James Harron made a big splash during the 2015 opening session of this sale, swooping at A$500,000 for the session-topping colt by Medaglia d'Oro, and the agent–who has already achieved excellent results buying up young colts with stallion pedigrees for his partnerships–was in the same position Sunday, signing for the A$400,000 Fastnet Rock colt (lot 150). The late September foal is the 10th produce of the Japanese-bred, French listed-placed winner Temple Of Peace. He is a half-brother to G1 Caulfield Guineas and G1 Yalumba S. winner Whobetgotyou and three other winners, and hails from the extended family of French standouts like Rajsaman (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) and Rosanara (Fr) (Sinndar {Ire}), and also American sire Northern Afleet (Afleet).
“He's extremely well-bred,” Harron noted. “He's obviously by a champion sire in Fastnet Rock. It was great that we got the opportunity to buy him and he being offered here. He's a horse that could have made a lot more money as a yearling and I'm delighted to get him.”
Colts were the hot ticket items on the day, filling the top six spots on the leaderboard. Fastnet Rock was also responsible for the top-priced filly on the day, however, with lot 115 bought by James Bester for A$220,000. The bay is the third foal out of Sorority Girl (NZ) (Stravinsky), and therefore represents the same cross as Fastnet Rock's four-time Group 1-winning filly Mosheen (Aus). Fastnet Rock had another filly (lot 154) sell for A$210,000 to New Zealand's Beamish Bloodstock later in the session.
The New South Wales-based Amarina Farm was busy at the top of the market on Sunday, buying a pair of six-figure colts headed by lot 171, a son of red-hot sire Not A Single Doubt (Aus), for A$280,000. The colt, from the Bell River Thoroughbreds dispersal, is the third foal out of the winning Wilde Irish Song (Aus) (Magic Albert {Aus}), a half-sister to G1 Australian Oaks winner Once Were Wild (Aus) (Johannesburg). Amarina also struck at A$250,000 for lot 190, a colt from the first crop of champion 3-year-old sprinter Zoustar (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}). From Kambula Stud, the bay is out of the Group 3-placed Armanjena (Aus) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who has thus far produced two winners from two to race.
That colt was one of two by Zoustar to reach that price tag on Sunday. The other was a colt from the Bell View Park dispersal (lot 132) who was secured by agent James Bester. The chestnut is a half-brother to the G1 Champagne S.-placed Equator (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}), and Bester said, “I loved him. Zoustar is a first-crop sire. I thought he was the best of the Zoustars. He was an outstanding walker–there's no question that he's the best mover in this sale. A great physique overall and the depth of pedigree behind it.”
Bester had earlier in the session spent A$220,000 on a son of another first-crop sire, The Factor (lot 7), from Newgate Farm.
Pinhooking has become increasingly popular Down Under in recent years, and that is the plan for lot 70, an I Am Invincible (Aus) colt bought by agent Sheamus Mills for A$250,000. The mid-September foal is the eighth out of the stakes-placed Radiant Star (Aus) (Success Express {Aus}), who has produced four winners from four to race including the G1 Sires' Produce S.-second Scratch Me Lucky (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}).
“I thought he was one of the nicer colts in the sale,” Mills said. “He's by a proven sire who's a horse on the up.”
“We will re-offer the horse,” he added. “When you're buying blue chip they stay blue chip. He's a nice horse who can come back here and hopefully make A$400,000 or A$500,000.”
Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox noted upon conclusion of the opening day's trade, “The National Sale has got away to a good solid start with a very healthy clearance rate of 84%. Competition was extremely strong for the desired lots. While the turnover and average are down on last year we expect that to improve tomorrow.”
The second and final session of the weanling sale commences Monday at 10 a.m.
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