of Dr. Machini’s ponies on the ground. So Patrick and I are breeding those National Hunt mares but I decided to give this Flat mare a chance in 2016”
Mullins added, “I like to keep about four mares around this place – that’s a good number. So two National Hunt mares and maybe two on the Apartment. You will have plenty of breeding stock from three or four mares on the ground in a few years.
“Kramer Drive this year was really unlucky. She has a dirty pony of Profitable (Ire), who was born on the morning of the Grand National. I thought she was destined to be lucky, but unfortunately, there was a complication and we lost her that week. The mare returned to the foal to create trust (GB). We’re local – this time with Ballylinch not Ballyhane! “
