Ridgmont out to kick a goal with Annavisto
Earlier, high-class sprinter-miler Annavisto (Reliable Man) was purchased by Ridgmont Farm for $850,000 and the stud’s agent Jim Clarke hopes the multiple stakes winner remains at the Hunter Valley property for the next two decades.
Sold in-foal to Swettenham Stud’s banner stallion Toronado (High Chaparral) for $850,000, the former Mick Price and Mick Kent Jnr-trained mare won seven races, three of them at stakes level and was runner-up in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), before being retired to stud.
Clarke suggested that the fact the Widden Stud-consigned Annavisto was effective from 1200 metres to 1600 metres as opposed to staying distances that her sire Reliable Man (Dalakhani) can be renowned for producing also added to her commercial appeal as was the Toronado mating.
“I think it’s a really good mating for her physically,” Clarke said of Toronado, who will again stand at a fee of $88,000 (inc GST) this year.
“He’s a really good stallion, he’s got very good horses in this part of the world, he’s finding very good favour in Hong Kong as well, so I think it’s a really good, proven stallion to kick off her breeding career and certainly one of the things that made us go for one last bid at the end.
“She’s got a very versatile pedigree in terms of what we breed her to. We’ll just get her home and put her in the mix and see where she fits in with the rest of the mares, but she’ll be mated commercially to one of the leading stallions.”
Raced by Bill Frost along with a group of Essendon Australian Rules footballers including Brownlow Medallist Jobe Watson, Cale Hooker and Tom Bellchambers, Annavisto was initially bought privately by agent Phill Cataldo after winning a barrier trial at Te Teko in New Zealand as an unraced two-year-old for trainer Tony Pike in February 2020. She went on to bank $800,000 for her owners.
After two days of selling, almost $76 million has changed hands at an average of $234,735, which is a half per cent more on 2023, while the median was $100,000, down $10,000 on last year. The clearance sat at 81 per cent.
“There is obviously an eye for quality out there for the right product. I think vendors in most cases are being realistic and willing to put them on the market at value,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
“I think the market found a good level today [Wednesday]. There was enough confidence out there and if a mare that walked in that had strong appeal, people were prepared to buy it.
“These mares are in-foal to particularly good stallions and they’re on their way. They are willing to foal them down and trade away.”
The final National Broodmare Sale session starts at 10am on Thursday.