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Syndicators pay $260,000 for son of Lonhro.

After missing out on the Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) colt on Monday, Darby Racing's sales manager Mark Holland said there was no way they were leaving the Magic Millions National Sale without the unraced Noble Privilege (Lonhro), eventually pairing up with William Johnson Bloodstock to secure the son of Lonhro (Octogonal) for $260,000. 

Offered as part of the racehorse section of the The Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco and catalogued as Lot 1808, the colt is from a very famous Gooree Park family, being out of dual Group 3 winner Queen Of The Hill (Danehill), who has produced three winners.

Queen Of The Hill herself is a half-sister to Coolmore Stud Stakes (registered Ascot Vale Stakes) (Gr 1, 1200m) winner and successful sire Northern Meteor (Encosta De Lago) and Listed winner Rabukka (Giant's Causeway). 

Meanwhile, she is also a half-sister to Comical Smile (Comic Strip), who in turn produced Group 2 winner and now Twin Hills-based sire Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock) and Listed-winning duo Surge Ahead (Danehill) and Kiss From A Rose (Encosta De Lago). 

"We missed out on the Shalaa last night, we were wrapt with that Shalaa but when this guy came up, he was just a must get for us," said Holland. 

"He's by Lonhro and from an outstanding family, two stallions in the family and he's a horse that's won a city trial already. We've had success buying breeze up horses last year with Malcovich who was a horse that had won a city trial as well. We bought him for good money and sold him very quickly. This horse is still a colt, he's Lonhro who is a champion stallion and he was just a must have. 

"That's one of the massive bonuses. We're up here buying yearlings at the moment and now we can get our shareholders into a racehorse and with legitimate reasons for Gooree to be moving him on."

Noble Privilege will follow the same path as his father Lonhro and head into training with Team Hawkes, with John having trained the stallion to 26 race victories, including 11 at elite level.

"Obviously John with Lonhro, it's a great match for them," said Holland. "They pride themselves on good types, when we're spending this sort of money, this colt was a mirror image of his father and we think it's a perfect fit for Team Hawkes."

Holland said the competition at the Magic Millions National Sale had been strong all week. 

"There was good competition on him, but everyone was up against it because we got beat for the Shalaa colt so we really wanted this bloke," said Holland. 

"We found this sale tough, it has been hard work and the competition has been strong for the good horses and a lot of work has gone into it. I know there were rumours going round that there weren't a lot of people here and there wouldn't have been a lot of money, but the sale has been very, very strong. 

"Magic Millions should be absolutely rapt with how the sale has gone. We have noticed that as the sale has gone on, the prices have gone up and people have decided to think: I've got to get a horse because it is the last sale so you have to grab one while you can." 

A few lots later, Darby Racing and Johnson made a play for Sole Heir - a winning son of Exceed And Excel (Danehill) - eventually paying $160,000 for the colt. 

Catalogued as Lot 1812, the colt is from the same family as Noble Privilege, being out of Smart Missile's dam Comical Smile. 

Formerly trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the colt has raced five times and broke his maiden at the fourth time of asking at Hawkesbury on June 23. 

At the close of trade, the Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco sold 39 lots for an aggregate of $2,299,500 at an average of $58,962.

The second top seller in the National Racehorse Sale and the headline horse from the Godolphin draft was another son of Lonhro, the six-year-old gelding Haunted.

A stakes winner and last start placegetter in the Ramornie Handicap (Listed, 1200m) at Grafton, Haunted sold for $160,000 to Queensland based owner Jack Pakis.

All 30 lots offered at the National Racehorse Sale were sold for a gross of over $1.8 million – boasting an average price of over $60,000.