Star Savabeel colt reigns supreme on day two at Karaka
A colt by the country’s premier stallion from one of Australia’s best current female families lived up to the hype to top yesterday’s second session of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale after Te Akau’s David Ellis went to NZ$875,000 for the son of Savabeel (Zabeel).
The blueblood colt from the family of dual hemisphere Group 1-winning stallion Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) headed a competitive day two market where six yearlings made NZ$500,000 or more, following on from a solid opening day’s trade where two colts, by Pierro (Lonhro) and Savabeel, made NZ$900,000 and NZ$800,000 respectively.
A patriotic Ellis, whose success with the progeny of Savabeel is unrivalled, was rapt to secure the colt to ensure he remained in New Zealand.
“I was hoping I would get him for $750,000 but these really top colts have a lot of good judges on them so sometimes you have to pay a bit more for them,” he said.
“If he is a really top colt, like I hope he is, then he is going to be cheap, otherwise if he is no good then he’s going to be very expensive.
“We thought he was a magnificent individual and Jamie (Richards) is so excited to have him to train.
“It’s been a very successful couple of days for Te Akau and we’re just delighted to have secured so many nice horses.
“It’s pretty exciting to have this sort of quality and I want them for both Te Akau and for New Zealand racing as I want them to stand at New Zealand studs.
“If we are going to take this wonderful industry to the next level then we need them. The only avenue we have is to buy them at the sales as if they become top performers, they are worth 10, 20, 40 million and out of our reach.”
Sydney trainer John O’Shea and prominent Australian owner Ron Finemore were underbidders after also missing out on a Lonhro (Octagonal) colt earlier in the day who made NZ$675,000.
Consigned by Windsor Park Stud as Lot 454, the colt is out of Bayrock (Fastnet Rock) who is a sister to Coolmore sire Merchant Navy and Group 2 winner Jolie Bay as well as the stakes-placed Zara Bay.
They are in turn are out of Legally Bay (Snippets) who herself is out of two-time-winning mare Decidity (Last Tycoon), making her a half-sibling to Myer Classic (registered as Empire Rose Stakes) (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Bonaria (Redoute’s Choice) and Group 3 winner Time Out (Rory’s Jester).
Decidity also produced four-time winner Chatoyant (Flying Spur), who is herself the dam of Group 3-winning duo Tessera (Medaglia d’Oro) and Montsegur (New Approach).
Windsor Park Stud’s Rodney Schick said Bayrock had proven to be a tremendous investment after being bought in Australia in 2015.
“We bought Bayrock at the Sydney Easter Broodmare Sale with the help of Michael Wallace, who inspected her for us, for AU$140,000 and within a month Merchant Navy came out and won a Listed race, then went on with it and the rest is history,” Schick said.
“The colt has a stallion’s pedigree now. We sold the sister (at Magic Millions) a year ago for AU$825,000 and now this.”
A Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) half-sister, who has since died, sold for AU$300,000 on the Gold Coast in 2018.
Schick added: “What a great sire Savabeel has been for New Zealand and for the sale again this year. It is really such a great result for us.”
I Am Invincible colt leads way in amazing start for Trelawney
Another day two sales ring star by an Australian stallion was an I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) colt who is also headed to the Te Akau stable of Richards, New Zealand’s leading trainer this season.
The Trelawney Stud-bred and sold colt was signed for by Te Akau principal David Ellis who won the bidding battle at NZ$625,000 for the “precocious” colt by arguably Australasia’s most commercial stallion.
Ellis was confident that the colt, who is by the same sire as the stable’s unbeaten three-year-old filly Festivity, could be one of Te Akau’s leading prospects for an unprecedented fifth straight Karaka Million 2YO (RL, 1200m).
“He is a really precocious colt, a lot of class, a lot of strength and beautifully balanced,” Ellis said.
“We just loved him the moment we saw him and he just ticks all the boxes. You can see when they come to the sale whether they are enjoying it, whether they want to be part of it, whether they are coping with leaving home for the first time.
“They are like teenagers when they go flatting for the first time, some take a while to get used to it while some people excel in it.”
Ellis said the Te Akau buying team had worked hard in the lead-up to the Karaka sale, with Joe Walls, Richards and Singapore-based Mark Walker as well as Waikato Equine veterinarian Doug Black playing an integral role in the selection process.
“He is a beautiful colt and Mark Pilkington was the underbidder, who I regard as one of the best judges in the world, so it was great that such a great eye saw the same as what we did,” he said.
“He was bred by one of our great nurseries of all time and some of the best horses New Zealand has ever produced have come off that farm.
“Brent and Cherry Taylor are taking it to another level. They are just unbelievable operators and really good supporters of Te Akau Racing so it was nice to be able to buy such a nice colt off them.”
Catalogued as Lot 247, the colt is the second foal out of the four-time winner Sancerre (O’Reilly) whose second dam is the Trelawney Stud-bred Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Vouvray (Zabeel). Sancerre is also a half-sister to Champalou (Encosta De Lago), the dam of Calaway Gal Stakes (Listed, 1110m) winning juvenile Champ Elect (Choisir).
