Leo To toasts $2.2 million mare Kimochi
It was unclear whether prominent international investors with a massive presence in Victoria – Illsay Vale and the Panthalassa Syndicate – would be active at the Chairman’s Sale after their conspicuous absence on the buyers’ sheet at the recent Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
But it was evident only four lots into Thursday night’s sale that the breeder and owner was back in play, going to $2.2 million for multiple Group 1-placed filly Kimochi (Brave Smash). Soon after, they paid $1.6 million for New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) and Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Pennyweka (Satono Aladdin).
The new owner of Kimochi will be hoping the rising four-year-old can earn her purchase price back and more in the spring with the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) firmly in the sights of connections of the highly talented filly, who was signed for by Ilsay Vale.
In 13 bids, which opened at $500,000 through to the eventual price of $2.2 million, Kimochi changed hands and became the first mare to smash the million-dollar mark at the Chairman’s Sale.
Trained by Gary Portelli, the rising four-year-old won the Light Fingers Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in February, coming after a hectic spring in which she was runner-up in a Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) in Sydney and the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in Melbourne.
Kimochi also ran third in the Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) during the autumn against open age mares.
Portelli was thrilled that Kimochi’s owner Leo To received such a big return on his $21,000 weanling purchase three years ago on the advice of Merrick Staunton and Billy Wong.
“He’s a big investor in racing now, he’s got a lot of broodmares, he buys a lot of yearlings and a few weanlings at [this week’s] sale, so unfortunately for us it’s a bit scary when you see a horse like her get sold,” said a realistic Portelli, who has handful of horses in his Warwick Farm stable owned by Kimochi’s buyer.
“He’s only just new into the industry, so to have a horse this good so early is a massive thing. He knows exactly what’s happened tonight and he was quite emotional on the phone.
“I saw Vin [Cox] knock it down and I reminded him that my phone number is in his phone and don’t be scared to use it.”
Portelli believes Kimochi was worth her huge price tag.
“I thought she’d be close to $2 million so it was good to see a couple of big hitters lock horns late. That’s what these mares are worth now,” he said.
“Realistically, there’s no reason why she can’t win a Golden Eagle. She ran third in the Coolmore, same distance, same track, so she’s going to get better with a spell. She didn’t didn’t have a spell last year. She went through the spring in Melbourne, had a week off and then took on the best mares in Australia and stretched them [in the Coolmore].
“There’s another level in her, I’m sure. Hopefully it happens under my watch.”
To watched the auctioning of his star filly via Inglis’ online coverage from afar.
“I’m a bit emotional, she’s the best filly I’ve ever had and she’s taken me on an amazing journey and created lifetime memories. It’s hard to see her go but I’m so thankful for what she’s done for me,” To said.
“I watched the Sale Day Live broadcast in my car, she’s just the most beautiful filly and deserved a price like that.
“She’s the best horse of my life and I’m very happy with the price, she deserved it and will be a great filly for her new owner now.’’
Kimochi will stay in training, but with which trainer has not been determined.
The Panthalassa Syndicate bought Pennyweka who has not raced since her 2023 Australian Oaks success for New Zealand trainer Jim Wallace. She, too, will be put back into work.
The Panthalassa Syndicate also bought Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed Frankel (Galileo) mare Steinem for $800,000.
Dual Group 1 winner and Japanese bred Panthalassa will stand his first season at Yulong in 2024 at a fee of $16,500 (inc GST).
Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch said the nine million dollar lots were the headline acts that the company had worked hard to acquire.
“We felt like we had a strong group of high-end mares. It just felt like a year where it was difficult to procure them for the sale for whatever reason,” Hutch said.
“The volume of them was fewer across the market as a whole, so we worked hard to try and secure as many as we could.
“Those mares sold really well tonight and we are pleased with how it worked out. One of the vendors, a particularly hard taskmaster, said to me after their mare had sold that ‘Inglis has done a really good job’ and I took that as a massive compliment because he’s very quick to point out when he feels we haven’t.”
Below that top-end, Hutch admitted it wasn’t as straightforward as he would have liked.
“Certainly early on, it was evident that there was disparity between the expectations of buyers and vendors,” he said.
“Obviously one of the challenges of offering a boutique group of mares that vendors have a high regard for, you’re trying to strike a balance between what vendors think they’re worth and what buyers think they’re worth.
“For one reason or another we probably didn’t get that quite right early in the sale and that’s something for us to work on going forward.
“But as the sale wore on, it had a good feel to it and ultimately we’ve sold a number of mares post sale and we’ll continue to do it [on Friday].”
The Australian Broodmare Sale will be conducted on Friday, starting at 11am.