Yes Yes YES!!!

KATRINA PARTRIDGE

Racing can do that.Brae Sokolski knows all about it.

“I’ve owned horses for 20 years. Small shares in cheap horses,” he says reflectively. “I only started to do it with any level of seriousness in the past few years and I bought Yes Yes Yes in just the second year. I do all the pedigree work. I then give my shortlist to my trainer and bloodstock consultant to physically check and validate the yearlings at the sale.”

“Darren [Weir] and John [Foote] looked at [the colt]. We set a budget of $200,000. I’ve looked at my catalogue from that year and I’d written in big bold capitals ‘ATHLETE. RAW. FLASH 3YO.’”

Sokolski said the colt certainly didn’t look like he would go early.

“We didn’t buy him as a Magic Millions type. We were just lucky that the other party stopped bidding when we got to our limit so we were able to secure him. We were fortunate.”

Sokolski purchased a 50% share in the yearling with Weir syndicating the remaining 50% to clients.

The 2YO made his debut race at Moonee Valley on 1 December 2018, winning at his second start a fortnight later.

“When we took him to the races Darren kept on saying ‘why am I running this colt he’s telling me he is a 3YO - but he has so much natural ability.’ Everything he gave us was just a bonus,” Sokolski says.

The riches of January’s Magic Millions lured the horse to Queensland, however connections of the young star scratched Yes Yes Yes on the eve of the race after floating him north and he was sent to the spelling paddock with ‘ability in spades’.

Intriguingly the Magic Millions sales ring brand has been across this colt’s family from Day 1. The young sprint star is a son of Rubick, himself a Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase. Rubick won the MRC Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g) Gr3 and the MRC Schillaci S., Gr2. Yes Yes Yes is from a Fantastic Light half sister to Hot as Hell. He is a half brother to the stakes performed mare Dee Nine Elle, yet another Magic Millions sold star (2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale; $720,000). The yearling half brother to Yes Yes Yes by leading sire Sebring [also a Magic Millions graduate] will be one of the pin up lots of the 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale with confirmation the youngster will be offered (as was Yes Yes Yes) in the draft of Kitchwin Hills.

When Yes Yes Yes returned to training he was transferred to Chris Waller’s stables. After a barrier trial in February he resumed in the ATC Todman Stakes Gr2 in March which he won by half a length. Suddenly Sokolski and his co-owners had a stallion prospect on their hands - a colt with a beautiful physique, race performance, juvenile speed, and a pedigree.

Coolmore - amongst others - were on the phone.

“It was such a privilege to have a group like Coolmore approach me and come and assess the horse,” says Sokolski. “They recognised that the horse would probably come on more as a 3YO and I had told them to wait til after the Todman to talk. They are a Goliath of the Industry. They have so much integrity and command so much respect. This colt is a very valuable commodity and Coolmore have been incredible to deal with. It is amazing to think that Yes Yes Yes will stand at their farm one day and be supported by their broodmare band. It’s life changing you know. This is a horse that I selected, that I named and that has raced in my colours. And he will stand at one of the biggest farms in the world.”

Yes Yes Yes went on to the Golden Slipper but struggled on the heavy track and finished seventh. After a long spell he had two trials in August then raced in the ATC (Rosehill) The Run To The Rose Gr2 and the ATC (Rosehill) Golden Rose Gr1 finishing second behind Bivouac in each. On 19 October he stepped out in the $14m ATC (Randwick) The Everest as the youngest horse in the field. Ridden by veteran jockey Glen Boss he won the world’s richest turf race by half a length in track record time.

It was not a fait accompli that the colt would even get a start on 19 October. Sokoloski worked tirelessly behind the scenes in the weeks leading up to the race to convince Waller to allow the star 3YO a right to the slot; Waller in turn convincing Coolmore Australia to run the young horse.

Yes Yes Yes raced in the slot of Chris Waller Racing and the master horseman was thrilled with the track record breaking win.

“You have to go to the owners … ‘This is a horse I think can win The Everest, you can’t go in to run second or third’,” Waller told the Seven Network post-race.

“It was a big decision to make,” Waller said. “You’ve got a big international stud (Coolmore) in the horse who have backed my judgement and also the owners of the horse backing my judgement and also the slot holders.”

“It was a big risk and a gamble so you’ve got to trust your horse and I trusted my system.”

By the close of Spring Yes Yes Yes had had just 8 starts for 4 wins (3 at 2 - at 1100, 1200m) and 3 seconds for $7,174,450 in career earnings. As a stallion prospect he was conservatively valued at $50m. Not a bad return from that initial $200,000.

Sokolski says he follows a three-pronged approach to investing in horses.

“One- I do the work. Two- network and relationships. Three - luck. One and two, they are within your control and can be managed. Three, well, not so much …”

For now, Royal Ascot is on the cards with Waller, Magnier and Sokolski to sit down in the coming weeks to map out a plan for the Autumn culminating with a start in the Diamond Jubilee.

“Yes Yes Yes was given a Timeform Rating of 125 following his Everest win and he smashed the track record,” says Sokolski. “He will be the best racehorse since Black Caviar to go across to England so there will be some anticipation from racegoers in the UK I imagine.”

Meanwhile Sokolski is looking forward to January on the Gold Coast.

“I love the sale; the anticipation of it. It’s the dawn of a new season. There is such incredible quality and so much raw excitement. I always come in wide eyed and of course I’m now trying to find my next stallion prospect!”