3 minute read
Bargain buy purchased by Graham Richardson for NZ$525,000 at at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run.
A sales ring can deliver some of the moments that cause for celebration, but it can also hand some instances one would rather forget, and on Wednesday former jumps jockey turned trainer Finbarr Leahy was very much celebrating after a colt he purchased for NZ$80,000 by the late Waikato Stud sire Sacred Falls (O'Reilly) was bought by trainer Graham Richardson for NZ$525,000 at at New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready To Run.
Leahy, who was offering the The Whitby Bloodstock Trust-bred colt through the Riversley Park draft, said the price-tag was life changing for him and his family.
"It is going to take a while to sink in, but it's fantastic," Leahy said.
"2020 has been lucky for me at the moment, but for my wife and kids it is going to be life changing for them, it's fantastic.
"You always hope, you always have dreams, and today they have been fulfilled.
"He has been popular. He has been in and out of his box more times than any other horse on the complex, so that is always a good sign."
Catalogued as Lot 54, the son of the late Waikato Stud sire Sacred Falls was picked up by Leahy at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling Sale from the Cambridge Stud draft and he breezed in a time of 10.77 seconds.
The colt is out of the winning Savabeel (Zabeel) mare Savabeel Star, who has already produced Stella Di Paco (Paco Boy), who won the Castletown Stakes (Listed, 1200m) in 2015 and two other winners. Savabeel Star is herself a half-sister to Hawke's Bay Guineas (Gr 3, 1400m) winner Money See Me (Soviet Star).
The colt is also from the family of German Listed scorer Genevra (Danehill) - the dam of Golden Whip (Seattle Dancer), who also won at Listed level in Germany.
The colt's brother Viva Chef was trained by Leahy, before he was shipped to Hong Kong as an unraced horse and he got off the mark in Hong Kong over 1000 metres on November 8. Having that connection to the family prompted Leahy to look at the colt at the yearling sale earlier this year.
"I was lucky enough to have the brother (Viva Chef) and it was kind of Gary Carvell to send him to me to train," Leahy said. "I won a trial with him and I thought this horse has gears. Luckily he won in Hong Kong the other night.
"You take a chance and if you like a horse you sometimes have to go with your gut feeling. Luckily enough this time it has paid off," he said.
"A couple of times it hasn't but this time it has, so we are delighted."
The colt was offered through Sam Beatson's Riversley Park draft, who Leahy usually partners with to pinhook yearlings.
"Myself and Sam and Ben Foote usually go shares in them, we go thirds," Leahy said. "This year the boys decided not to come in with me and it worked out well for me in the end."
The late Sacred Falls has really hit his stride this year, siring his first two stakes winners headlined by New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Aegon and Australian Group 3 scorer All Saints' Eve and Richardson - who was buying on behalf of a Hong Kong client - said the stallion's recent success was a very attractive prospect.
"He (Sacred Falls) is flying," Richardson said. "It is sad that he has passed. Most of them just need a bit of time, but they are nice, athletic horses."
While the colt was purchased by a Hong Kong client, Richardson admitted that no concrete plans had been made as to where he would kick off his career. He was also pleased for the vendors and New Zealand Bloodstock in what has been a trying year.
"I am absolutely chuffed for New Zealand Bloodstock and the vendors here because it is nervous times and money goes around and we all need each other," he said.
"I love buying horses at this sale. I have for years and have had a lot of luck."
Earlier on in the day, Richardson and his Hong Kong client bought a colt by Vinery Stud-based second season sire Headwater (Exceed And Excel) for NZ$300,000 from the draft of Regal Farm.
Catalogued as Lot 32, the colt was purchased by Union Thoroughbreds for $80,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from the Vinery Stud draft earlier in the year and he stopped the clock at 11.07 seconds for his breeze.
Regal Farm's Shane Crawford was pleased with the result considering the wet conditions the colt had to endure for his breeze-up.
"It's a fantastic result for our client and he was a lovely colt so I'm not really surprised," said Crawford. "On the second day of the breeze, when he galloped the track was probably at its worst, so I thought it was a good effort from the horse."
The colt is third foal out of the once raced Mossman (Success Express) mare Raischek, who is herself a daughter of Listed winner Kalamata (Desert Prince).
Kalamata is also the dam of Stirling Grove (Mossman), whose seven victories are headed by a win in the 2010 SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m).
Headwater finished last season at the head of the Australian first season sires table by winners, tied with Spill The Beans (Snitzel) with his first crop including Group 3 winner Wisdom Of Water and stakes placed pair Aquagirl and Be Water My Friend. Vinery Stud's Adam White said that he was not surprised that the colt had breezed well.
"Headwater is a very popular stallion at the ready to run sales," White said. "He had a colt in last year's New Zealand Ready To Run Sale make NZ$420,000. It's not surprising as they are a very forward and athletic breed and go early.
"It's quite exciting because a few of these types of horses will end up in Hong Kong and give him plenty of exposure in that part of the world.
"This particular colt was always a very strong, powerful type of horse so it's no wonder he breezed well. It's great to see them getting an outstanding result."
On the first day of the sale, Regal Farm sold three lots for an aggregate of NZ$385,000, recording an average of NZ$128,333.
Richardson, who bought three lots on Wednesday, was meanwhile quick to complement the diversity of the sale's catalogue: "There is always something for everybody at the Ready to Run Sale, I've been buying horses at this Sale for years and have had a lot of luck."
He added to his haul late on during the sessing when going to NZ$100,000 to secure a colt by Written Tycoon (Iglesia), who was catalogued as Lot 126 from the draft of Ohukia Lodge.
