Last but not least for Koureas’ Showtime colt
Veteran Scone breeder Madeline Koureas was overjoyed that the best was apparently left till last as her Showtime (Snitzel) colt put an emphatic punctuation mark on yesterday’s Classic auction.
Koureas’ heart sank several weeks back when she learned the son of Strategic (Zeditave) mare Kiss Me Sophie, by virtue of alphabetic rotation, had drawn the very last marble of the sale’s Book 2 – Lot 810, the final offering of the Highway Session.
The chestnut, however, drew plenty of inspections, inspiring hope from Koureas that some keen judges would remain until the end.
But when the colt, paraded in a sparsely-populated auditorium drew $200,000 – sold to Adelaide trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly – it was beyond her wildest dreams.
“When I saw we were last in the book I said to (Inglis’) Jonathan D’Arcy ‘what have you done to us?’” Koureas, tongue-in-cheek, told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“Being the last horse through, you’re just hoping people hang around. We were just hoping for a price over $100,000, so for that price to come in was fantastic.
“It was lucky last I guess.”
The colt shared top billing of a Highway Session that ended with 118 lots sold for an average of $49,352 and a median of $40,000 – slightly up on last year’s marks of $48,475 and $35,500 through 141 lots sold. This year’s clearance rate of 87 per cent compared with 89 per cent last year.
First-season sire Showtime was the session’s top sire on average (more than two lots sold), with seven yearlings purchased for an average of $95,571.
The $200,000 mark was also reached when a colt by first–season Japanese sire Real Steel (Deep Impact) was sold into the familiar colours of the late Dato Tan Chin Nam.
Cataloged as Lot 742 from the Arrowfield draft, the colt fell to agent Duncan Ramage, buying for trainer John Thompson and the Tan-founded racing concern Think Big Stud, with other partners to be invited in.
The impressive bay is from an outstanding female family. Third dam Zarkasha (Kahyasi) threw Zarkava (Zamindar), who claimed European horse of the year honours in 2008 as a three-year-old filly in a career in which she won five Group 1s, including that year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m).
Zarkava in turn threw three stakes-winners, including Group 1 scorer Zarak (Dubawi).
Another daughter of Zarkasha, the unraced Zarakiysha (Kendor), was imported to Australia from Ireland in 2008 and threw Zarzali (Hussonet), who carried Tan’s black and white checks with gold sleeves to three wins – including one at Flemington – and a Sydney Group 3 placing before being exported to breed in Europe.
The colt is the second foal out of the Aga Khan-bred Zerkela (Cape Cross), a 2000-metre winner in France who was brought to Australia in 2019.
“We don’t let sentiment get in the way, but he’s a quality colt from a family of champions we know very well thanks to the Tan family,” said Ramage, a Think Big buyer for many years.
Ramage was more than ready to speculate on Real Steel, the son of Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) who won the Dubai Turf (Gr 1, 1800m) – the world’s second-highest rated 1800-metre race of 2018 – and stood the 2020 season at Arrowfield before Covid prevented a planned return from Japan.
The 11-year-old had three yearlings sold at the Magic Millions for an average of $133,000, and two lots in yesterday’s Highway Session for $250,000 in total.
“We do quite like these Japanese sires,” Ramage said. “They seem to be adapting well to Australia. For 30 or 40 years the Japanese have bought the best bloodlines. Their racing is competitive and tough, and those who’ve survived and got to the top have the bloodlines, demeanor and physicality to meet our racing.”
Another top Highway lot came from the Arrowfield draft, with Melbourne trainer Matt Laurie paying $160,000 for a Showtime (Snitzel) colt out of Aquarium (Ocean Park), an unplaced half-sister to quadruple Group 1 winner Metal Bender (Danasinga).
Billy Healey Racing paid $155,000 for a Willow Park Stud colt by Harry Angel (Dark Angel) out of the winning American mare Caronia (Northern Afleet).
Meanwhile, Thompson paid $150,000 for a Middlebrook Valley Lodge filly by Hellbent (I Am Invincible) out of Sydney city winner Vain Elaine (High Chaparral), the fourth-highest lot of the Highway session.