Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Offered among the Racehorse Supplementaries and catalogued as Lot 72, Watch Me Dance was purchased by Kennewell on behalf of a client he described as ‘a big breeder in the Eastern states.’
“It fits my client's mould and I feel as though we can probably get 12 more months of racing out of her, as to me she is a nice mare that just looks a little bit tired at the moment,” Kennewell told TDN AusNZ.
“You obviously can’t take away the black type from her, which buyers are paying big money for up on the Gold Coast, and we felt that over here she would bring a little bit less, so my client believes it’s not bad value.”
Watch Me Dance and Lloyd Kennewell | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Kennewell confirmed that Watch Me Dance will make her way to Victoria on Tuesday night by air before being sent straight for a spell.
He said a change of scenery could see the 4-year-old bounce back to form after she failed to recapture her brilliant best this time in.
"I do think there’s a little bit of improvement left in her and we’re going to endeavour to get her back to that good level and hopefully get a nice result late spring or early summer,” he said.
"I do think there’s a little bit of improvement left in her (Watch Me Dance) and we’re going to endeavour to get her back to that good level and hopefully get a nice result late spring or early summer.” - Lloyd Kennewell
"There’s no races mapped out yet, I just want to get her home and see her go away and put some weight on and settle into a new environment.”
Watch Me Dance, who also boasts victories in the G3 WATC Champion Fillies S. and G3 WA Sires' Produce S. for trainer Steve Wolfe, was crowned Western Australia's Champion 2-Year-Old and Champion 3-Year-Old during her first two racing seasons.
Bred by Mungrup Stud and purchased by Commercial Bloodstock Services (FBAA) for $34,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Watch Me Dance is a sister to the Listed-placed Hear Me Sing.
Watch Me Dance as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The duo are out of the Listed WATC Aquanita S.-placed Coventry To Rio (Oratorio) and hail from the extended family of G3 AJC Up And Coming S. winner West End (Zephyr Bay).
Overall, the Winter Racehorse Sale grossed $697,000, with eight of the 12 lots offered selling for an average of $87,125 and a median of $15,000.
Fernie pays three-figures for Russian Revolution colt
A colt by Russian Revolution topped the Magic Millions Perth Winter Yearling Sale after selling to Ascot-based trainer Luke Fernie for $200,000.
Fernie, who saddled up Peter and Paul Snowden's last start G1 JJ Atkins S. heroine Sheeza Belter (Gold Standard) at her first three outings, didn’t expect to go beyond $150,000 for Lot 55.
However, he wasn’t willing to leave the Swan Valley complex without the well-related Dawson Stud offering.
Lot 55 - Russian Revolution x Rosie Rocket (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He’s just athletic and looks to me like a ready-made horse that will continue to fill out and furnish a lot more,” Fernie told TDN AusNZ.
“He is a proper horse, has a good page and the stallion is doing everything right at the moment and I’ve got a few others by Russian Revolution in the stable that I have a nice opinion of.”
Fernie, who currently has close to 80 horses on the books, is hoping the colt can stand up and fill the void left by the departure of Sheeza Belter.
While he would like to have the star filly in his care her recent success hasn’t left a bad taste in his mouth.
Sheeza Belter winning the G1 JJ Atkins S. | Image courtesy of Michael McInally
He said Sheeza Belter’s achievements are a vindication of the work he has been putting into his young stock at home and that the filly's owner, Justin Warick, has since sent another six horses his way.
“I reckon it’s fantastic seeing her go over there and fly the flag,” Fernie said.
“She’s a good horse, has always been a good horse and the owners are reaping the rewards for taking the risk and sending her to Peter and Paul (Snowden)."
Lot 55 is a half-brother to Daniel Morton’s dual Group 3-winning heroine Kissonallforcheeks (Written Tycoon). The duo are out of the dual Listed-winning Rosie Rocket (Blackfriars).
Kissonallforcheeks winning the G3 Shaftesbury Avenue H. at Flemington in March | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The second top-price yearling of the day was a Nicconi colt from the draft of Yarradale Stud, selling to Justin Warwick for $60,000.
Lot 2 is out of the three-time winning Northern Meteor mare Sentfromthestars and hails from the family of the G3 Goodwood Vintage S.-placed Shaard (Ire) (Anabaa {USA}).
Lot 2 - Nicconi x Sentfromthestars (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Another offering from the draft of Yarradale Stud proved hot property, with Lot 51, a colt by Darling View Thoroughbreds' stallion Playing God the third most expensive yearling sold.
Knocked down to John Chalmers Bloodstock (FBAA) for $55,000, Lot 51 is a brother to the G1 Railway S.-placed Platoon and hails from the family of Group 1 placegetter Lock The Vault (Bletchley Park {Ire}).
Lot 51 - Playing God x Oriel (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The Yearling Sale grossed $866,000 across 44 lots, for an average of $19,682 and a median of $10,000. The clearance rate was 74.57 per cent.
In comparison, last year’s Yearling Sale grossed $276,500 across 21 lots, for an average of $13,167 and a median of $7500. The clearance rate was 84 per cent that year.
Tajmali tops Thoroughbreds' Sale
The Winter Sale was concluded by the Winter Thoroughbred Sale which was topped by Lot 128, the eight-time winning Tajmali (Galah), who sold to Darling View Thoroughbreds for $40,000.
Offered by Cambana Racing as a breeding proposition only, the mare is closely related to G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) heroine Fontiton (Turffontein), dual Group 3 winner Generation (Snitzel) and G3 Red Anchor S. winner Sartorial Splendor (Brazen Beau).
Tajmali winning at Ascot last November | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
G3 SAJC Breeders’ S. winner Tequila Time (Stratum) features in the third generation of Tajmali’s pedigree.
The top-priced weanling was Lot 157, a filly by Playing God which was secured by Michael Wilson for $47,000.
Lot 157 - Playing God x Passion Cantata (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The Winter Thoroughbred Sale grossed $338,000 across 54 lots, for an average of $6259 and a median of $3500. The clearance rate was 72.97 per cent.
Last year the Winter Thoroughbred Sale grossed $229,500 from 31 lots at a clearance rate of 86.11 per cent.
“We had a wonderful result with Watch Me Dance, that was sensational, the yearlings sold quite well and while it’s a bit tough with the weanlings and the mares we still had some good results,” Magic Millions' Western Australia Manager David Houston told TDN AusNZ.
“You always hope that the clearance rate would be a little bit higher but I was thrilled that we got some big results and hopefully that will inspire people to keep bringing quality stock to the Winter Sale in the future.”
