An impulse buy and a high-class filly who is not always an Angel

Some sort of telepathic message must have been passed between Anita Wigan and Burning Rules, as her unintended purchase has reaped quite the dividend.

Four years ago, the Dorset-based breeder was on other business at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale when she decided to buy the maiden daughter of Aussie Rules out of the Castlebridge Consignment for 85,000gns.

Burning Rules was carrying to Lope De Vega and not long afterwards gave birth to her first foal, who turned out to be last weekend’s Group 2 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Angel Power.

"I wasn’t really planning to buy a mare that year at all but every time I walked up the hill from our boxes down in Highflyer, she caught my eye - literally every single time," says Wigan. "So I really sort of fell in love with her.

"She always seemed to be there every time I passed, but obviously I checked her pedigree, I love Lope De Vega and she’s from a good German family. It all happened amazingly and we’ve been very lucky."

Gerry Burke of Glidawn Stud bought the foal for 35,000gns and pinhooked her for 150,000gns to SackvilleDonald on behalf of owners King Power Racing.

From breaking her duck for Roger Varian at Chelmsford in June, Angel Power has bounded from a handicap to a Longchamp Listed race and the Group 3 Pride Stakes, before her final leap into the famous old contest at Rome’s Capannelle.

"The mare lives with James Read at Selwood Bloodstock down in Somerset, he’s done all the work, I just picked her out," continues Wigan.

"As a foal Angel Power was quite tricky so Gerry Burke did amazingly well with her. She was very good looking but wasn’t an easy girl and when she went to Roger Varian I asked him about her.

Anita Wigan with husband James after a victory from Dank at the CurraghCredit: Caroline Norris

"He said she was very naughty, whenever there was a kerfuffle at the back of the string, it was always her. But he's trained her brilliantly, every single step, she has just gone up and up. I think she’s going to stay in training next year so fingers crossed she’ll be a Group 1 filly."

The breeder has subsequently sold a Mukhadram filly out of Burning Rules, who is now back in foal to Lope De Vega. And Wigan has some more imminent interest with the family.

"She has a Bated Breath yearling who is at Malcolm Bastard's being broken and I’ll keep her," she reveals. "She’s called Bellport, I saw her recently and she’s doing well."

There has been plenty more to celebrate for Wigan, whose husband James is a significant figure himself in both breeding and bloodstock management.

"I bred [Coventry Stakes winner] Nando Parrado, so it’s been a phenomenal year," she adds. "I’ve got a filly in France, Findhorn [a half-sister to Group 1 sprinter The Right Man], who got some black type the other day.

"I also got another good price through James at Selwood for a Nathaniel filly out of Nibbling at Book 2. It’s been remarkable, considering everything."

This article and series is in association with Great British Racing International

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