Trelawney’s Brent Taylor said: “He is a ripping colt who has taken the pressure of the sale well.
“He is a beautiful moving horse, and I would like to think he will be up on our stallion wall in the future.”
Studs show interest in Cool Aza Beel
While Ellis is unsure as to whether the I Am Invincible colt will be a member of his 2020 colts syndicate, Saturday’s Karaka Million 2YO winner Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel) could find a home a stud in the near future.
The Te Akau principal yesterday revealed that studmasters had already signalled their interest in the son of New Zealand’s champion stallion who made it three wins from four starts with his Ellerslie success.
“We’ve already had studs express interest in Cool Aza Beel and some pretty good studs as well,” he said.
“He should be unbeaten and he has a really big future ahead of him. He will run next in the Waikato Stud Slipper at Matamata then in both of our Group 1s.
“He will then probably go to Australia and we will possibly look at the Group 1 (J J Atkins Plate) in Brisbane with him, a race we previously won with Darci Brahma.”
NZ$500,000 Tivaci colt heading to Australia
Trelawney Stud enjoyed a brilliant first half hour on day two, with the Taylors also selling a colt by Waikato Stud’s exciting first season stallion Tivaci (High Chaparral) to Bruce Perry for NZ$500,000.
The agent was acting for a syndicate of New Zealand investors who are racing a number of colts in Australia that include the Listed-winning three-year-old Banquo (Written Tycoon).
He admitted that “I didn’t think I’d get him. I was tapped out”.
“He’s part of a colts’ partnership we have put together with Lib Petagna, Waikato Stud, James Chapman (of Jamieson Park), Jomara Bloodstock, Greg Clarke and Dave and Mickey Wilson,” Perry said.
“We bought a couple at the Gold Coast, an I Am Invincible colt and a Lonhro colt, and this one was a horse we wanted. Lib was in Tivaci and I was the under-bidder on him when he was a yearling.
“I love the Tivacis and this is just a beautiful horse. We’ll get him broken in here and he’ll eventually go to Australia.”
Offered as Lot 241, the colt is a half-brother to Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Grunt (O’Reilly) and the stakes-placed Addison (Jimmy Choux).
Grunt is the foundation stallion for Yulong in Victoria while the dam Ruqqaya (Van Nistelrooy) is a half-sister to Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Ocean Park (Thorn Park) who is an emerging stallion for Waikato Stud.
Taylor was far from surprised that buyers had put the colt on their short lists.
“We were very excited about the prospect of selling that horse,” he said. “It is a family we have had a bit to do with over the years.
“We loved Sayyida (granddam) when she was racing and we are really happy that she expressed her ability through Ocean Park and Grunt.
“I thought this horse from day one was an outstanding colt. He has taken the pressure of the prep and the sale very well. I just loved him and thought he was a great opportunity for Bruce and his partners.”
Trelawney Stud’s stunning 30 minutes included the sale of an Ocean Park filly for NZ$450,000 two lots after selling the Tivaci colt and the farm’s success was “no accident”, according to Taylor.
“If you look at the pedigrees of all three lots in our hectic half hour, we have been involved with their dams and granddams, on the track first, then at the farm,” he said.
“We have bought some quality mares, like Vouvray, and now we are breeding from their daughters. Ruqqaya and Ruud Van Slaats are both by Van Nistelrooy who is proving to be a top broodmare sire.
“The terrific run we have had recently on the track is carrying over to the sale ring. I call it an overnight success that has only taken 23 years.”
Trelawney Stud is a shareholder in Tivaci while they also target proven stallions in Australia for their broodmare band.
“We have great associations with studs and trainers, but it is nice to see our long-term goals, which included going out on our own, focusing on quality performers and bloodlines and then concentrating on the best stallions we can afford, is paying off,” he said.
Meanwhile, Perry said the Danny O’Brien-trained Banquo would have his next start in the MRC Autumn Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) on February 8 after resuming with a third-placed effort behind Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) at Flemington on January 18.
“He ran a good race first-up, but everything went wrong and went sideways halfway down the straight and after that he proceeded to hang out,” a matter-of-fact Perry said.
“We’ll go around a corner next time and hopefully go a lot better. He’ll go to the Autumn Stakes and then hopefully onto the Australian Guineas.”
The colts syndicate also has horses in training with Kris Lees and John O’Shea.
Coolmore take shine to Lonhro colt
A concerted effort by Coolmore to target colts that they deem to have the qualities to be stallions if they can deliver on the racecourse stepped up another level at Karaka yesterday with the addition of a NZ$675,000 son of Lonhro (Octagonal).
“This is a beautiful colt by Lonhro and one of the best Lonhros you could see,” Coolmore consultant James Bester said.
“His mother still holds the track record for a mile at Moonee Valley. We think he is a quality animal and a late season two-year-old, possibly the Golden Rose or Guineas type.
“He is a Kementari type of Lonhro – he is a special horse and I haven’t seen a Lonhro for a while with this much quality.
“He has an awesome head, is an awesome mover – just a beautiful animal with what seemed to be a beautiful temperament throughout as well.
“We are thrilled to have got him.”
