by Kelsey Riley
The Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale got off to a strong beginning in Sydney Tuesday, with gains posted for the average (up 12% to A$291,667) and median (up 17% to A$210,000) from 12 months ago. A total of 132 yearlings changed hands for A$38,500,000–a shade more than last year's first session gross of A$38,349,250. The buyback rate was up 15 points to 27%, with three buybacks over the A$500,000 mark. Three horses sold for A$1 million-plus yesterday compared to four last year, but the number sold for A$500,000-plus was up this year to 21 from 18.
“There has been an incredible buzz around the sale, and day one has certainly lived up to that,” said Inglis's Managing Director Mark Webster. “It is great to see Australian trainers and agents working closely with both international and local owners to secure the incredible athletes assembled at Easter.”
Like last year, the session-topper was a Fastnet Rock (Aus) out of the blueblooded Perfect Persuasion (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) that sold for A$1.6 million. It was a stellar day for Coolmore's champion sire Fastnet Rock, who was responsible for four of the top five lots and six over A$500,000.
No Persuasion Necessary…
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum has enjoyed a stellar season Down Under thanks to the exploits of his dual Group 1-winning juvenile Pride of Dubai (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), and 24 hours after that colt secured his second straight Group 1 in the G1 Sires' Produce S. the Dubaian was at Easter re-investing some of his prize money Tuesday. The dearest of his purchases was lot 103, a filly by Fastnet Rock out of the regally bred Perfect Persuasion, for A$1.6 million.
Sheikh Khalifa did his bidding in the restaurant at the top of the sales pavilion alongside his Racing Manager Tim Stakemire, who remarked, “she has a wonderful pedigree and is from a very happening family. There's lots of fillies in there that are all going to be bred up. We have a bit of the family already and we have some nice ones out of her, so we wanted a bit more.”
Sheikh Khalifa owns Azumi (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), a full-sister to Perfect Persuasion.
“We like [Azumi] a lot; she's leaving some lovely progeny, so hopefully this one will do the same and be a runner,” Stakemire said. “The residual of her is quite big.”
Perfect Persuasion has already produced a pair of stakes-placed winners in Papillon (Aus) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Lady Sharapova (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The latter was a A$800,000 purchase at this sale two years ago by the Hawkes training team, and this filly's full-brother, now named Lighthouse Keeper (Aus) and in training with Team Hawkes, topped this sale for A$1.6 million 12 months ago when purchased by John Warren.
Stakemire said the filly would remain in Australia and possibly be trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, who handle Pride of Dubai.
“She had a bit of a presence about her, the way she walked–she had a lovely head, a lovely body, beautiful action, and I just think she'll be a runner for us,” he said.
Harry Mitchell of Yarraman Park Stud, which consigned the filly, revealed that Yarraman owns Perfect Persuasion in partnership with Coolmore, where the filly was foaled and raised.
“We sold her mother for an equal Australian record price of A$2.6 million, and she's doing a good job–she's paid everyone back. She throws lovely types, and this was a very nice filly. It was more than we expected, but we knew she was pretty popular.”
Mitchell noted the mare has a Fastnet Rock foal and is back in foal to the champion sire.
Sheikh Khalifa secured another Fastnet Rock earlier in the session when signing for lot 28, a half-sister to U.S. stakes winner Srumdiddlyumptious (Roman Ruler), for A$675,000. That youngster is also from the immediate family of GI Woodward S. victor It'smyluckyday (Lawyer Ron) and G1 French Guineas hero Astronomer Royal (Danzig).
