The daughter of Redoute’s Choice was knocked down to BC3 Thoroughbreds and will be trained in Melbourne by Danny O’Brien.

Bidding on the filly was spirited, opening at $1 million and jumping to $1.5 million before increasing in $100,000 increments.

Bill Vlahos, chief executive of BC3, admitted to a few nerves during the auction but said the price was what he expected.

“At two-and-a-half million I got a little bit wobbly,” Vlahos said.

“We pretty much stuck to our price. We think she’s worth exactly what we paid for her. Too much more and it might not be us owning her.”

O’Brien was delighted to secure her, describing the chance to be involved with such a family as unique.

“It’s very rare a horse like this is offered for auction,” O’Brien said.

“Fillies like this would generally be retained by breeders, anyone lucky enough to breed a filly like this would be very loath to sell it.

“It was really a once in a generation chance to buy a filly like this. Not only obviously the pedigree but she was an outstanding individual herself.”

The $2.6 million yearling is out of Helsinge who has already produced champion Black Caviar and exciting colt All Too Hard, who will chase a Group One win in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

The price smashed the top seller on day one, a Fastnet Rock colt sold to bloodstock agent James Bester on behalf of Coolmore Stud for $1 million.

Ashokan was the most expensive horse that went throught the sale at $810k followed by Jade Marauder and No Looking Back both at $500k.

The cheapest horse to take part in this years running of the Golden Slipper was Doubtfilly who went through the ring at just $17,500 bought by Darby Bloodstock.

Race favourite Samaready was withdrawn from her first sale but was later purchased for $150k by Belmont Bloodstock.

The foal was born at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, on Thursday and weighed in at 130 pounds.

After winning the coveted Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2009, Zenyatta became a crossover sensation in the United States, profiled on the venerable television news program “60 Minutes” and hailed by Oprah Winfrey.

She was retired soon after she was narrowly beaten in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic, that defeat the lone blemish in her scintillating racing career of 19 wins from 20 starts.

The birth of Zenyatta’s foal comes less than two months after Rachel Alexandra, who edged Zenyatta for the 2009 US Horse of the Year award, foaled a colt sired by 2007 and 2008 Horse of the Year Curlin.

The arrivals raise the tantalising prospect of a possible US Triple Crown rivalry between them in 2015 when the country’s top three-year-old horses race for glory at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

New Zealand Bloodstock’s Premier Sale average jumped from $NZ145,985 ($A113,766) at the end of day one to $NZ154,677 over both days, a significant improvement but still down on the 2011 average of more than $NZ174,864.

The median, an important indicator of the middle market, was also significantly down from $NZ140,000 to $NZ120,000, and the clearance rate dropped from 79 per cent to 74 per cent.

“We were very pleased to see the market strengthen from yesterday, with a number of the better pedigreed horses coming through the ring today,” New Zealand Bloodstock co-managing director Petrea Vela said.

“It’s disappointing not to have been able to get the clearance rate up a bit higher but hopefully over the course of the next couple of days there’ll be more sales completed from this session.”

The top priced lot was a Fastnet Rock-Nureyev’s Girl colt, a half-brother to top mare King’s Rose, from the Cambridge Stud draft, which was sold to New Zealand syndicator David Ellis for $NZ1.75 million.

Ellis was the leading buyer, spending $NZ6.26 million on 27 yearlings, while Cambridge Stud was leading vendor for the 31st consecutive year, selling 43 yearlings for a total of $NZ10.8 million.

Fastnet Rock was the leading sire by average, while Lyndhurst Farm was the leading vendor by average.

The three-day Select Sale runs from Wednesday to Friday, and the sale series ends with the Festival Sale on Sunday.

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The head of the Te Akau racing and breeding operation, Ellis bought the Fastnet Rock-Nureyev’s Girl colt from the Cambridge Stud draft at the Karaka Premier Yearling Sale on Tuesday after a bidding battle with Coolmore Stud.

The price had only been bettered by four yearlings in the sale’s history but Ellis says he could be worth much more.

“The fact that he’s by such a great sire out of a Nureyev mare that’s left a Filly of the Year gives this colt terrific potential,” Ellis said.

“If this colt can win Group One races he’s worth real money.”

Ellis’ $1.1 million purchase from 2004, Darci Brahma, was a multiple Group One winner who has more than earned his purchase price through stud fees.

He said not every big buy would be a top horse but the upside when a good horse with a top pedigree was up to Group One level was worth the investment.

“Horses of the quality of Darci Brahma are really hard to find, and that is why when you do hit the jackpot… you have a horse with extreme value,” he said.

The colt will head to Ellis’ Te Akau Stables to be trained by Jason Bridgman.

King’s Rose won the Filly of the Year series in New Zealand last season and won two Group Two races in Melbourne last spring after being transferred to the stable of Peter Moody.

Earlier, Hong Kong buyer Willie Leung paid $800,000 for a three-quarter brother to Australasian champion So You Think.

The $1.75 million colt sale pushed the sale average up to $159,866, still below the 2011 figure of $174,864.

Sir Patrick Hogan’s Cambridge Stud was the leading vendor for the 31st consecutive year.

Despite topping the aggregates again, Sir Patrick said selling wasn’t easy as buyers were being selective, especially as the world economy meant more people were saving their cash.

“I’d have to describe it as being a tough sale, but quality horses have made their money,” he said.

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David Ellis of Te Akau Stud won out in a bidding duel with Irish conglomerate Coolmore to secure the Fastnet Rock colt out of Nureyev’s Girl.

