3 minute read
Which headline sales acts made the cut?
We take a look at the most expensive horses from each sale in 2020 who made the cut for the early nominations for the Blue Diamond 2021.
Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Name: Plagiarized
Breeding: Colt - Exceed And Excel - Platelet (Strategic)
Buyer: Hawkes Racing
Vendor: Cressfield
Price: $1,800,000
While the Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) colt, which was purchased by Galletta Construction for a sale topping $1.9 million, is not among the early nominations for the first juvenile Group 1 on the calendar, the second highest-priced yearling bought by Hawkes Racing at the sale for $1.8 million - a colt by Darley stalwart Exceed And Excel (Danehill) does feature on the list. The youngster is the second foal out of dual Group 1-winning Strategic (Zeditave) mare Platelet, while further back this is family of Hockney (Quest For Fame) and Dalradian (Reward For Effort).
Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale
Breeding: Filly - Alpine Eagle - Must Be Mink (Musket)
Buyer: Robbie Griffiths
Vendor: Armidale Stud
Price: $95,000
This filly topped the Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale when purchased by trainer Robbie Griffiths for $95,000. From the first crop of Armidale Stud’s resident stallion Alpine Eagle (High Chaparral), she holds an early nomination for the Caulfield showpiece. The filly is out of four-time winning Musket (Redoute’s Choice) mare Must Be Mink, who is herself out of Listed winner Di’s Angel (Racer’s Edge) and from the extended family of stakes winners Western Scout (Gone West), Grand Cavalier (Flying Spur), Dark Choice (Redoute’s Choice) and Churchill Dancer (Churchill Downs).
Magic Millions Gold March Yearling Sale
Breeding: Filly - Pride Of Dubai - Fiery Dee (Fraar)
Buyer: Ontrack Thoroughbreds
Trainer: David Vandyke
Vendor: River Junction
Price: $170,000
The daughter of newly crowned champion first-season sire Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry) topped the Magic Millions Gold March Yearling Sale when purchased by Ontrack Thoroughbreds for $170,000 and then sent into training with David Vandyke and has been nominated for the Blue Diamond. The filly is out of the three time-winning Fraar (Topside) mare Fiery Dee, whose four winners include Group 1 and Group 2-placed gelding Looks Like A Cat (Husson). Fiery Dee herself is out of dual winner Biography (Rory’s Jester) who also produced Group 3 winner Silent Surround (Face Value), who in turn is the dam of Silent Command (Commands). Her third dam is Ma Vie (Sir Tristram) - the dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Station Hand (Rancher), while she is also the grandam of 2004 WATC Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Mr Sandgroper (Peintre Celebre) and Superior Star (Nothin' Leica Dane) who took out the Western Australian Oaks (Gr 2, 2400m) in 2003.
Magic Millions National Yearling Sale
Breeding: Filly - Snitzel - National Colour (National Assembly)
Buyer: Legend Racing
Trainer: John Sadler
Vendor: Arrowfield Stud
Price: $300,000
Purchased earlier in the month at the rescheduled Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, the filly by four-time champion sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) is the final foal out of late high-class producer National Colour (National Assembly) and was purchased Bon Ho’s Legend Racing for $300,000 and will be trained by John Sadler - who nominated her for the Blue Diamond. She is from one of the most famous families in South Africa, with her mother National Colour a dual Grade 1 winner in the country, while her two three-quarters brothers Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) and Mustaaqeem (Redoute’s Choice) also landed Grade 1s in the racing jurisdiction.
Inglis Premier Yearling Sale
Breeding: Colt - Snitzel - Jestajingle (Lonhro)
Buyer: Aquis Farm Pty Ltd / Ciaron Maher Racing
Trainer: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace
Vendor: Blue Gum Farm
Price: $725,000
The familiar buying strength of Aquis Farm and Ciaron Maher was on show at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in March and they paid leading vendors Blue Gum Farm a sale-topping $725,000 for this son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice). The colt is one of an extraordinary 108 nominations for the Blue Diamond for Maher and Eustace, who won their first Victorian championship last season. The colt is out of two time-winning Lonhro (Octagonal) mare Jestajingle making him a three-quarters brother to Group 3 winner Jukebox (Snitzel) who stands at Aquis’ Hunter Valley base and was also trained by Maher and Eustace. Jestajingle and Jukebox are out of Listed winner Jestatune (Rory’s Jester), who is herself a half-sister to Group 1 winner Ihtsahymn (Ihtiram).
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
Breeding: Colt - Snitzel - First Seal (Fastnet Rock)
Buyer: Coolmore
Vendor: Sledmere Stud
Price: $1,800,000
On paper the Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) colt out of champion racemare First Seal (Fastnet Rock) looked one of the highlight lots of the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and he certainly did not disappoint, selling to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for sale-topping $1.8 million in April and he understandably features on the list of early nominations for the Blue Diamond. First Seal won the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) - one of three victories in which she finished ahead of subsequent champion mare Winx (Street Cry). She retired the winner of six of her 21 starts, a CV that also included finishing runner-up at elite level on four occasions, which saw her accumulate $1,259,060 in career prize-money. The colt is the first foal out of the daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill), who is herself out of Group 1 winner Episode (Scenic) making her a three-quarter-sister to Group 2 winner Book Of Kells (Rock Of Gibraltar), while she is also a half-sister to the dam of Group 3 winner Teleplay (Written Tycoon).
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale - Round 2
Breeding: Colt - I Am Invincible - Miss Atom Bomb (Encosta De Lago)
Buyer: Gerald Ryan and David Raphael
Trainer: Gerald Ryan
Vendor: Bhima Thoroughbreds
Price: $700,000
The colt out of Yarraman Park’s star stallion I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) was the headline act of Round 2 of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when he was purchased for by trainer Gerald Ryan and David Raphael for $700,000 and he features among the early nominations for the Group 1. The colt is out of the unraced Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Miss Atom Bomb, who is herself a half-sister to champion Winx and Group 3 winner El Divino (Snitzel), with the trio all being out of Listed scorer Vegas Showgirl (Al Akbar).
New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale - Book 1
Name: Postulate
Breeding: Colt - Pierro - Our Squeezer (Redoute’s Choice)
Buyer: Hiwi Lodge
Trainer: Hawkes Racing
Vendor: Westbury Stud
Price: NZ$900,000
Another sale-topper nominated for the Group 1 is the son of Pierro (Lonhro) who made NZ$900,000 at the Karaka Sale earlier in the year. The colt is bred on one of the most successful crosses in the stud book - being out of a Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare, which was produced nine stakes winners, headlined by three Group 1 winners. He is out of Our Squeezer, who is herself a half-sister to three-time Group 1 winner Bonneval (Makfi), Group 2 winner Lord Arthur (Camelot) and Group 3-winning trio Imposing Lass (Makfi), Full Of Spirit (Flying Spur) and Lady Cumquat (Duke Of Marmalade).