Niarchos Family Lays Aussie Roots…
The Niarchos Family has won major stakes and accolades as an owner/breeder in both America and Europe, and they will look to take their success Down Under as the buyer of lot 41, a Fastnet Rock filly from Coolmore Stud, through BBA Ireland for A$1.3 million early in the opening session of the Easter sale Tuesday. A half-sister, although bred on the same sireline, to last year's G3 Princess Margaret S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf third Osaila (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and G3 Dance Design S. victor Obama Rule (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), the August-foaled bay
will be the first racehorse for the Niarchos Family in Australia. Nicoll noted they are involved in a pair of broodmares Down Under: Estelle Collection (NZ), the dam of champion sprinter Lankan Rupee (Aus), with Coolmore; and Group 1 winner Pear Tart (Aus) (Dehere), purchased by Nicoll on their behalf for A$675,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale two years ago.
“She's for a European partnership headed by the Niarchos Family,” Nicoll confirmed. “She probably has the best pedigree in the whole catalogue. Being by Fastnet Rock is good; she's a very athletic filly, and you just can't buy those pedigrees.”
Nicoll said a trainer hasn't been decided, but he said the filly would likely remain in Sydney.
Despite being bred Down Under, lot 41 has European roots. Her dam is an unraced daughter of French Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly Detroit (Fr) (Riverman), who also produced G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Carnegie (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and three other stakes winners. It is also the family of G2 Ribblesdale S. winner and G1 Irish Oaks second Banimpire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). BBA Ireland has a history with Mennetou, having purchased her for 200,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2007, the year she produced Obama Rule, the first of her stakes winners. She was sold again in that ring four years later for 150,000gns.
Coolmore Swoops For A Fastnet…
The raging popularity of the champion sire Fastnet Rock continued late into the session and Coolmore, which stands the champion sire in Jerry's Plains, got into the mix when securing lot 159, a colt from Eliza Park International, for A$900,000. The strapping bay is out of Saywaan (Aus) (Zabeel {NZ}), a half-sister to G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. winner Rewaaya (Aus) (Singspiel {Ire}).
Coolmore's Tom Magnier cited the Fastnet Rock–Zabeel cross, which has produced Group 1 winners Atlantic Jewel (Aus) and Planet Rock (Aus), as an appeal.
“He was a nice horse,” Magnier said. “We loved his quality, and being out of a Zabeel mare we know the cross works, so fingers crossed for a bit of luck.”
Of Fastnet Rock's success on both the racetrack and in the sales ring, Magnier added, “The breeders have supported the horse very well, and there's a lot of nice types by him around the complex here. He's the best horse in Australia so we're really lucky to have him.”
Magnier said a trainer had not yet been identified for the colt.
“The horse we bought at the Magic Millions [a A$460,000 Fastnet Rock colt] and the horses we buy this week, we'll just take them back to the farm and we'll work them out after that.”
Coolmore enjoyed a great day out at day one of The Championships Monday courtesy of Pride of Dubai, in which it recently purchased an interest and will later stand at stud, and another successful owner from yesterday's meeting out shopping for Fastnet Rocks yesterday was Greg Ingham, who owns 20% of the G1 T J Smith S. winner Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}). He signed for lot 156, a Fastnet Rock filly from Coolmore, for A$760,000.
“She's a beautiful filly; I think the best filly in the sale,” Ingham remarked.
The September-foaled bay, a daughter of stakes winner Satin Robes (Aus) (Ne Coupez Pas), is a full-sister to Saturn Rock (Aus), a stakes winner since the printing of the catalogue. Her third dam is the New Zealand Group 1 winner Lady Madonna (NZ) (Kingdom Bay {NZ}). She will join Chautauqua in the Team Hawkes stable.
Moore Sounds the Battle Cry…
Street Cry (Ire), the sire of three Group 1 winners Down Under prior to this season, has enjoyed an increased profile as of late thanks to the exploits of his fourth Group 1 winner, Pride of Dubai. The late Darley sire found his name in the spotlight once again Tuesday when a colt from Willow Park Stud fetched A$1 million from Hong Kong agent George Moore.
Moore revealed that the son of the stakes-winning Noesis (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) (lot 79), from the family of G1 Blue Diamond S. winner True Jewels (Aus) (Brief Truce), had stretched his budget, but he said his strategy is to strike early this week.
