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Nine-time Group One winning daughter of Fastnet Rock sets world record
Te Akau Racing's nine-time Group One winner Avantage (Fastnet Rock) set a new world online record when bought by Tom Magnier for NZ$4.1 million on Gavelhouse Plus on Wednesday.
Avantage will be covered by Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), who has shuttled to Coolmore Australia for the first time this year, and the daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) becomes the third most expensive mare to sell in the Southern Hemisphere behind Milanova (Danehill); who was bought for $5 million by Coolmore Australia at the 2008 Inglis Australian Breeding Stock Sale and Sunlight (Zoustar); who was also bought by Tom Magnier, for $4.2 million at last year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Avantage was bought for NZ$210,000 by David Ellis at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale and went on to win 16 times and place in a further eight of her 28 career starts for trainer Jamie Richards and owners the Te Akau Avantage Syndicate, earning just over $2 million in prize money.
"Congratulations to David Ellis, Jamie Richards and the connections of this wonderful mare for what they have achieved with her on the track," Coolmore Australia Principal Tom Magnier said.
"We love Fastnet Rock mares, and she has won more Group One races than any of them. He is making his presence felt as a broodmares sire throughout the world, and she is one of his best daughters.
"A mare like her needs to go to an elite stallion and thankfully there are a plethora of options for her here at Coolmore, so the likes of Wootton Bassett, Pierro and Justify will be considered. We look forward to welcoming Avantage back to the farm where she was raised and grazed."
Avantage is one of 179 stakes winners and one of 41 Group One winners for Fastnet Rock and she has won more Group Ones than any of his other progeny. As a broodmare sire, Fastnet Rock has sired 46 stakes winners to date with three of those winning at Group One level in Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega), Gytrash (Lope De Vega) and Tivaci (High Chaparral).
David Ellis said that the sale of Avantage had made him a proud New Zealander.
"I believe in supporting New Zealand companies and am a very proud New Zealander tonight," Ellis said.
"From the day Joe Walls and Andrew Seabrook came to me with the gavelhouse.com concept I've been supportive of it and it's great to see a New Zealand company has broken the record.
"I've been very impressed with the way she was marketed to the world at such short notice and it was great to see how much work Andrew and the NZB agents put in, alongside Haylie Martin and her team to get such a result.
"Te Akau and Coolmore have had a fantastic association for a long time and it's wonderful Avantage is heading back to where she was conceived and born, you can see why the Magnier family are the best in the world at what they do, they have fantastic stallions and buy the best mares out there."
Gavelhouse's general manager Haylie Martin thanked David Ellis an Te Akau for entrusting them with the sale of the daughter of Fastnet Rock.
"First and foremost a massive thank you to David Ellis and the team at Te Akau for showing their full confidence in our site by entrusting us with the marketing and sale of one of the world's most sought after mares," Martin said.
"We also thank Tom Magnier and Coolmore for their support and all of the underbidders.
"This just shows what we can achieve with a bit of Kiwi ingenuity and teamwork in little old New Zealand, this is certainly a proud moment for the domestic industry."
Congratulations to David Ellis @TeAkauRacing, Jamie Richards and the owners of Avantage for all of her remarkable achievements. We look forward to welcoming her back to the farm where she was raised and grazed, where there are a number of suitable stallions available to her. pic.twitter.com/X5d5ljix8E
— Coolmore Australia (@CoolmoreAus) September 22, 2021
