Well-bred Gooree colt by Shalaa comes up trumps at National Yearling Sale
Agents combine to land son of Shalaa for $360,000 at competitive Gold Coast auction
The half-brother to Group 1-winning sire Hallowed Crown (Street Sense) by Arrowfield Stud’s shuttler Shalaa (Invincible Spirit), the last lot to be offered in Book 1 of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, last night sold for $360,000 to put an exclamation mark on another show of the industry’s ability to defy wider economic factors.
The supplementary entry, the highlight of the unreserved dispersal of the late Eduardo Cojuangco’s bloodstock interests, was purchased by Andrew Williams Bloodstock on behalf of a client of Victorian trainer Matt Laurie who relied on the Sydney agent’s evaluation of the colt before committing to purchasing him.
Also a half-brother to the now Aquis Farm-based stallion Needs Further (Encosta De Lago) as well as Twin Hills’ Hallowed Crown, the colt is the tenth living foal out of Crowned Glory (Danehill), the Group 3 winner who was narrowly beaten in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Williams, bidding from the back of the Magic Millions auditorium for Laurie and fellow agent Justin Bahen, was in no doubt that the colt deserves to lead the Magic Millions National Sale honour roll.
“He’s got a stallion’s pedigree. He’s a horse who is a half-brother to Golden Rose-Randwick Guineas horse (Hallowed Crown) who is also from the family of Zabeel and we thought he might be a three-year-old style of horse,” he said.
“However, given he’s a Shalaa, he has a bit of Invincible Spirit blood there as well and, first and foremost, I thought he was a ripping sort with lovely size and scope and comes from one of the great nurseries in Australia.”
Williams is a fan of the Shalaas who have sold strongly at the southern hemisphere yearling sales this year.
He said: “This is the first horse (I’ve bought for Laurie) but because of Covid reasons he was stuck and couldn’t get up here, so he relied on my fantastic videoing and pictures. Matty’s over the moon.
“He’s definitely an Easter style of colt, so God knows what he could have made at that level and we put him in that bracket, so it’s great to secure a style of horse like him.
“He’s going to go straight down to (Laurie’s) and go through orientation and learn a bit more in new surroundings and go from there.”
Gooree Park group of companies business manager Jeanette Tioseco believes Cojuangco would have been pleased to see such strong competition on the Gooree-bred horses at yesterday’s sale.
“(Mr Cojuangco) has always made an impression… he has always emphasised the quest for excellence, so am sure he would have been very happy with that result,” Tioseco said.
“The family will continue his legacy of breeding good-quality, strong horses. I must admit, I had to make sure that the horses go to good quality farms. I think he would be happy.
“The farm remains in the family and we still have a few broodmares and racehorses as well weanlings which hopefully some will be sold here (at Magic Millions) in January.”
Colourful Snitzel filly joins Legend brigade
A Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) filly, the last foal out of champion South African mare National Colour (National Assembly), was also hotly contested before making $300,000 in a bittersweet moment for her breeders which brought to an end their association with a highly successful family.
On a day where buyers gravitated towards the better-credentialed new season two-year-olds in which vendors were prepared to meet the market to achieve a clearance rate of 75 per cent, there were 37 six-figure lots at an average of $53,866, it was prominent Hong Kong-based owner Bon Ho who made a splash on the Gold Coast via the phone, continuing his large-scale investment in young stock this year.
Under the banner of Legend Racing, Ho bought the two highest-priced yearlings yesterday, the session-topping Snitzel filly and a $270,000 son of Dundeel (High Chaparral), who were both consigned by Arrowfield Stud.
Ho was also a big-spender at the Magic Millions in January, buying yearlings up to $650,000, and at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale he purchased nine horses for a total of $4.35 million including the So You Think (High Chaparral) half-brother to his star sprinter Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) for $1.1 million.
The Snitzel filly hails from one of the most potent South African families of recent years, being a three-quarter sister to South African Grade 1 winners Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) and Mustaaqeem (Redoute’s Choice).
She was catalogued as Lot 1276 by Arrowfield Stud who has nurtured the family of South Africa’s 2005-06 champion older female sprinter National Colour who died in November 2018.
