Ellis Over Budget On Top Lot
- Tuesday, 01 February 2011 06:59
Waikato syndicator David Ellis has spent more than he intended to secure the most expensive lot at the Premier Yearling Sale in Karaka on Tuesday.
Ellis, of Te Akau Stables, paid $NZ875,000 for a Red Ransom-Nureyev's Girl colt, a half-brother to Te Akau's 1000 Guineas winner King's Rose.
"I went over my budget to get him," Ellis, who bought him on behalf of a syndicate of New Zealand businessmen, said.
"But I think he's a better type than King's Rose was at the same stage."
The $875,000 purchase topped the previous high of $800,000, paid for a Danehill Dancer colt Ellis bought on Monday and a Zabeel-Jesmonds Gift filly bought by British agent Adrian Nicoll on behalf of an Australian client.
The Nureyev's Girl colt will be one of three Ellis' syndicate will race, the others being the Danehill Dancer colt and an O'Reilly-Chimeara colt bought for $480,000 yesterday.
Persistence paid off for Nicoll with the Jesmonds Gift filly after what had been a frustrating day.
"That's the third one I've bought - the other two were much cheaper - but I've been underbidder on six today. I was getting a bit pissed off," he said.
Nicoll has previously bought the 1983 sale topper Trichelle, subsequently a Group One winner, and he was also underbidder on Darci Brahma who became a top racehorse and sire.
"She's a great individual and a great walker, with marvellous head and ears," Nicoll said.
Jesmonds Gift is from the family of top performers Canny Lass and Canny Lad and of Sepoy, the early favourite for this year's Blue Diamond Stakes.
Nicoll said the back pedigree was fantastic but that the filly, bought for an unnamed client and likely to be trained in Sydney, would need to win a Group race to improve her value.
The filly helped put Cambridge Stud into position to be leading vendor for the 30th year in succession.
Sir Patrick Hogan's stud was behind Windsor Park Stud going into Tuesday's session when it had several big sellers.
Australian trainer Mark Kavanagh paid $700,000 for a Zabeel-Dane Dancer filly and three lots later another Australian trainer, Peter Moody, paid $675,000 for a Zabeel-Danger Point colt.
Windsor Park had a good seller of its own as well, selling a High Chaparral-Egoli Lass colt to Cambridge bloodstock agent Gary Carvell for $625,000.
