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Daughter of Widden Stud-based sire sells for $450,000 to Bruce MacKenzie becoming most expensive filly to sell at the sale
The curtain came down on the 2012 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale on Tuesday, with a filly by Widden Stud-based sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor) setting the standard after she was purchased by Bruce MacKenzie for $450,000, which saw her become the most expensive filly ever sold at the sale.
Offered by Clarke & Croft Bloodstock and catalogued as Lot 591, the filly is the third foal out of five time-winning Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) mare Empress Zakynthos, who has already produced one winner in Navagio Beach (Zebedee).
Empress Zakynthos herself is a sister to Listed scorer Divine Ten.
It was the sole offering from Clarke & Croft Bloodstock at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and Sam Croft said, as smaller vendors, they specifically target this sale because she feels it gives the smaller farms a bigger chance.
“We are so happy, I really thought she deserved a fair bit of money, but that is fantastic,’’ she said.
“Our previous best result was $150,000 so this is by far the best result we have ever had.
“We have been selling here for somewhere between 16 and 18 years, we like to come here to Classic so we can stand out. We feel that small vendors are given a bit better of a chance here at Classic.’’
After falling in love with the filly during the inspection process, MacKenzie said there was no way he would be going home without the daughter of Zoustar.
"She was a magnificent filly; well-built and her temperament is amazing," Mackenzie said.
"I used to go down every night and look at her and she had a gate open and I used to pat her for 10 minutes and scratch her head and I said to her in horse language, 'I'm taking you home', and I was going to take her home."
“I thought she was worth that much, everyone and their uncle was looking at her, there were a lot of lookers. I was happy with that price, I was going to take her home full stop, so very happy.”
The demand for the first-crop of Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) continued at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale on Tuesday as the Gu Tao-owned Zhongli Thoroughbreds secured a colt by the sire for $360,000.
The son of Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) has enjoyed a lucrative week at the Classic Sale, finishing as the leading sire by average (with three or more lots sold), with all six of the sires progeny offered selling for an aggregate of $1,330,000 at an impressive average of $221,667.
Catalogued as Lot 617 and consigned by Sledmere Stud, the colt is out of the placed Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Fortune’s Island, who has already produced a winner.
Fortune’s Choice herself is a daughter of Listed-winning Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mare Banc De Fortune, making her a three-quarters sister to Listed scorer Eagle Island (Fastnet Rock).
The colt’s third dam is dual Group 1 winning champion Danendri (Danehill) and she also produced Group 3 scorer Zingam (Zabeel), while she is also the grandam of dual elite level winner Faint Perfume (Shamardal) and Group 3 winner Chains Of Honour (Redoute’s Choice).
Further back, this is also the same family as South African Grade 3 scorer Roy Had Enough (Pierro).
Earlier on in the day, Yarraman Park-based first-season sire Hellbent (I Am Invincible) was handed a great result in the sales ring when Star Thoroughbreds’ Denise Martin teamed up with Randwick Bloodstock Agency to purchase a filly by the stallion for $300,000.
Catalogued Lot 555 and offered Middlebrook Valley Lodge, the filly is out of winning Fastnet Rock (Danehill) filly Crystal Rock, who has produced two winners, including Listed-placed Big Parade (Deep Field).
Crystal Rock herself is out of stakes-placed mare Natural Is My Name (Naturalism) and she also produced Listed winner Zizou (Fusaichi Pegasus), who finished second in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in 2007.
The filly’s third dam is Listed-placed Singles Bar (Rory’s Jester) and she is famed for being the dam of Listed winner and Group 3-placed and recently pensioned Arrowfield Stud stallion Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice).
Singles Bar is also the dam of Group 2 scorer Hanky Panky (Anabaa), who in turn produced Group 3 winner Master Ash (Sebring) and Listed-winning duo Fun In Flight (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Come Hither (Redoute’s Choice) - the dam of Listed scorer Cohesion (Lonhro).
Singles Bar is also the grandam of 2018 Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Oohood (I Am Invincible) and Listed placed-Breakfast In Bed (Hussonet) - the dam of dual Group 1-winning colt King’s Legacy.
Middlebrook’s Verna Metcalfe said she was over the moon with the result, especially given she was purchased by Star Thoroughbreds.
“I own and I bred her,” said Metcalfe. “She is an absolute queen and I couldn’t be more rapped to have Denise Martin buy her, she will go to a good trainer and she will be very well looked after. I think she is a star.”
Middlebrook Thoroughbreds sold 13 of the yearlings they offered at the Classic sale, recording an aggregate of $1,310,000 at an average of $100,769 and Metcalfe was quick to heap praise on Inglis.
“We have had a great sale and full credit to Inglis to get all these people here, it has been a great buzz here. I like to sell to my horses, I hate passing in horses to have sold all 13 - I’m just rapped.”
Tuesday’s Highway Session was also a resounding success, clearing 88 per cent at an average of $48,736 with 14 lots selling for $100,000 or more.
The most expensive yearling sold during the Highway session, was a filly by Arrowfield shuttler Maurice (Screen Hero), who was purchased by Anthony Cummings for $220,000.
Catalogued as Lot 802 and consigned by Toolooganvale Farm, the filly is the third foal out dual-winning stakes-placed War Pass (Cherokee Run) mare Flashing Speed, who is herself a half-sister to Group 2 winner Thunder Fantasy (Lucky Owners), who was placed at Group 1 level on three occasions.