Arrowfield Stud bloodstock manager Jon Freyer admitted that it was a difficult decision for the breeders to part with the filly.
“She is owned by Klawervlei Stud in South Africa who are friends and partners of ours in a number of mares and National Colour was a great race mare for them. She was a champion in South Africa and she competed really well at Group 1 level in England and she’s done an amazing job at stud,” Freyer told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“She’s had two Group 1-winning colts who were both bought by Angus Gold for Sheikh Hamdan, and Rafeef had his first yearlings go through the sale only a few days ago (in South Africa) and everyone was super impressed with those.
“Having a filly out of that mare I think will be a great investment by Bon Ho for many years to come.”
The well-credentialed Snitzel filly was entered for the Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April, but was withdrawn by Arrowfield Stud after the auction house initially moved to an online selling format due to government restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Freyer said: “(Klawervlei Stud) were quite reluctant to put her through given she’s the last chance to retain some of the family but with Covid and the way things are in South Africa, they were reluctantly forced to meet the market and sell her.
“She’s a grand filly with great quality and balance. She’s got lovely depth to her. She’ll be a star two-year-old, I think.”
At the time of National Colour’s death, Klawervlei Stud’s John Koster paid tribute to the grey mare.
“It’s very sad news for us. National Colour was a beacon of hope and excellence for Chris and Erich van Niekerk, Sean Tarry and Klawervlei,” Koster said.
“We mourn her passing and we celebrate her brilliance as a racehorse and broodmare. May she gallop freely in the greenest pastures, into eternity.”
The second purchase by Ho was another new season two-year-old offered by Arrowfield Stud by the farm’s exciting stallion Dundeel from the family of Group 1 winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock) and Group 2 winner Omei Sword (High Chaparral).
Also a withdrawal from the Easter auction, the colt is the second foal out of the winning Aspen Summit (Fastnet Rock) whose first foal, the three-year-old Solar Apex (Deep Impact), ran on strongly to finish third on debut at Gosford on July 25 for trainer Chris Waller. Consigned by Arrowfield Stud, he was catalogued as Lot 1402.
Ho’s decision to buy at the National sale continues the strong international investment by a number of parties at the Gold Coast auction which saw Coolmore and Yulong figure at the top of the broodmare market last week.
“Bon Ho has obviously been a great client to us this year,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
“He has a liking to the sale here and a liking to the product we are selling, he is buying the right type of horse at the right end of the market and we wish him the best of luck with them.”
The figures achieved at the Book 1 sale once again surprised many vendors and not least Bowditch after 191 yearlings changed hands.
“We are seriously pleased with how today went, given what is going on in the world and it’s the last yearling sale of the season and obviously not being able to have any internationals here on the ground or Victorians or Sydney people, it was mission impossible going into it,” he said.
“So, to pull it off and the fact it statistically matches up with (the 2019 sale) and a clearance rate that is up on last year and an average that is comparable and a higher median – it is a fantastic result.
“Full credit to the agents and the Magic Millions team, who have gone out and done their work on the catalogue and called a lot of people and engaged with a lot of people who were not able to attend. You could see today they were participating on a lot of horses, which was fantastic to see.
“You’ve only got to look at the results, there was a huge spread of buyers, no one dominated the market. Having the drafts of Baramul and Arrowfield as the headline act and it makes a good sale to market and we are coming out with great results for our vendors.”
Ho was the leading buyer while New Zealand agent Bevan Smith was also active, purchasing four horses for a total of $437,500.
Arrowfield Stud was the leading vendor, selling 15 yearlings (two-year-olds) for a total of $1.72 million.
“This is an important sale for the industry as it is the last shot to sell these horses as yearlings and for the buyers it is the last chance they have to buy horses that are eligible to compete on Magic Millions day,” Bowditch said.
“But for the vendors that have stuck by us and to come out the other side with a healthy market and kudos to them for meeting the market – they have been realistic and I am pleased to have found home for a lot of these horses.”
