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Ben Kwok purchases well-related filly for $130,000
As expected, Wu Darl (Dundeel) - a half-sister to dual Group 1-winning mare Montefilia (Kermadec) - was the headline act of the Inglis Digital May (Early) Online Sale on Wednesday as Ben Kwok went to $130,000 to secure the daughter of Dundeel (High Chaparral).
Offered unreserved by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds as a racing and breeding prospect and catalogued as Lot 128, the one-time winning four-year-old is out of Bana Wu (Shirocco), also making her a half-sister to Group 3-placed Nice For What (Shalaa).
The mare is also a three-quarter sister to winner Chaparral Belle (High Chaparral), who was bought for $150,000 by Avesta Bloodstock at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale on Friday with Kwok being one of the underbidders.
Further back she is from the same family as Group 2 winner Strategic Prince (Dansili) and Listed scorer Yorkshire (Generous).
Wu Darl was one of two lots purchased by Kwok via Wednesday’s online auction, with the other being placed Exceed And Excel (Danehill) mare Chocolate Kisses (Exceed And Excel), who he bought for $70,000.
Catalogued as Lot 73, the mare was offered by her trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and she is out of the winning Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Miss Hufflepuff, making her a half-sister to winner Queen Of Wizardry (Not A Single Doubt), who finished fourth in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) on the Gold Coast earlier this year.
“I am working with Andrew Williams and Bevan Smith to upgrade my stock and Wu Darl and Chocolate Kisses both fit the bill,” Kwok said.
“I tried hard to buy at the Chairman’s Sale, but came up short, including on (the three-quarter sister) Chaparral Belle, so I was especially keen to pick up Wu Darl.
“She will likely be sent to the Hunter Valley now and we will consider a suitable mating for her.
“I have used Inglis Digital for a couple of years now and I just love the platform, the website is very user friendly and the fact that the majority of vendors are so transparent with the information they provide is really excellent.”
Returning trainer Lee Freedman, who will send out his first runner from his new base on the Gold Coast at the end of the month, purchased the second top of the sale when he paid $115,000 for three-year-old gelding Bury Rose (Frankel).
Catalogued as Lot 70 and offered by Aquis Farm, the gelding has won one of his five career starts and he is out of unraced Danehill (Danzig) mare Close Regards, who is herself a half-sister to Group 1 scorer Magic Hurricane (Hurricane Run).
“Bury Road is by Frankel, who has got unbelievable stats in Australia,” Freedman said.
“He’s three, he’s lightly raced, he bolted up in a maiden before running into Explosive Jack at his two most recent starts and I just think there’s so much upside with him.
“You just can’t get your hands on a Frankel for that sort of price so I’m really excited to be getting him up here and into the system.
“It was a no brainer for me to really buy him. Slade Bloodstock will do the syndicating of him and I suspect he’ll get snapped up pretty quick.’’
Bury Road was offered by Aquis, which had a total of 24 lots in the May (Early) Online Sale, with 21 selling.
“He’s a young horse with low mileage at only five starts, and a galloper that showed a lot of promise early on with trainer Mick Price,” Aquis’ Shane McGrath said.
“The stable had high aspirations for him and being a Frankel colt, he was a potential stallion prospect.
“Mick Price had the Guineas on the radar, but he was subsequently gelded and obviously the Aquis policy is to race colts.
“We’ve had extraordinary success with the Inglis Digital platform, Aquis graduates have gone on to profitable careers with new connections and we hope Bury Road follows the same path with Lee Freedman on the Gold Coast.”
Bury Road was one of two lots purchased by Freedman during the May online sale, with the trainer also snapping up Lot 13 - He Is - a dual winning gelding by Coolmore Stud-based sire Pierro (Lonhro) for $65,000.
At the close of trade on Wednesday, Inglis reported 228 lots sold at a clearance of 74.5 per cent with an aggregate of $2,405,900. The average was $10,552, while the median was $5,0500.
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