'The best filly I've ever seen at Karaka' - Ellis goes to NZ$1 million to secure Fastnet Rock filly

A million dollar filly by Fastnet Rock brought the curtain down on Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, with the auction’s star attraction set to join the stable where another horse by Coolmore’s Australian champion sire was trained.

The Curraghmore-consigned NZ$1 million (£524,000/€595,000) filly, who came in for competition from New Zealand’s biggest buyer in Te Akau’s David Ellis and an array of international agents, was the high point in the closing session which peaked late on day three of NZB’s premier offering for 2023.

Six other horses sold for NZ$400,000 or more on Tuesday in a market where Australian and Hong Kong buyers, the former traditionally controlling the biggest share of the spend at Karaka, all shared a piece of the top-end action.

Turnover hit NZ$70.063m at the close of the Book 1 sale - a figure that exceeded not only the past two pandemic-affected Karaka yearling sales but also that of 2020 and was the most traded since 2018 - while the average and median increased to NZ$151,980 and NZ$130,000 respectively.

The clearance rate rose to 79 per cent, up three per cent after day two, as more horses were sold in the ring and deals reached afterwards, with 461 horses sold over the past three days.

In Tuesday’s session, Ellis put a million dollar full stop on his 2023 spending spree, and that of the Karaka sale, by adding the expensive daughter of Fastnet Rock to his extensive haul. This went a long way to ensuring the Te Akau principal retained his coveted leading buyer crown for an 18th consecutive year and gave the syndicator added arsenal for next year’s NZ$1m Karaka Million, a race the industry juggernaut has won for the past seven years.

The sale-topper, the most expensive filly Te Akau has ever purchased, caused Ellis to make the bold statement that the seven-figure lot had the potential to be one of the best credentialled horses he’s bought during his decades-long involvement in the thoroughbred industry.

“I had a good chat with Karyn [Fenton-Ellis, wife] this morning and I said this was the best filly since 1988 that I have seen on this ground,” said Ellis.

“I have purchased some very good fillies over the years. Avantage was by the same sire. I have had a lot of success with the fillies I have bought from this sale and I am predicting publicly that I have never bought a better filly.

“She was just perfect. She has a beautiful pedigree and the mare had a lot of speed. I saw the mare’s foal [by Pierro] at Coolmore Stud in December and that is a cracker. 

“There is so much to like about this filly and I can’t wait to get her into training.”

US-based Kiwi agent Michael Wallace, who has been acting for Singapore-based global racing and breeding investor Gandharvi Racing’s Kuldeep Singh Rajput, was believed to be the underbidder.

She is the second foal out of the former Bjorn Baker-trained stakes-placed mare Test The World, who won four races in succession and six in total, before being retired to stud.

“I think she will make a two-year-old, she is a definite Sires’ Produce filly and is a filly we would like to take to Melbourne as a three-year-old and have a crack at those big races,” said Ellis.

“The good thing about this filly is that there are two one-million-dollar races for her that are restricted to horses that came from this sale [Karaka Million 2YO and Karaka 3YO Classic].”

Bred by Tom Magnier at Coolmore, the filly’s year older sister was bought for A$425,000 by trainer Annabel Neasham and Brian McGuire at the 2022 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

“This one is out of a Testa Rossa mare, which reflects, in my opinion, a lot of speed,” said the Te Akau chief. “This filly’s mother was a very fast filly and I think she will be a really good broodmare. 

“When you buy one from Coolmore Stud you know you have got a great chance because they are reared in such a great environment.”

Te Akau’s Mark Walker, who is on target to break the New Zealand record for the most domestic wins by a trainer, will prepare the squad of 27 yearlings bought this week for the ‘Tangerine Machine’.

Ellis spent NZ$6.115m on the 27 yearlings in Book 1. 

Waikato Stud was the leading vendor by aggregate, selling 52 yearlings for a combined NZ$7,742,500, while topping the vendors' charts on average at the end of Book 1 was Brent and Cherry Taylor’s Trelawney Stud, which achieved a 100 per cent clearance, selling 12 yearlings for an average spend of NZ$248,333. This was highlighted by Lot 294, a Too Darn Hot colt who made NZ$750,000 on Monday.

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