The Chairman’s Sale in its revised format, provided a selection of Southern Hemisphere’s best broodmares in the Southern hemisphere. The high-quality affair secured sales worth A$22,265,000, when 51 lots went through the sales ring.
Coolmore bought two of the best mares on offer (The sale-topping Maastricht, the dam of Loving Gaby, for A$2.25 million, and dual-Gr.1 winner Srikandi for A$2 million), to give 2019 American Triple Crown winner Justify the best opportunity to become a leading stallion early in his career.
According to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier, “There’s a lot of the best breeders in Australia sending their mares to Justify this year and I guess we want to join them,
“We want to go out and find the best mares for Justify. It’s pretty exciting having him.
“These types of mares, Maastricht and Srikandi, they’re hard to get your hands on so when they become available, you need to be there.’’
Bruce Slade of Newgate Consignment said of Maastricht
“Maastricht was not a surprise. It is very rare for a mare to leave one as special as Loving Gaby at her first attempt. She is young, beautiful and successful. We were delighted that she found a lovely home in Coolmore Australia.”
Kitchwin’s Mick Malone whose Srikandi, was the second over A$1 million mare said of Srikandi in an interview to The Impact: “Mares like Srikandi, there are always only going to be a handful of players, all of which were there and showed good interest with her. With the quality of such a small select catalogue, we as vendors really needed that sale to be strong to lay a platform and benchmark going forward in our mare sale season.
“These pedigrees are so hard to get into. They don’t come around often and winning two proper Group 1s and she herself, she’s just the most magnificent type, beautiful, everything you want in a mare,’’
Arrowfield Stud went to A$1.7 million to purchase dual-Gr.1 winner Norzita, who is in foal to Snitzel. Norzita third-top lot, sold for A$1.7m was consigned by Lime Country Thoroughbreds on behalf of the Estate of the Late Dato Tan Chin Nam, who raced the filly.
It was a poignant moment for Duncan Ramage, who was the erstwhile racing manager to Duncan Ramage, Bloodstock & Racing Manager to the Estate of the Late Dato Tan Chin Nam, said.
“It is satisfying, of course, to see the money that she made and I am delighted that she has gone to Arrowfield. John Messara has the choice to send her to probably Snitzel, Dundeel or The Autumn Sun, so her future is set very well.’’
Norzita’s family includes top-class performers Zeditave, Melito and Military Rose. Her foals include the highly regarded 2YO Confidant, who is in training with David Hayes.
Messara said: “The thing about her is, they don’t make many like her.
“She has got everything and she suits about four of our stallions, so we have a choice of horses to go to.’’
Gr.1 Thousand Guineas winner Aloisia was the fourth over A$ 1 million sale. The purchaser was Hilldene Farm and Peter Ford Thoroughbreds, who secured Aloisia for A$1.2 million
The other key sales for the evening were 13YO mare Fast Fleet (vendor: Aquis Farm Operations, Murrurundi) in foal to Zoustar, sold to Glenn Burrows Bloodstock / Bromfield Park for A$800,000 and Gr.2 Caulfield Sprint Snitty Kitty (Vendor: Sledmere Stud) in foal to Pierro purchased by Widden Stud for A$850,000.
The sale began with a nomination to Widden Stud’s hot new first season sire, four-time Group 1 winner, Trapeze Artist for the 2019 Australian breeding season selling for $105,000 when purchased by Sun Bloodstock. All proceeds will be going to injured jockey Tye Angland.
Widden's Ryan McEvoy said, "Trapeze Artist is the most exciting young sire to retire to stud this season, and we look forward to ensuring he receives the support from breeders that he undoubtedly deserves."
Tarpeze Artist’s owner, Bert Vieira was the leading buyer, securing five mares for an average of A$218,000.
A share in Russian Revolution was sold to Steve Morley Bloodstock and Glenlogan Park for $510,000
The sale had a strong clearance rate of 86% with 51 lots sold at an average of $436,569, over double the broodmare average at the sale last year.