NZ$1.1 million for Amarelinha, bought by Cambridge Stud

Cover image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk

The outstanding race filly Amarelinha, now a 5-year-old daughter of Savabeel from the O’Reilly (NZ) mare Hopscotch (NZ), was sold online on Wednesday evening by Gavelhouse Plus, fetching NZ$1.1 million when selling to Cambridge Stud.

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It proved a celebrated local result, the mare’s future remaining in New Zealand, and Henry Plumptre, the CEO of Cambridge Stud, admitted he was slightly surprised that they got her.

“I was surprised because we were outbid a couple of times,” he said, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “And it wasn’t the first time. We had a pretty decent go at Entriviere and we managed to run second or third on her, so it was quite nice to get Amarelinha within range.”

Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) was offered on Gavelhouse Plus earlier this month, selling in a fierce bidding duel to Yulong Stud who edged out Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s Cambridge Stud for a final price of NZ$900,000.

Only weeks before that again, Yulong had bought the Galileo (Ire) mare Baggy Green, the dam of Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), from the Valachi Downs dispersal for NZ$1.75 million.

“Around that mark, NZ$1 million, is pretty good currency on the international market for a Group 1 winner,” Plumptre said about the purchase.

Filly of the Year

Five-year-old Amarelinha was bred by Waikato Stud from one of its best female families. Her dam, Hopscotch, is a half-sister to the four-time Australian Group 1 winner Metal Bender (NZ) (Danasinga).

In a stellar career, Metal Bender won the G1 Rosehill Guineas, G1 Randwick Guineas and G1 Doomben Cup. A few years’ hiatus then produced a victory in the G1 George Ryder S. in 2012.

This is also the second-dam pedigree of Newgate’s young resident, North Pacific, and the dual Group 3 winner Missybeel (NZ) (Savabeel), who sold for $800,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Also included on this page is the Deep Field colt Sweet Ride, who won this year’s G3 San Domenico S.

As a yearling, Amarelinha was sold by Waikato Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2019 to David Ellis’ Te Akau Racing for NZ$300,000, after which she decorated her page even further with a brilliant, three-season career under trainer Jamie Richards and, later, Mark Walker.

She won the G2 Eight Carat Classic, G2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic and G3 Sunline Vase and, at the pinnacle of things, the 2021 G1 New Zealand Oaks. She won five races from 16 starts for three seconds, and, last year, she was crowned New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year with her four distinct, high-achieving victories.

Amarelinha was the sixth filly in 15 years to win the title for Te Akau Racing, following on from previous victors Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago), King’s Rose (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice), Insouciant, (NZ) (Keeper), Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago) and Shikoba (NZ) (Chief Bearhart {Can}).

“Amarelinha is one of the best 3-year-old fillies we’ve ever had in the stable,” said Te Akau principal David Ellis when it was announced that he would be selling his top filly on Gavelhouse Plus. “She’s won from 1300 metres to 2400 metres and, right through her Classic season, her form was outstanding.

“She’s one of the best types of Savabeels I’ve ever seen and is bred on that famous Savabeel–O’Reilly cross. I’m certain she will make a really good broodmare.”

Straight to Almanzor

On Wednesday evening, Gavelhouse bidding was spirited in the final hour of the sale. Up to that point, Amarelinha had sat at NZ$500,000, give or take, but her final price of NZ$1.1 million occurred quickly.

For Henry Plumptre, it was a purchase that just had to happen.

“We have quite a lot of horses at Te Akau and, with Jamie (Richards) training her, we’d had conversations with him about Amarelinha and Entriviere,” he said. “We’d followed their careers pretty closely, as you do when you’re involved in a top yard.

“We’d thought about buying her when she was racing, but obviously a Te Akau Racing syndicate operates where David doesn’t really like to sell them when they’re racing, and particularly her. She was a very good race mare and a good 3-year-old, and she was a gorgeous-looking filly. We only talked about it, not getting any further.”