Ellis said he was determined to secure the colt.

“I really wanted him for the New Zealand breeding industry,” Ellis said.

“It is essential we retain horses like this.

“I knew Coolmore would be on and I had my first bid at $1.45 (million).

After a sluggish start on day one, Tuesday’s session got off to a good start with Hong Kong buyer Willie Leung paying $800,000 for a three-quarter brother to weight-for-age champion So You Think.

Ellis said 75 per cent of the sale topping colt had already been sold and he expected to finalise the remaining shares over the next few days.

Prime Minister John Key will open New Zealand Bloodstock’s 86th National Yearling Sales Series on Monday.

The six-day event offers 1444 horses and a three-quarter brother to So You Think is among the headliners.

The colt, offered in the Windsor Stud Park draft, is out of La Souvenir, a daughter of So You Think’s dam Triassic.

“He is a good sized horse and is a very strong and well put together colt,” said stud manager Rodney Schick.

“He ticks all the boxes on type and is hard to fault so we expect him to be very popular.”

The two-day premier sale is followed by the three-day Select Sale of 620 horses and then the one-day Festival Sale of 308 horses.

In 2011, buyers from 11 countries bought 1050 yearlings for more than $NZ88 million ($A68 million).

This year, good money can be expected for the top lots but the world economic uncertainties could test the strength of the overall market.

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The colt being offered in the Windsor Stud Park draft is one of 61 yearlings in New Zealand Bloodstock’s most important sale by the last New Zealand-sired draft of High Chaparral, who took Australasian racing by storm in 2009 and 2010.

High Chaparral produced the Derby winners Monaco Consul and Shoot Out in his first crop but none hit the headlines like So You Think, the winner of five Group Ones in Australia before winning another three in Europe in 2011.

The colt on sale at Karaka is out of La Souvenir, a daughter of So You Think’s dam Triassic.

“He is a fantastic type, he’s a beast,” Rodney Schick, stud manager at Windsor Park Stud, said.

“He is a good sized horse and is a very strong and well put together colt. He ticks all the boxes on type and is hard to fault so we expect him to be very popular.”

The High Chaparrals should be popular but there should also be demand for the stock of Zabeel whose progeny will be key to Cambridge Stud’s effort to be leading vendor by aggregate for the 31st consecutive year.

Among the best lots from the stud of Sir Patrick Hogan are several from the family of top broodmare Eight Carat.

The two-day premier sale is followed by the three-day Select Sale and then the one-day Festival Sale.

The highly sought after High Chaparral colt will go through the ring on Tuesday.

Good money can be expected for the top lots but the world economic uncertainties could test the strength of the overall market.

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The colt is by dual Horse of the Year Curlin (2007 and 2008).

Jess Jackson, owner of Stonestreet Farm in Kentucky, said last March his dream breeding pair would produce a super horse and the product of their mating was born on Sunday afternoon.

The mother and the colt were doing well on Monday when the footage of the baby’s first steps was placed on the farm’s website.

The colt has a patch of white hair on his face and white colouring on the lower part of his hind legs.

“Rachel is a natural mother and took to the colt immediately,” farm manager Gary Megibben said.

Rachel Alexandra became the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness when she beat the boys in the US Triple Crown showdown in 2009.

Curlin won the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2008 Dubai World Cup to earn his Horse of the Year titles.

“I’m thrilled with the good news of Rachel’s safe delivery and health of the handsome colt that resembles her,” co-owner Barbara Banke said.

“This colt represents Jess’ dream to raise and race the best.”

The colt will have a chance to race in the Triple Crown events, which also include the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, as a three-year-old in 2015.

Later this year, Rachel Alexandra is set to be served by 2006 Preakness winner Bernardini.

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The four days of the premium section of the Magic Millions sale grossed 62.57 million for a catalogue of 645 horses compared with the 2011 gross of $63.669 million for 674 lots.

The buying bench was led by Gai Waterhouse who was both a winner and a loser in Saturday’s $2 million Magic Millions Classic fought out by stablemates No Looking Back and Driefontein.

No Looking Back was relegated to second on protest.

Waterhouse, in partnership with James Harron Bloodstock, spent $5.532 million on 22 yearlings while Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds, which syndicated Driefontein, purchased 16 yearlings for $2.197 million.

Star Thoroughbred horses are all trained by Waterhouse.

With a clearance rate of 84.4 per cent and a top price of $960,000, the average was $127,175, up from $123,629 a year ago.

“We’re thrilled with the figures for the sale,” Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said.

“The story of the sale is the clearance and the median price. The clearance rate is outstanding.

“And the average price has increased on last year’s figures – so all in all we’re very happy.”

“Demand on the quality lots was strong and many vendors returned some positive results.”
Arrowfield Stud’s Redoute’s Choice was the leading sire by average with eight lots sold at $255.370 followed by Coolmore’s Fastnet Rock (27 sold at $246,364).

Among Waterhouse’s purchases was a $680,000 colt by More Than Ready out of Aqua D’Amore who Waterhouse trained to win the 2007 Group One Futurity Stakes.

Fellow Sydney trainer Gerald Ryan had to go to $750,000 to buy a full brother to star mare Melito who he took to two wins and four placings at Group One level during the autumn of 2010.

The top priced lot, a Fastnet Rock colt out of Rose Of Cimmaron, was knocked down to bloodstock agents James Bester and Demi O’Byrne.

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