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Te Akau boss goes to NZ$350,000 for Darci Brahma colt
Te Akau boss David Ellis purchased subsequent five-time Group 1 winner turned successful sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) at the 2004 New Zealand Bloodstock Sale Premier Yearling Sale for NZ$1,100,000 and on Thursday he purchased, what he regarded as the best a colt by the Oaks Stud-based sire he had ever seen, paying Lilywhites Lodge NZ$350,000 for the two-year-old.
“I bought Darci Brahma, his sire, here at the sales and he was a champion two-year-old, champion three-year-old, and champion four-year-old, and he has been a fantastic success at stud,” Ellis said.
“I have been waiting to buy what I thought was a really top Darci Brahma yearling and I had to go to the Ready To Run Sale.
"I was here three days ago and I thought ‘that’s the best Darci Brahma I have ever seen and I am going to buy him’.”
Catalogued as Lot 219, the colt - who breezed in a time of 10.94 seconds - is the first foal out of winning Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Granadilla, who is herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Lilikoi (Charm Spirit).
The colt’s third dam is Damson (Entrepreneur), whose victory in the 2004 edition of the Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) and Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) led to her being crowned Ireland’s champion two-year-old filly that year and she produced six winners headed by Group 2 winner and sire Requinto (Dansili). She is also the grandam of Group 3 winner Last Kingdom (Frankel).
The colt is bred on the same cross as two stakes winners; Group 3 scorer Trumbull and Listed winner Another Coup and Ellis said he was surprised he had to pay that much for the colt.
“I paid a bit more than I thought I would have to but to buy these top horses you have got to pay a bit more,” Ellis said.
“It is pretty exciting to have him. I am going to give him Darci Brahma’s box which he had when he was a racehorse.”
Ellis was impressed with the colt’s breeze-up, although he said he does not put a lot of reliance on that aspect of the sale.
“I don’t take too much notice of the breeze-ups, but he did breeze-up very well and he impressed everybody that has been involved with the horse,” Ellis said.
“It is the individual, their attitude, and type, which are more important to me.”
Derek Nolan and Sophia Orting of Lilywhites Lodge were duly over the moon with the result.
“It’s just Lilywhites second sale and a highlight result for the young business,” Nolen said.
“We are just over the moon about the result. The look on breeder Ron Tunnicliffe's face was priceless. We are so excited for him and also that he has gone to Te Akau. We could not be happier.”
Lilywhites Lodge sold 11 two-year-olds over the two days of trade for an aggregate of NZ$973,000, finishing off with an average of NZ$88,455.
Darci Brahma, who sired his second winner of the New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) last weekend with his daughter Kahma Lass taking out the 1600 metre Classic, enjoyed a strong sale, with three of his two-year-olds selling for an aggregate of NZ$637,500 at an average of NZ$212,500.
