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06.
EASTER YEARLING SALE - Day One
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03/04/2002 |
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Danehill upstaged by Sunday Silence as the top end of the market was driven by Arab money – that was the story of day one at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale at Newmarket on Tuesday.
The opening day of the three-day sale lived up to the positive expectations predicted by many within the industry,rebounding from the climate that has yielded declines at virtually every major yearling sale in Australasia this year.
A total of 156 yearlings were sold for an aggregate of $24,377,500. The average price was $156,266, some $11,000 less than last year’s overall average of $167,214 but a healthy figure with the expectation that it will hold up over the next two sessions.
William Inglis and Son managing director Reg Inglis reflected the satisfaction among vendors.
"We're really happy with today's result and we can all settle down now and look forward to the rest of the sale,” Inglis said.
Darley Australia, the Hunter Valley-based breeding arm of Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin racing empire, dominated the first day in a show of strength that augers well for the famous blue colours to become a familiar sight on Australian racecourses.
Last year, shortly after leasing Collingrove Stud in the Hunter Valley as its breeding base in Australia, Darley spent big sums securing a small number of select fillies from the Easter sale.
This year the Darley buying has been split between colts and fillies, indicating a desire to build up a top class racing stable.
Darley’s UK agent John Ferguson purchased five yearlings for a total of $3,315,000, highlighted by the two most expensive horses of the session.
Ferguson went to $1.2 million to secure a spectacular brown colt by Japan’s champion sire Sunday Silence from Duelling Girl, offered by Arrowfield Stud.
Sunday Silence’s first progeny bred to Australian time have made an impact on the racetrack this season while Duelling Girl, by Dayjur, a is winning member of a prolific European black type family.
Ferguson also paid $950,000 for the admired Danehill colt from Canny Miss and also accounted for two more of the nine lots that brought more than $400,000.
Sunday Silence, with only five yearlings in the sale, provided the third highest priced filly, a daughter of the Rahy mare Grilse purchased by William Inglis and Son on behalf of overseas clients for $925,000.
Danehill accounted for five of the top 10 lots selling for $400,000 or more, while Zabeel (3) and Sunday Silence (2) sired the other five.
Overseas buyers dominated the market with nine of the top lots signed for by buyers from Dubai, England, Ireland and Hong Kong.
* A brother to classic winner Camarena sold for $950,000 to set the early standard at the opening session of the Australian Easter Yearling Sale at Newmarket on Tuesday.
The colt, by Danehill from Canny Miss, was purchased by UK agent John Ferguson on behalf of Darley Australia, the Hunter Valley arm of Sheikh Mohammed’s global breeding interests.
The colt was bred at Davilora Lodge, located at Woodend in Victoria, by Lorraine Smith and David Thomas and was offered in the
Collingrove Stud consignment after being prepared at that stud for the sale for the last month.
Collingrove also got $500,000 for a Danehill colt from the Magic Millions winner Catnipped, purchased by Coolmore’s Irish agent Demi O’Byrne.
Another highlight of the first half of the opening session was a successful bid of $550,000 by Eduardo Cojuangco’s Gooree Stud for a Zabeel colt from Abbaye, a grand-daughter of the legendary Eight Carat.
Ferguson, again bidding for Darley Australia, also securedtwo fillies by Zabeel for $480,000 and $425,000. One is a half-sister to stakeswinner Pure Theatre and the other is the first foal of brilliant racemare Arletty.
By Chris Scholtz
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