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Victorian-based owner secures daughter of young Darley sire for $250,000.
Victorian-based owner Anthony Ottobre handed young Darley sire Impending (Lonhro) his best result in a sales ring to date when he purchased a filly from the first-crop of the son of Lonhro (Octagonal) for $250,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale on Wednesday.
David Whishaw of Armidale Stud, who offered the filly for sale, revealed they had been offered $120,000 privately before the sale, so he said he was relieved they did not give into temptation.
"I'm over the moon, absolutely thrilled that we could bring a product here like her and her to be so well received," Whishaw said.
"We were offered $120,000 before coming to the sale, but felt it was the wrong thing to do, to sell her with her being catalogued. We were very keen to bring her here and showcase her.
"She is a lovely filly with a great walk. We were confident she would bring $120,000 but for her to bring beyond that has really blown us away."
Catalogued as Lot 224 and out of placed Flying Spur (Danehill) mare Kandy Korn, the filly was subject to a significant update after the catalogue went to print with her half-brother Double You Tee (Written Tycoon) winning the Hobart Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) on February 7 while her half-sister Lunakorn (Puissance De Lune) placed third in the Mannerism Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) for Anthony and Sam Freedman last month.
Kandy Korn herself is out Group 3-winning mare Sweet Corn (Scenic), making her a half-sister to Listed winner Baby Corn (Exceed And Excel).
Further back this is the same pedigree as Corn Maizcay (Maizcay) and stakes-placed Endless Days (Dane Shadow).
Ottobre, who owns Group 1-winning mare Princess Jenni (High Chaparral), told Racing & Sports Bloodstock he was very taken with the filly's pedigree.
"She was a very nice type and I liked everything about her. She is perfectly put together as a racehorse, but there were a lot of things in her pedigree that really caught my attention," he said.
"The pedigree is a double to Mr Prospector, which is one of my favourites and she is also a double to Fairy Bridge and Rolls and those two mares are outstanding mares who have produced outstanding horses over the years. On pedigree she gets a big tick from me and as a type she comes up perfectly as well."
Impending's first-crop of yearlings have been well received by buyers so far this year, with 55 of his progeny sold in 2021 for a gross of $4,863,435 at an average of $88,426.
This filly is most ever paid for a yearling by the Darley stallion and Ottobre said he had been impressed with his first crop and she was the second yearling he had bought by the stallion, having paid Merton Creek Thoroughbreds $21,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for another daughter of Impending earlier in the month.
"I liked him as a racehorse a lot and he is by Lonhro who was an exceptional racehorse. She's my second Impending, I also picked one up at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale a few weeks ago, but this filly was definitely a highlight.
"She was a quality animal and was well worth that price, so I was quite happy to pay that money. The dam has produced some very good horses."
Ottobre said a few trainers have expressed their interest to train the filly, but that he would let the dust settle before making any decision as to which stable she joins.
"I had at least five trainers calling me after I bought her, wanting to have a crack with her. At this stage I don't know who will train her.
"We will just bring her home to the farm and will make a decision from there. But it is always a nice confidence boost when trainers are keen to have the horse you've just bought in their stable, that's for sure."
Impending rounded of Book 1 having sold 11 yearlings for an aggregate of $733,000, which was bettered only by Capitalist, while his average finished at $66,636.
Meanwhile, Armidale Stud finished Book 1 with a 100 per cent clearance rate, selling four yearlings for an aggregate of $446,000 at an average of $111,500.
