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Trainer pays $900,000 for Arrowfield-bred yearling at Inglis Premier Yearling Sale

The sole offering by Japanese star stallion Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha) proved the standout act on the second day of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, with leading Victorian co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace teaming up with Coolmore Stud to secure the colt for $900,000. 

The colt was offered by Kulani Park on behalf of his breeders Arrowfield Stud and he is the first foal out of the 2014 Sweet Embrace Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Believe Yourself (Sebring), who also finished fourth in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) that same year. 

Believe Yourself herself is out of the unraced Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Private and she is a daughter of Group 1 winner Good Faith (Straight Strike). 

Good Faith produced eight winners including Group 3 scorer Tully Dane (Danehill) and Listed scorer Mygoodgrace (Royal Academy), while she is also the grandam of stakes winner Tavy (Tavistock). The colt was catalogued as Lot 504.

The colt becomes the most expensive lots purchased by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock at this year’s sale, while their total spend stands at $3,270,000 for 13 yearlings, making them the leading buyer at this year’s Melbourne-based sale. 

Lord Kanaloa has had nine runners in Australia for five winners, headed by last season’s Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Tagaloa. 

He is one of five top-flight scorers for the Shadai Stallion Station-based sire and the quartet includes multiple Grade 1-winning champion mare Almond Eye. 

Maher said the colt was a standout at the sale and hopes he can be the next flagbearer for the stallion in Australia. 

“He is beautiful and a very obvious colt. He is a great physical and has a great temperament and was very well prepared,” said Maher. “He is a Lord Kanaloa and there aren’t very many of them in Australia and we have seen the likes of Tagaloa and hopefully he can be the next star for the stallion. 

“He is out a really sharp Sebring mare who was a good two-year-old and this horse also looks like he will be sharp early. 

Maher and Eustace have enjoyed success with Coolmore, including with the dual Group 1 winner Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) and more recently Acrobat (Fastnet Rock), who landed this season’s Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m) at Randwick.  

“Arrowfield have raised plenty of great horses before and will continue to do so. It is great to also partner with Coolmore on this colt. We have had some great success in the past with Coolmore, with the likes of Merchant Navy and hopefully this bloke can we the next one. 

“I was just happy to get him, when they look like that you know they are going to cost a bit and I thought he was probably the best colt in the sale and I will be lucky one that gets to saddle him up every morning.

“There are a host of great breeders here in Victoria and it shows from buying here and you always have to go an extra couple of bids to get the one you want.”

For Arrowfield the colt was the jewel in the crown in what has been a spectacular Premier Sale, selling all 12 of their offerings – nine through Kulani Park and three through Milburn Creek.

“With our big Easter draft of 49 yearlings it was just too much for us to do this Melbourne draft under our own banner so we split them up but we are very glad to have been involved, it’s been a fabulous sale so far,’’ Arrowfield’s Jon Freyer said.

“The Lord Kanaloa was amazingly well-liked. He had a record number of X-Ray hits, around 36 which is largely unheard of.’’

Meanwhile, Kulani Park’s Rhys Smith said he expected the horse to sell well, given how popular he had been during the inspection process. 

“He’s been flat out, he’s done over 230 parades which is an extreme amount. He’s handled himself really well the whole time, that’s why he made this type of money,’’ Smith said.

“The whole week has been extremely busy, there’s plenty of people here wanting to buy and a lot of happy vendors, us included.’’

Over the two days of trade, Kulani Park has sold nine yearlings for an aggregate of $1,875,000 at an average of $208,333.