Neasham to train Baramul-bred I Am Invincible colt
Meanwhile, the training career of the Sydney-based Annabel Neasham also received a boost yesterday with the purchase of an I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) colt for $260,000.
Assistant trainer to Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Neasham last month revealed her intention to take out her on licence and train from a 40-box barn at Warwick Farm being leased by Aquis Farm at Warwick Farm.
The bidding was handled by Aquis Farm managing director Shane McGrath who signed for the Baramul Stud-bred and sold colt who was catalogued as Lot 1330.
“We’re going to give Annabel every opportunity and it’s obviously an exciting phase in her career and I think any trainer in the land would be delighted to see a colt like that by I Am Invincible arrive in the yard,” McGrath said.
“We’ll get him back into our system, get him broken in before he goes to Annabel who has done a tremendous job over the past couple of years.
“The mare herself Serious Speed was a high-class galloper and I Am Invincible is the best stallion she’s visited. He’s a lovely colt, he was well found and we’ve had a bit of luck buying off Baramul in the past.
“We bought Kumasi at the sales here last year and he’s a horse with Gerald Ryan we have high hopes for in the spring and we’re all indebted to Gerry Harvey for his contribution to the racing and breeding industry, so it’s lovely when you find a nice colt and you’re able to purchase him.”
The I Am Invincible colt is the seventh living foal out of MRC Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Serious Speed (Royal Academy), who has produced two winners.
Neasham will also train another Baramul Stud-bred and sold colt who made $150,000 yesterday after initially being passed in.
Catalogued as Lot 1410 , the colt is the fourth foal out of the six-time New Zealand winner Bellapin (Pins), herself a daughter of the Listed winner and Group 1-performed Dazzling Belle (Desert Sun) and a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Magic Dancer (Rip Van Winkle).
“To get two colts like this by I Am Invincible and Snitzel coming into my stable in my first year is the dream,” Neasham said.
“I am getting some good support from some great people, particularly from Aquis. But these horses will be syndicated. As a new trainer you hope to make a really strong start and I think you are judged in your first couple of years and it certainly helps if you’ve got well-bred stock in the stable. I have been so lucky to work for Ciaron with bluebloods in Sydney in the last couple of years and we have had great success.
“I have worked with a lot of Snitzels and Vinnies and there is a reason why they are doing so well, they have got great temperaments and they are very trainable and you can’t really go wrong buying them, particularly if they are out of good mares, like these both are.”
Schweida takes shine to son of Shalaa
Successful Brisbane trainer Kelly Schweida was happy to take heed of the advice from leading breakers about the prospects of Shalaa by securing a colt by the shuttler on day one of the National Yearling Sale for $240,000.
“I tried to buy some in January and they were too dear. There’s been good raps from the breakers about them and he is a nice horse,” said Schweida who bought four lots yesterday.
“The owner who bought him will take him along slowly and we will see how he goes.”
Offered by Valiant Stud on behalf of Fitzwood Pty Ltd, he is a half-sister to two winners and the fourth foal out of Lonoree (Lonhro), a half-sister to Listed winner Fleet (Dehere) and Negotiate (Red Ransom), herself the dam of Group 1-winning sprinter Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt).
Also yesterday, a colt by Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado), the sire of this year’s Hong Kong Derby (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Golden Sixty, will head to the Asian racing hub after being secured for $230,000 early in the session. The colt was bought by Cheung Shun Ching.
Consigned by KBL Thoroughbreds as Lot 1220 , the colt is the third foal out of the unraced Isstoora (High Chaparral), a half-sister to the stakes-placed Mujaan (Fastnet Rock). He was an $80,000 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale by Victoria Peak Bloodstock from the Kitchwin Hills draft.
The final National sale session starts at 10am today with the Book 2 yearlings followed by the Gooree and racehorse auctions which features a strong draft from Godolphin.
Sale results
2020 2019
Catalogued 293 384
Offered 254 278
Sold 191 (75%) 239 (69%)
Aggregate $10,288,500 $12,561,000
Average $53,866 $52,556
Median $36,000 $30,000
Top Lot $360,000 $850,000