THE £3,000 paid by Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock, together with Rod Millman Racing, for a yearling daughter of Anjaal (Bahamian Bounty) at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Ascot Yearling Sale has turned into a near £145,000 bonanza for owner Louise Millman and her husband Rod.

Now named Bettys Hope, this Llety Stud-bred two-year-old was runner-up on her first three starts, and has now won her next three, culminating with victory in the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint.

Who says that the small man can never compete? This was a second win in the race for the trainer, but this one was extra special for obvious reasons.

Though she showed ability and was placed at two and three, Bettys Hope’s dam Miss Poppy (Averti) went from having a 65,000gns valuation as a yearling at Doncaster to being sold as a three-year-old at Tattersalls in December 2008 for just 5,000gns. Bettys Hope is her seventh and most recent offspring, and the fourth winner.

Miss Poppy’s excellent yearling price, the third-best that year for a yearling filly by Averti (Warning) is partially explained by the fact that four years earlier her half-brother Kyllachy (Pivotal) was rated the champion older sprinter in Europe thanks to victory in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes.