By Heather Anderson
Day two of the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale Book 1 followed on from Sunday's opener as momentum continued to build during the second day of trade. Two lots made seven figures by the close of the session on Monday, a colt by Waikato Stud's Savabeel (Aus) went to David Ellis of Te Akau Racing for NZ$1,025,000 (US$750,318/A$926,923/£533,177/€605,899 /¥81,740,940) and earlier in the day, a colt by Coolmore shuttler Fastnet Rock (Aus) brought an even NZ$1 million on the bid of Mark Pilkington Management/Lindsay Park Racing.
From a statistical perspective, 232 lots have grossed NZ$38,307,500 from a catalogue of 320. The average is NZ$165,119, while the median is NZ$120,000. The clearance rate is an encouraging 77%, as local and international buyers continue to make their presence felt during the reformatted sale.
Topping the session, and the entire sale so far, was a Cambridge Stud-consigned Savabeel colt (lot 301) out of New Zealand champion 3-year-old Katie Lee (Aus) (Pins {Aus}). A two-time Classic winner, Katie Lee is out of Group 3 winner Miss Jessie Jay (NZ) (Spectacularphantom), herself a half-sister to New Zealand champion sprinter/miler Gee I Jane (NZ) (Jahafil {GB}).
“He's just one of those colts I had to have–he's a beautiful example of equine excellence,” said Ellis, who is well on his way to being the sale's leading buyer by gross for the 13th consecutive year. “I can see him winning a Group 1 like the Sires Produce and then heading to Australia to win a good 2-year-old race, but our goal will be the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.”
Ellis is currently leading the buyers' table, with 17 lots having caught his eye to the tune of NZ$4,595,000. Another Savabeel offering from Cambridge Stud–this time a filly (lot 290)–joined the Te Akau fold for NZ$900,000, the most expensive filly of the sale and the third highest lot of the day. Out of the winning Joy's Choice (NZ) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), who was third in a Group 2, the filly is the second foal of her dam. Joy's Choice is a half-sister to MGSW and G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas bridesmaid La Sizeranne (NZ) (Stravinsky), while G1 Australian Derby hero Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) also sits under the second dam, the GSP Tricia Ann (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Among the other purchases bought to bear the tangerine and blue and the third in the top 10 lots on Tuesday, was a Haunui Farm-consigned Snitzel (Aus) colt (lot 215). Ellis shelled out NZ$625,000 for the son of the Arrowfield-based champion sire out of MGSW Floria (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}). The August-foaled bay is the first foal of his dam, whose biggest day in the sun was a third in the G1 Tattersalls Tiara.
Pilkington snags Fastnet colt for NZ$1 million…
The NZ$1-million lot 156 purchased by Mark Pilkington in conjunction with Lindsay Park Racing, the second dearest lot on Monday, is the first foal out of Group 1 winner Diademe (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) by Australian champion sire Fastnet Rock from the Curraghmore draft.
“He had the right pedigree, the right physique, and so all the credentials to be a good horse,” said Pilkington. “He certainly had the price tag, so hopefully he is a good horse. It made good sense, as the colt is out of a gun mare. He's in keeping with the same sort of horse as Merchant Navy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). We recently negotiated the sale of him [the G1 Coolmore Stud S. victor] to Coolmore for A$27 million, so it would be nice if this colt was going well enough to head down the same path. The Lindsay Park guys [co-trainers David Hayes, his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig] have had a lot of luck here. They got [GSW & G1SP] Tulip (Aus) (Pierro {Aus}), who has been a great filly, then [undefeated listed winner] Long Leaf (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who won the other day.”
The pedigree continues to improve, as Diademe's full-brother Embellish (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}), a NZ$775,000 Karaka Premier graduate of 2016 who races for Te Akau Racing, captured the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas earlier this season and narrowly ran second in the Listed Karaka 3YO Classic on Saturday at Ellerslie. Embellish is bound for stud duty at Cambridge Stud when he retires.
Added Pilkington of the redesigned sale format, “I think the new concept has worked well, Everybody gets a chance to look at the horses and make up their own mind.”
Tavistock popularity continues…
Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan's Cambridge Stud offered three of the top four lots on Tuesday, with a bay filly by their resident sire Tavistock (NZ) out of Listed Lightning H. victress Diamond Like (Aus) (Danehill) attracting the attention of Peter Moody. The trainer of Black Caviar (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}) stretched to NZ$750,000 to acquire lot 159.