For Cambridge Stud, Amarelinha had been on the radar for a long time. Plumptre had thought the mare might end up at a Magic Millions National Sale, and the fact of her not going there, he thinks, has worked in their favour.

“It means that she’ll stay in New Zealand now for a couple of years, at least,” he said.

Plumptre confirmed that Amarelinha will head to Cambridge Stud’s resident shuttler Almanzor (Fr) this season.

“When buying important mares like her, or retiring important mares like Probabeel, backing our own stallions is a key consideration for us,” he said. “This mare will go to Almanzor, as will Probabeel, and she’s got no Danehill in her pedigree, which makes her a very easy commodity to mate for us. She could go to Hello Youmzain next year if we think it’s the right physical mating.

“We’d like to give those two stallions the best platforms to make their careers successful, but we might change that plan in three or four years’ time. We might decide there’s a horse in the Hunter Valley we want to go to, but in the immediate, we will back our own stallions.”

Plumptre said the Almanzor mating will come with a few considerations for Amarelinha. She’s a big enough mare and the French shuttler does produce big foals himself.

“But we don’t think she’ll have a massive first foal, and it’s a lovely pedigree cross,” Plumptre said.

All things considered, Wednesday’s sale was a strategic success for Cambridge Stud. The online market has become as competitive as the sale ring this year, and Plumptre said it was something that the team discussed on the morning of the event.

“We basically put parameters around these mares,” he said. “We talk about it, we put a proposal together and we try to follow those guidelines. We were a little light on Entriviere and we missed out, and it’s difficult to value these top mares above NZ$1 million, but I put Amarelinha in that NZ$1 million to NZ$1.5 million bracket.

“If you can buy them as close to NZ$1 million as you can, they’re very good buying, and buying into this family is priceless. It’s one of Waikato’s signature families, and there’s a lot of young females working for this family, which is what we’re looking for now.”

Amarelinha bang on

Gavelhouse confirmed on Wednesday night a ‘torrent of overseas interest’ in Amarelinha, the online auction house saying that five international buyers had pursued the mare through bidding.

For Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis, it was yet another thrilling online experience.

“I’m delighted for the owners of this mare who supported Karyn and me when we bought Amarelinha at auction three years ago,” he said. “We paid NZ$300,000 for her and she won the Oaks and all those other great races, plus NZ$50,000 worth of bonuses for winning the title of New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year.

“To have all of that capped by this result this evening, it’s hugely satisfying and we’re thrilled for the owners.

“But I think the most exciting part of it for me is that Cambridge Stud bought her, she’s staying in New Zealand and she’ll go to Almanzor, a stallion we rate very highly and know a bit about thanks to his Karaka Million-winning son, Dynastic.”

At Gavelhouse, the sale whipped in a sensational run of results for Te Akau horses since last year.

Gallery: Some of the sensational results Te Akau have had selling through Gavelhouse, images courtesy of Gavelhouse

In September 2021, the brilliant Avantage (Fastnet Rock) was sold for a world-record setting NZ$4.1 million when going to Coolmore via Gavelhouse, while the Not A Single Doubt mare Exaltation (NZ), a half-sister to Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), fetched NZ$560,000 in March, followed by Entriviere’s NZ$900,000 earlier this month.

“It’s another fantastic result for us through Gavelhouse Plus,” Ellis added. “Overall, over the last 14 months, we’ve sold horses for a total of around NZ$20 million, which is unbelievable.”

For Plumptre, the online results have spoken for themselves.

“The fact that these mares are making pretty close to what they’d be making in the auction ring is a very good sign for the online market,” he said. “I think all the online platforms are pretty well-established and they’re doing it well, and they’re run well.

“I think if you look at the physical-sale results of the last two years with New Zealand stakes winners (mares) at Group 1 level, Amarelinha’s result tonight (Wednesday) is right there in the middle. The Group 2 winners are making NZ$750,000 to NZ$800,000, and the Group 1 winners are making a million-plus.

“Mares like Melody Belle and Avantage are making much more than that, but they were multiple Group 1 winners so they’re entitled to.”