3 minute read
Lime Country Thoroughbreds were celebrating again, after they sold a son of More Than Ready for $900,000.
Twenty-four hours after selling their most expensive yearling, Lime Country Thoroughbreds were celebrating again, after they sold a son of former Vinery Stud shuttler More Than Ready (Southern Halo) for $900,000 beating their previous record set by the American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) they sold to Coolmore on Wednesday for $850,000.
Lime Country's Jo Griffin said she was not surprised to see the colt, who was offered as Lot 453 realise that amount, rating him one of the best movers in her draft.
"He was one of the best movers in the draft," said Griffin. "Not just a big overstep but just rolled his whole body along so people like Spendthrift and James Harron, who love those good moving horses, they were all probably on him right from the beginning."
Griffin said showed similarities to his sister La Girl (Not A Single Doubt), who finished fourth in the Ottawa Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) in November.
"He looks so much like his sister who was Group-placed before December last year and he has just been a really easy horse to have in the draft. Just rock solid and an impressive individual."
Spendthrift's Garry Cuddy was looking to the long term with the colt, hoping he can prove himself on the racetrack and stand at both Spendthrift Australia and America.
"I think to us, he was the best More Than Ready on the complex and if all goes to plan on the race track, we've got a horse that we can stand in both hemispheres," said Cuddy.
"It's a nice big family underneath the first dam. He looks a lot like a General Nediym, so if we can get a bit of the General Nediym speed, mixed with the More Than Ready, it will give him opportunity here."
Cuddy said he was a physically impressive colt and rated him one of the best More Than Ready's he had ever seen.
"He's the best More Than Ready I have seen ever. More Than Ready gets a good type but this guy had a big engine, a big lovely shoulder on him and he just walked out of his box every day and never turned a wrong foot. We are just happy to have him in the stable."
Earlier in the day, Spendthrift Farm put their faith in David Redvers and Hannah Wall's Redwall Bloodstock for the second time in as many years when they paid Widden Stud $650,000 for a filly by Darley's first season sire Frosted (Tapit).
Lot 301 is a half-sister to Anthony Freedman's champion multiple Group 1-winning sprinter Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega) and she was purchased by Redwall for $300,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale in May.
The Victorian operation purchased a Zoustar (Northern Meteor) colt from Widden Stud at last year's corresponding sale for $900,000 with Redwall having picked up the colt for $310,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale in 2018.
Wall said she had been looking forward to selling the filly since she bought her last year and was delighted with the way she was received yesterday.
"We are delighted," said Wall. "She was the one I was looking forward to all year since we bought her here last May. We were very impressed with the way she behaved all week and the final result.
"It was a slight gamble as Frosted is an unproven stallion, but we ultimately felt that she was such a good physical as a weanling and given that she is half to a champion sprinter. So as a type, on pedigree and the fact she is a filly there was always going to residual value there anyway. We were pretty strong on her as foal, so we all knew that it just had to come together here this week," she said.
"She had been well received all week and the team at Widden had done a brilliant job with her, so everything went as planned but still never really know who is going to turn up on the day. Spendthrift has been incredibly supportive of Redwall and we are grateful for their support and we will keep trying to find a few more weanlings to sell to them each year."
Spendthrift have an operation in America and Garry Cuddy, managing director of it's Australian arm, said that, being by super-fast American sprinter Frosted, she fitted the stud's profile.
"I would be happy if she is a quarter as good as Santa Ana Lane," said Cuddy. "He is one of the world's best sprinters at the moment and being by Frosted she suits our operation being an American sire and we are happy to get her into the stable.
"We have been talking about Frosted for the past few days and we actually bought two in the northern hemisphere and we've added this filly in the southern hemisphere.
"We're going to have to buy another pinhook off Redwall. They've done a great job and she is a lovely filly who is full of quality."
Cuddy did not rule out sending the filly to America in the future: "It's hard to say [but her pedigree] keeps both doors open. We have the operation here and the operation in America and buying fillies who have the appeal in both hemispheres is on our radar.
"If we are lucky enough to be good enough to go up there or stay here I guess we'll cross that bridge when it happens."
Cuddy also gave a positive bulletin about the Zoustar colt they purchased last year: "He's a lovely colt. He was broken in and everything's gone to plan with him so far and he is trained by Hawkes' and they are happy with the way he is progressing.
"I think we did the opposite to what Vin (Cox, Godolphin) did yesterday. There was a Not A Single Doubt filly yesterday that he went strong on and he beat us and we've got the Frosted filly that he chimed away on early as well. It's good, healthy competition as you saw from the bidding."
Spendthrift also took home a Star Witness (Starcraft) half-sister to Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War), paying Widden Stud $320,000 for the filly.