“She's a lovely filly from a family that speaks for itself,” said Moody. “She's one of those magical fillies that has a page to match. We're looking to put a few nice fillies together, my wife and a few clients, that we can race back in Australia. She will stay here and get broken-in–like we traditionally do with our New Zealand fillies–we've always had good success doing it. Then she'll head to Australia come October or November.”
Already the dam of GSW & MG1SP Forever Loved (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), Group 3 winner Zephyron (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), G1SP Zenella (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and SP Ardeche (NZ) (Dehere), this was Diamond Like's eighth foal. Her dam is high-class MG1SW Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), who also left G1SW Viking Ruler (Aus) (Danehill) and GSW & MG1SP Kempinsky (Aus) (Danehill).
During Sunday's opening session, a pair of Cambridge-consigned Tavistock foals were popular from this family: a filly (lot 10) out of Zenella brought NZ$420,000 on the bid of Bruce Perry Bloodstock, while lot 35, a colt, went to Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for NZ$300,000.
Nicoll looking for more Fastnet success…
Only 15 lots removed from Moody's purchase, Adrian Nicoll, who had selected the aforementioned Long Leaf (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) at last year's Premier Sale for NZ$750,000, was the winning bidder at NZ$725,000 for lot 172, a filly by the same sire and offered by Hallmark Stud. Out of the unraced Dragon's Tail (Aus) (Galileo {Ire}), she is a full-sister to Te Akau's 2018 G1 Levin Classic victor and G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas runner-up Age of Fire (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {NZ}.
“She's a beautiful filly–the best individual I saw here,” said Nicoll of BBA Ireland, who was acting for an international syndicate. “I thought she might go for more than $600,000 and less than $800,000, so I was happy to go to $725,000 for her. Being a full-sister to a Group 1 winner, it just became a no-brainer. She'll be going to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. We've put a partnership together, which includes the Niarchos family. It's a similar group to the one we put together for a Frankel (GB) colt we bought a couple of years ago.”
Mulcaster busy on Tuesday…
Karaka's Tuesday session did not take long to heat up, as bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster, acting for Kaha Syndicate and Mulcaster Bloodstock, struck for a striking bay son of Savabeel (NZ) (lot 108) just seven lots in. Offered by Waikato Stud, who stand the New Zealand champion sire, the September foal is the seventh from his unraced dam Chilled Out (NZ) (Anabaa). She is out of the listed winner Icy Calm (NZ) (Western Symphony), who also produced Listed Red Roses S. heroine and MG1SP The Big Chill (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) and the winning Forty Two Below (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}). The last named is responsible for three-time group heroine Coldplay (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}).
“We have a sister to this colt [Randwick scorer Savacool (NZ), a NZ$220,000 2016 NZBPRE purchase] and she has won her last two starts in Sydney, which has been very promising,” said Mulcaster, who has selected Horse of the Year and three-time G1 Cox Plate heroine Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) among others. “We thought he was a lovely colt which is what we came to try and buy. We are very happy with the horses we have bought from Waikato before. We will leave him here for about eight months and let him go through the system before he heads up to Melbourne for a small preparation. He will then go to the Sydney stable.”
Mulcaster was back in action for the very next lot, spending NZ$220,000 for a son of Ocean Park (NZ) (lot 109) from the Waikato Stud consignment. Out of Chorus (NZ) (Danasinga {Aus}), the foal is a half to three winners, among them the listed-placed Tralee Chorus (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}).
He also outlaid NZ$300,000 for a bay filly (lot 285) by Savabeel (Aus) out of Jacilo (NZ) (Entrepreneur {GB}), a Waikato consignee and half-sister to G1SW Miss Keepsake (NZ) (Keeper {Aus}); and NZ$100,000 for a son (lot 186) of Charm Spirit (Ire)–Enjuja (Aus) offered by Westbury Stud. The Charm Spirit colt is out of a half-sister to MGSW Cajarian (Sharastani) and the dam of G1 Nunthorpe S. heroine Margot Did (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}).
Mulcaster reflected, “We had Scream Park (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) run in the Karaka Millions 3YO Classic on Saturday and he ran an acceptable race [10th]. He probably felt the ground a little bit. For the owners to come and have an enjoyable time, they really loved it. We will be looking to bring another horse again next year. We have some Ocean Parks and we're happy with them–it makes sense to keep sticking to what you know.”
The third session of Book 1 continues Tuesday from 11 a.m. local time, with lots 321-540 going under the hammer. For the complete results, go to www.nzb.co.nz.
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