Written by Bren O'Brien
Each day of the Sale, TDN AusNZ will find a 'value buy', where an opportunity has been spotted - even in this hot sale market.
Laurie keeps it in the family
A bit of additional information can prove all-important when bidding in the sales ring and for Matt Laurie it was the impression left by Lot 431's half-sister which saw him snap the Astern filly up for $130,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Thursday.
Lot 431 - Astern x Refuge Bay (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Laurie had paid $100,000 for a Deep Field filly out of Refuge Bay (Savabeel) at last year's Inglis Classic Sale and now named Bay Thirteen, she impressed with a fast-finishing trial win in his navy blue and turquoise colours at Pakenham on Tuesday.
When Emirates Park put forward her Astern half-sister, Laurie, who admits he has struggled to land a blow from the buyers' bench this week, was able to pay just $130,000 for her.
"I just thought that Bay Thirteen has been pretty professional in everything that we have done with her so far," Laurie told TDN AusNZ.
"She is obviously still unraced but trialled particularly well the other day. This half-sister by Astern was a nice, big, strong filly, we thought we’d jump in based on what we’d seen so far.
"This Astern is a bit bigger. She's probably a bit leggier, but they have the same qualities. Both are quite strong horses, with a lot of natural muscle."
"This Astern (Lot 431) is a bit bigger. She's probably a bit leggier, but they have the same qualities. Both are quite strong horses, with a lot of natural muscle." - Matt Laurie
Laurie is careful not to get too attached to certain families when doing business in the sales ring but on this occasion, thinks having the first two fillies out of three-time winner Refuge Bay could prove clever business.
"You don't always want to get caught in always going back into the same family, but Bay Thirteen is the first foal of the mare. I just thought that this filly would fall into bracket that will be appealing to quite a lot of people," he said.
"She's a young mare, so with what are seeing, there is a bit more to offer there."
Refuge Bay is out of America Bay (Fastnet Rock), an unraced three-quarter sister to G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Nechita (Fastnet Rock), who cost Coolmore $1.55 million as a broodmare and has produced two stakes winners, including G3 Premier's Cup winner Harpo Marx (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Refuge Bay when racing | Image courtesy of Muswellbrook Race Club
Refuge Bay's third dam is Listed winner Winona (Bluebird {USA}) and the depth of that pedigree was something that Laurie was attracted to when buying Bay Thirteen last year.
"She is by Savabeel out of a Fastnet Rock mare and she has been to Deep Field, and that was the drawcard when we looked at Bay Thirteen last year," he said.
There should be much more to come from the family too with Refuge Bay producing a Castelvecchio filly last year and then going to Coolmore's Justify (USA).
Laurie said the price of $130,000 seemed a very good buy considering the record heat in the market.
Castelvecchio | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
"You are pretty much paying six times that for everything else through this Sale this year, so you can say we have done pretty well," he said.
"I've been strong on quite a few others and haven't been able to get them. It's one of those sales where sometimes it is like being in a candy store with no money to buy anything!"
