Wednesday, 6 May 2009: Mount Olympus – the equal highest priced yearling ever sold in Australia – made his long awaited debut when running sixth at Canterbury in a forgettable day for expensive babies.
 | Holy Roman Emperor
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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A three-quarter brother to young G1 winning Coolmore stallion Holy Roman Emperor, Mount Olympus sold to
Gai Waterhouse for $3million at the 2007 Inglis Australian Easter Sale.
That price equalled the record, which was set by the Redoute's Choice-Deja Slew colt (named Nodoubt Deja and a minor winner in South Africa) at the 2006 Easter Sale, but fell short of the $NZ3.6M given for Don Eduardo at the 2000 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale.
By Rock Of Gibraltar from the Secretariat mare L'On Vite, the now three-year-old Mount Olympus had trialled six times in public prior to today's debut.
Waterhouse went straight to the 1550m for his first race start and after looming as a potential chance soon after straightening, the colt just weakened on his run to finish sixth in the 10 horse field, beaten 1.9 lengths.
This family has been in hot demand at Australian Yearling Sales for quite a while now.
Last year, L'On Vite's Danehill daughter Milanova sold for $5million to Coolmore and has since been exported to Europe.
A Dehere colt from Milanova made $775,000 at last year's Easter Sale, while Milanova's More Than Ready weanling fetched $625,000 at the same sale as she was sold (through the Tyreel Dispersal).
L'On Vite fillies by Danehill made $700,000, $500,000 and $700,000 as yearlings in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
While Mount Olympus failed to add any lustre to the family today, Holy Roman Emperor had a weanling sell for $82,500 in New Zealand yesterday, making her the second highest lot of the weanling sale and highest priced filly.
Mount Olympus was one of a number of expensive yearlings that raced today and all missed the place.
$1.1million filly Sunday's Choice (Redoute's Choice-Castellina) ran sixth of 12, beaten 4.6 lengths on debut in the race won by Khas Kura at Canterbury. The filly did make some ground after coming from 10th on the turn.
Mothwing (Encosta De Lago-Subterfuge), a $1.25million yearling, faded to run seventh of eight, beaten 6.2 lengths, behind Jersey Lily, making it six starts without a win.
In Adelaide, Serenade Rose's full-sister Irish Rhapsody (Stravinsky-Rose Of Tralee), a $900,000 yearling, ran 6th of 11 at Strathalbyn, beaten 8.8 lengths, in her second race day outing.
