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Two yearlings secured on first day of Premier

Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock was stocking up on yearlings for the Hong Kong Jockey Club at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale on Sunday, leaving the complex on the first day of the sale with two yearlings bound for Hong Kong, with the headline act a colt by former Darley shuttler Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado). 

After a spirited bidding battle, the gavel eventually fell in Rounsefell’s favour with the agent outlying $460,000 to secure the youngster from the Vinery Stud draft. 

Rounsefell said he was confident the colt would develop into a good three-year-old and was buoyed by the exceptional record of the sire, who has sired 138 stakes winners worldwide, including Golden Sixty in Hong Kong. 

“This colt is a lovely athletic type, he’s a little immature but has an abundance of quality, is a great mover and will develop into a beautiful three-year-old,” said Rounsefell. “His dam has consistently thrown talented, sound racehorses that improve with time - that’s the profile we want for Hong Kong.

“The current yearlings are from the final Southern Hemisphere crop of Medaglia d’Oro. He is the sire of Golden Sixty, who is one of the top horses currently racing in Hong Kong, as well as current Australian three-year-olds Chenier and Flit. 

Rounsefell also said buying off Vinery Stud gave him further confidence, given the record the farm has with their graduates. 

“It’s important to me what farm a horse comes from and Vinery have a graduates record that is exceptional, which gives me a lot of confidence.”

Catalogued as Lot 45 the colt is out of the unraced Choisir (Danehill Dancer) mare Base Paradise making him a half-brother to South African Grade 2 winner Brazuca (Teofilo) and Listed winner Mr Utopia (Elusive Quality). 

Further back this is family of Group 2 winner Catnipped (Rory’s Jester), who is in turn a half-sister to Finishing School (Royal Academy) - the dam of Group 3-winning pair Prom Queen (Super Easy) and Swiss Rose (Thorn Park). 

Catnipped also counts Listed winner Miss Prospect (Rory's Jester) - the dam of 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner and now sire Reward For Effort (Exceed And Excel) - among her siblings. 

Peter Orton was very pleased with the result and said the colt had a lot of admirers during the inspections.

“He was a lovely colt and he was ideal for the Hong Kong market,” said Orton. “Melbourne is a sale that likes good types and when we target the sale they have to be nice types and look like good racehorses. It was a good way to start. 

“Our expectations were well below that, but we had a few people and the Asian market really took to the horse, it can happen at an auction that it makes significantly more than you hoped.”

Earlier in the day, Rounsefell also made a play for a colt by Teofilo (Galileo) eventually paying Rosemont Stud $330,000 for the youngster. 

Catalogued as Lot 4, the colt is out of the unraced half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Sacred Star (Flying Spur). Further afield this is the same family as Group 1 winner Diademe (Savabeel) and New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Embellish (Savabeel). 

“Being by Teofilo and out of a Zabeel mare, he is bred on the same cross as Humidor,” said Rounsefell. “The dam is a half-sister to Sacred Star who was a Champion sprinter. A pedigree like that, by an international sire, has obvious appeal to the Hong Kong market.

“On type this colt was well balanced and a good mover. I think he will develop into a lovely three-year-old, which is ideal for Hong Kong.”

Rounsefell was appointed the Hong Kong Jockey Club's southern hemisphere buyer at the beginning of 2020 and he has hit the ground running, purchasing yearlings at every major yearling sale in Australasia.

“So far we’ve purchased eight colts this year for Hong Kong, across Magic Millions, Inglis and Karaka Sales who will all head to Bruce Harvey for breaking and early education,” said Rounsefell.  

“We’re staying clear of the popular precocious two-year-old types, instead looking for horses with scope and quality that look like they will grow into lovely three-year-olds. 

“We’ve targeted proven sires, with an emphasis on those with Hong Kong success, so far purchasing colts by Hinchinbrook, Street Boss, Savabeel, Pins, Reliable Man, Tavistock, and now Teofilo and Medaglia d’Oro.” 

Of the Premier Sale he continued: “This sale is getting better every year with farms sending higher quality stock. I have been very happy with the standard of yearlings across this sale and am delighted to pick up several quality colts early on the first day.”