The final 175 yearlings of Book 2 in the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka went under the hammer on Friday with young bloodstock agent Robin Tai snapping up the day's top lot, a colt by Jimmy Choux (NZ).
Just the third lot to go through the ring on the day, Lot 902 out of Group 1 placegetter Seven Schillings (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) was the subject of eager bidding before Tai secured him.
A half-brother to Listed winner Emily Margaret (NZ) (Pins) and a full brother to recent Flemington placegetter Heptagon (NZ), he is out of a full sister to stakes-winner Eight Schillings (NZ) and was offered by Trelawny Stud.
“He is a very strong colt with a good temperament,” - Robin Tai
Lot 902 - Jimmy Choux x Seven Schillings colt sold for $190,000
“He is a very strong colt with a good temperament,” Tai said.
“We were underbidder three times earlier, so we are very pleased to get him as it has been a strong sale for the ones we liked."
“He will stay here and we will see how he goes once he has been broken in.”
A handy late pedigree update helped boost the very next lot, 903, a colt by Bullbars out of Shalaka, to $130,000, the day's third highest price.
Lot 903 Bullbars x Shalaka colt sold for $130,000
That colt's half-brother by Darci Brahma (NZ), New Universe (NZ), was victorious at Randwick last Saturday and that timing led to Australian agent Michael Stedman going to $130,000 for him on behalf of Hong Kong trainer Casper Fownes.
It was a pleasing result for Highview Stud principal Brent Gillovic, who said the colt had been especially popular in recent days.
“I don’t know how many times he had been out of his box (for inspection), he was just constantly out,” he said.
“Word got around and people kept coming to look at him. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had made more, to be honest."
“He had sixteen x-ray hits, which is more than I have ever had at any sale and he was vetted lots of times."
“This is a very tough sale as they are picking the eyes out of them, so it was good to get him away.”
“This is a very tough sale as they are picking the eyes out of them, so it was good to get him [Lot 903] away.” - Brent Gillovic
“We have had a bit of luck selling to Michael and Caspar, which is good,” he said.
Highview sold five yearlings on the day, including Lot 1012 by Mongolian Khan for $90,000.
The second highest lot of the second day was sold by Milan Park, who got $140,000 for its colt by Per Incanto (USA) out of Demerara (NZ) (Danasinga), catalogued as Lot 1066.
Lot 1066 Per Incanto x Demerara colt sold for $140,000
He is a half-brother to three-time Hong Kong winner Best Jade Triumph (Scaredee Cat) and was sold to Hiwa Lodge.
Mark Pilkington went to $125,000 to secure another Milan Park draftee, Lot 926 by Nostradamus, who is the half brother to Mr Quickie (Shamus Award), who has won five of his seven starts in Australia.
Mark Pitman paid $120,000 for a No Nay Never (Ire) colt (Lot 989) from Berkley Stud, who is the half-brother to NZ Derby aspirant Tolemac (Camelot {GB}).
The overall average of Book 2 was $39,605, with an average of $40,143 on the second day. There were 16 lots in excess of $100,000 and 246 yearlings sold in total.
Book 3 completes the sale with a further 208 yearlings catalogued to go under the hammer on Sunday.