“We like a lot of horses in the sale, but I think the sale is going to be really strong, so with the earlier lots sometimes you just have to spend a bit more, because sometimes you might not be able to get the later lots,” he explained.
Moore said he is hoping to buy “six or seven” yearlings at Easter.
“[Last year] we were running a bit short on stock, where we should have spent a bit more early, so this year we're starting strong,” he said.
Moore said the colt could go to Dr. and Mrs. Cornel Li Fook Kwan, the owners of current star Hong Kong miler Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal), but it is not set in stone. Should he go to those owners, the colt will need to start off his career in Australia and earn a rating of 70+ before he is able to be exported to Hong Kong. Racehorse ownership in Hong Kong is strictly controlled by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which grants its members a total of 25 ballots each year for Privately Purchased Griffins (PPGs).
“This horse, we don't have a Griffin's permit for him–just like Able Friend, we'll have to qualify him. The new rules come into effect next season, [he will need a] 70+ rating, so we'll have to qualify the horse then ship him over.”
Moore added, “A lot of the big clients are the only ones that will take a punt to qualify them for a permit as racehorses–a lot of the others want to have the permits before they come here and spend at the sales. It's a very different system to Australia, where if you want a horse, you just buy a horse. You can't do that in Hong Kong.”
Moore said he would put the colt on the export list nonetheless in case one of his clients holding a permit opts to take him.
“We have six clients with PPG permits, so they might just call me and say, 'I want that horse,'” he said.
Moore noted the current exchange rate–A$1 to HK$5.94–is currently working in his favor.
“Its about 30% cheaper [to buy] than last year. We'll spend a bit more, because it's a lot cheaper for us,” he said.
Should he remain in Australia, Moore noted the Street Cry colt could join trainer John Sargent, with whom Able Friend's owners currently have two other horses awaiting export.
“We haven't decided on a trainer yet, but John Sargent is training the other two, so the owner might want all the horses together in the same stable,” Moore said.
CHC, Stonestreet An Invincible Force…
While the older proven sires dominated proceedings yesterday, a young gun in I Am Invincible (Aus) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) also got his name among the sale toppers when Stonestreet Stables partnered with the China Horse Club to securelot 136, a colt by that champion first-season sire. Consigned by Yarraman Park, which stands I Am Invincible, the bay is a half to the Singapore stakes-placed Peace No War (Aus) (War Pass).
The China Horse Club's Michael Wallace explained, “John [Moynihan] and Barbara [Banke] really liked the horse, so it just made sense to partner up on a great colt.”
Wallace noted the bay would go into training with Peter and Paul Snowden, who also conditions Miracles of Life (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) for Stonestreet. Stonestreet purchased Miracles of Life, winner of the G1 Blue Diamond S. as a juvenile, for A$900,000 at last year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and she has since won the G2 Challenge S. for them.
Wallace said he thought Tuesday's opening session was tough for anything below the top rung.
“Without seeing the statistics, [the market is] probably a little polarized,” he remarked. “The horses that aren't quite up to the mark for one reason or the next are really struggling.”
B. Wayne Hughes Spendthrift Farm was also in action yesterday, purchasing a More Than Ready filly for A$200,000 and a colt from the last crop of Northern Meteor (Aus) for A$350,000.
Also hitting the A$750,000 mark yesterday was lot 29, a Snitzel (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) colt purchased by Kitchwin Hills' Michael Malone for an undisclosed client.
“We've had a bit of luck with Snitzels with the client I've purchased it for, and the Zabeel–Snitzel cross [has worked well],” Malone explained. “This colt I felt wasn't as bullish and heavy as some of the Snitzel colts in the sale, which I think is really important with a Snitzel. He's really elegant, and he has a bit of Zabeel about him also. I love Snitzel and Redoute's, and he's a nice horse so I'm very happy.”
The second session of the Easter sale kicks off at 11 a.m. local time Wednesday.
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