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Leading buyer spends $1,610,000 on four yearlings.
Dean Hawthorne made his presence felt on day one of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling, snapping up four lots for a total outlay of $1,610,000 - headlined by a filly by Darley-based stallion Exceed And Excel (Danehill), who he purchased from Sledmere Stud for $600,000.
Catalogued as Lot 116, the filly is out of Ocean Of Tears (Minardi) - the dam of Group 3 winner No More Tears (Darci Brahma).
Ocean Of Tears herself is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Hips Don't Lie (Stravinsky) who in turn produced Group 3 winner Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock) and Listed winner Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock).
Hawthorne, who was buying the filly on behalf of Johnathan Munz's GSA Bloodstock, said that even in the current climate breeders would not give away these well-bred fillies with huge residual value, so he was not surprised to have to dig deep for them.
"Those top end fillies are protected pretty well by their breeders," said Hawthorne. "By the time you get to Easter you have purchased your mare and paid the service fee you don't get here in a cheap way, so you don't expect to walk into a sale situation and pinch them.
"They are quality fillies with good residual value and regardless of what is going to happen with the economy in the next two years, you will still be in good stead down the track with those fillies in five to six years and they are all great types.
"The fillies will go into the GSA Bloodstock broodmare band and we bought fillies bought last year and we have a big broodmare band.
"We like to sell our colts, generally and we are racing our fillies and we have had great results on the track this year and we are going to race more and more fillies."
Hawthorne also snapped up Lot 75 for $500,000 - a Fastnet Rock (Danehill) filly out of Group 3 winner Miss Judgement (Strategic), making her a sister to Group 3 winner Missrock.
He also purchased a filly by Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m)-producing sire Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha) for $300,000.
Catalogued as Lot 74, the yearling is out of Miss Ivanovic (Captain Rio), who is herself a half-sister to Group 2 winner Gold-Fun (Le Vie Dei Colori) and a sister to Listed scorer Body And Soul.
Hawthorne said they were keen to take the youngster home having been very taken with her Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) half-brother, who sold to Aquis Farm for $950,000 at last year's edition of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and is now in training with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
"The dam had a Deep Impact colt that made $950,000 last year and is in training with Ciaron Maher and we have been watching him because we liked him last year," said Hawthorne.
"She was a nice well-balanced filly and we figured that Lord Kanaloa is going to be much more appreciated in Australia after the Blue Diamond success so hopefully she can get black-type for us."
The New Zealand-based agent also purchased by colt by Zoustar (Northern Meteor) on day one, paying Widden Stud $210,000 for the colt.
Catalogued as Lot 167, the colt is out of Group 3-winning Flying Spur (Danehill) mare Rosa's Spur, making the him a half-brother to Listed winner Members Joy (Hussonet) - the dam of Group 2 winner Pure Elation (I Am Invincible).
Further back it is the same family as Group 3-winning pair Rosa's Joy (Rory's Jester) and Rosa's Image (Rory's Jester).
"The Zoustar colt, we didn't actually spec, but I just really liked him as he is such an athlete," said Hawthorne.
"The phone has gone three times since I bought it from people trying to buy into him, so he must have caught the eye of those who saw him in the Hunter Valley."
