The former Godolphin pair were stablemates heading for a spell in May 2018, and on the same truck on its way through Muswellbrook along the New England Highway, a medical episode led to a fatal head-on accident between a car and the horse transporter. The driver of the car was killed in the crash, while the truck driver was uninjured.

The tears already had flowed this week for Louise MacAulay, who worked with both Consolation and Encryption at Godolphin’s race stables and was at the truck accident that day, when she saw the yearling.

When the hammer fell for the filly (Lot 874) with a price of $200,000, MacAulay wept again.

“It was really quite emotional,” MacAulay said. “I watched her parade in the ring and she was so calm the whole time. If you’re taking one through that’s how you want them to be.”

From bingle to broodmare

Consolation wasn’t injured in the accident but she never made it to the race track, being put on the market in foal to Encryption. Her dam, Altar (Commands), was a Group 2 winner, claiming the ATC Magic Night S. and placed in the Group 1 Goodwood H. in Adelaide.

Consolation’s grandam, Hosannah (Octagonal {NZ}), also was a multiple Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed, making a great case for Twin Hills Stud to buy Consolation in the 2020 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $85,000 after she recovered from the crash.

“We sold her unraced but she was totally fine after the accident,’’ MacAulay said. “It was just an unfortunate circumstance with the two of them on the truck together. It was bizarre.’’

There were four horses on the truck, with Encryption at the front and Consolation at the back. All were relatively unscathed and were spelled for a couple of weeks just to make sure they were okay. But Consolation was trapped in the truck and emergency services had to work to free her.

“We did have emergency services come and help them because the dividers got a bit stuck in the accident. We had to get quite a few people to help us get Consolation out,’’ MacAulay said.

“The poor thing, she was kind of stuck. But she came out and we just stayed there and she was a real angel. She just stood there on the side of the highway,’’ she added.

“She was everyone’s favourite at Godolphin and from what I’ve heard from Twin Hills, everyone loves her and the baby. She’s just a lovely natured horse.’’

Low stress filly

The Consolation filly was has been paraded this week by the children of Twin Hills Stud owner, Olly Tait, and MacAulay said it was a good sign she had adopted the cool head of her parents.

“She’s obviously very quite and can handle a lot of situations and stress. She might be like mum and dad and be able to handle high-stress situations.’’

It was when working at Kelvinside, Goldolphin’s property in the Hunter Valley, that MacAulay recognised Consolation when she came through the prep sheds to go to Microphone.

“She’d already had her Encryption baby so I think we sold her in foal to Encryption. I was by chance working there one weekend and I thought: ‘Oh my gosh… it’s Consolation’.

“I noticed her ears. She’s got these giant ears on her and caught up with her and had a cuddle with the baby. It’s so funny with the baby, the ears are the exact same.’’

Great outcome

Tait, who bred and owns the filly, also was rapt with the outcome, and a bit emotional.

“She’s a beautiful filly and she sold really well. It’s sad to see her go because she was so gorgeous but she’s going to a young up-and-coming trainer in Victoria and hopefully she can help put his name in lights,” said Tait.

“It’s an incredible story and a tragic story, obviously,” he said. “We bought Consolation at the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale here in 2020 and she was carrying this filly by Encryption at the time. I had no idea of that story at the time when we bought her.

“She’s a lovely mare Consolation, and this yearling filly is like her mother, she has the most lovely temperament. She’s been a delight to deal with all the way through her life and particularly in her prep and up here at the sales on the Gold Coast. She’s really nice.

“She’s been very popular. She’s been well admired and is from a great old Woodlands Stud family that’s been carried on by Godolphin, and physically she’s just a lovely specimen.”

She will go to Michael Huglin Racing, being bought in partnership with Bevan Smith Bloodstock.

“It’s a hot Sale,” Smith said. “We paid enough for her I thought. She’s a beautiful horse. She’s got a good temperament and she looks like she’ll run. Hopefully we’re 365 days from being back here.”