Coolmore held off O’Shea to land the colt, while Godolphin also showed interest in the son of its resident stallion.
Catalogued as Lot 342 and consigned by Cambridge Stud, the colt is the first foal out of the former David Brideoake-trained MVRC Alexandra Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Thames Court (Commands) who in turn is a daughter of Western Australia Listed winner Pantenny (Canny Lad).
The high-priced score for Coolmore comes after they bought into an American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) colt on Sunday that made NZ$575,000 to the bid of Guy Mulcaster.
Coolmore also bought nine yearlings at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for a combined AU$5.93 million.
Bester said there was no question Coolmore’s decision to step up its market activity was a strategic move.
“Colts are the holy grail. If you hit the right colt and get the stallion prospect you’ve done well,” he said.
“You will notice this year there has been an emphasis on finding the best colts we can. We thought the American Pharoah yesterday from Pencarrow and this Lonhro were the best colts on the complex.
“We also tried on the (NZ$900,000) Pierro yesterday, but were blown out of the water. We are targeting that kind of animal.”
Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre said the NZ$675,000 price tag was “way beyond our expectations”.
“He was quite a small, backward foal, but he has done very well in prep,” Plumptre said.
“He’s kept improving all the time and I think that what probably grabbed James Bester, who was the one that picked him out, was that he loves athletic horses and he’s a beautifully athletic colt.
“He never took a backward step this week.”
Brideoake sold Thames Court to Lindsay with the pair previously experiencing success at the highest level on the track and at auction.
“They also had another mare (Group 1 winner Griante) who had a Redoute’s Choice that made NZ$800,000 here last year, so the relationship between David and Brendan is very strong,” Plumptre said.
“He hasn’t sold us a dud yet.”
The industry impact that Coolmore has on Australasia cannot be underestimated, according to Plumptre.
“He has gone to a great home and (Coolmore) are massive supporters of the market both here and in Australia,” he said.
“We’re hoping that he wins a Group 1 for them.”
Catwalk Trust charity filly fetches NZ$200,000
A Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) filly, born out of the generosity of some of the biggest investors in Australasian racing, was yesterday bought by Cambridge Stud’s Brendan and Jo Lindsay for NZ$200,000.
The proceeds of the sale will be donated to the spinal cord injury research charity, the Catwalk Trust, after the filly was donated by Valachi Downs’ Kevin and Jo Hickman.
The Hickmans paid NZ$100,000 at a Catwalk Trust charity event for the Brazen Beau service fee, which was donated by Darley, that led to Lot 313 being bred.
“Jo and I are involved with CatWalk under the Lindsay Foundation, our charitable trust,” Brendan Lindsay said.
“It’s just such a magnificent charity that Catriona Williams has been behind. It’s such a terrible thing for people to have an accident and be confined to a wheelchair.”
The filly is the second foal out of the unraced Stepanova (Danehill Dancer), who was initially owned by the Lindsays.
“We owned the mother Stepanova, she couldn’t run an inch to save her life, but there is a bit of pedigree behind her,” Lindsay said.
“She will be out on our Karaka property tonight. We will put her into our system and hopefully we will get the best out of her.
“You never know what could happen, she just might get out there and win the Karaka Million, what a story that would be.”
Lindsay added: “Kevin Hickman is the one who needs the congratulations by putting the horse in and donating everything back and for New Zealand Bloodstock for not charging a commission.
“Everybody is a winner, let’s hope the horse is a winner.”
Lance Noble will train the filly.
Gareth Downey of Valachi Downs was also thrilled with the result.
“I think it is an amazing story of generosity and a great story to come out of our industry,” he said.
“The hearts of the people involved to contribute to the story are massive. It’s an amazing gesture on Kevin and Jo’s part to be donating the filly in the first place. They are philanthropic by nature.
“Catriona is in tears. It means so much to so many people and it’s a privilege for all of us that have been involved with the journey and to play a small part in it.
“There was a lot of heart in getting her here and there is a lot of appreciation for the outcome.”
Later in the session, the Lindsays went to NZ$400,000 for an Iffraaj (Zafonic) filly who is a daughter of the Listed winner Talaria (O’Reilly), herself a sister to Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) winner and Newgate Farm-bound entire Brutal.
She was consigned by Haunui Farm as Lot 337.
“We think that Iffraaj has got the best draft that he’s ever had here, particularly with fillies, and she would have been our pick of them,” Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre said.
“She has a lovely page with Brutal in the family and we loved her. We think she’s special, so we’re very lucky to get her.”
Hot competition on day two
After the second Book 1 session, the average was at NZ$150,456, an increase of 5.3 per cent year on year, and median was at NZ$120,000, the latter up NZ$20,000 at the same time in 2019.
The clearance rate was 78 per cent with one more Book 1 session to be held today.
“The Australians and Kiwis have undeniably made their presence felt – the stats speak for themselves in what has been a positive day for the New Zealand breeding industry,” NZB bloodstock sales manager Danny Rolston said.
“This is the strongest middle market we have seen for some time, for the median to be as strong as this is a great endorsement of our product and a welcome reward for the support shown to us by our vendors.”