Group Two Victory for Into The Mist

Foaled and raised in the care of Peter Liston and his family at Three Bridges Thoroughbreds for her breeder Peter Katelanis of Medallion Thoroughbreds, progressive Redoute’s Choice mare Into the Mist scored a valuable win in the Group II SAJC Queen of the South Stakes at Morphettville last Saturday.

 

Prepared by Tony McEvoy, Into the Mist had been stakes-placed twice previously, but hit a new benchmark when defeating a big field of 18 to win the 1600 metre feature by three-quarters of a length.

A lightly raced four year-old, Into the Mist has won five of 14 starts earning nearly $230,000 and the best may still be to come.

“We’ve been really patient with her as she was quite offset as a youngster and we were happy to give her the time she needed, so she didn’t have her first start until February last year,” revealed Peter Katelanis.

“When she first arrived at Tony McEvoy’s she didn’t know much at all. He asked me what she’d been doing since she was broken in and I told him she’d been in a paddock!”

Into the Mist won on debut at Gawler and was placed in the Listed SAJC Laelia Stakes at her third start.

“Every preparation she has had, she has come back better, which is probably typical of a lot of the good Redoute’s Choice fillies and mares,” said Katelanis.

A three-quarter sister to stakes-winner Instinction, Into the Mist is the best of three winners from Group II VRC Sires Produce Stakes winner De Lago Mist, who was also raced by Mr Katelanis.

De Lago Mist was bred by the Liston family back in the days when they were still in South Australia at Lakewood Stud and was purchased by Mr Katelanis at their dispersal sale in 2004 for $105,000.

An immediate success on the track, the dashing grey daughter of Encosta de Lago has been just as successful at stud leaving stakes-winners and expensive yearlings.

“She’s been an outstanding mare for us,” Katelanis reflected. “She had a lot of ability when she was racing and at the time was regarded as the third best filly in the country behind Miss Finland and Anamato.”

Her first foal, an Exceed and Excel colt who would go on to become stakes-winner Instinction, made $300,000 at the 2010 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale and her 2013 Foxwedge filly fetched $440,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale last year.

Her current yearling filly by Exceed and Excel has been retained and she has a weanling colt by Pierro to follow.

“The Exceed and Excel filly is stunning and Peter Liston tells me she is the best foal the mare has ever had, while the Pierro colt is also a great type and will be offered at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale next year,” Katelanis said.

After missing to Brazen Beau last year, De Lago Mist is scheduled to visit Snitzel this spring.

“He’s been on my radar for a while,” Katelanis said. “He is just so commercial right now and the cross really works for the mare.”

Mr Katelanis also shares in the ownership of this season’s brilliant Group winning three year-old filly Don’t Doubt Mamma, so has two lovely broodmare prospects for the future.

“I’m keen to get Into the Mist out to 2000 metres, as if she can cope with the longer trip it opens a lot more doors for her in the spring,” he added.

“The Listed SAJC Centaurea Stakes (2000m) in two weeks time was always going to be her grand final this preparation, so we’ll see how she comes out of that and make a decision then on whether we race on for another season or head to the breeding barn.

“She has already equalled her mother in winning a Group Two so there’s probably not a great deal more she can add to her value.”