Sir Owen Glenn has bought the first half-million dollar yearling at Karaka in 2015 as selling warmed up at the start of the second day.
Bloodstock agent Paul Moroney paid exactly $500,000 on Sir Owen’s behalf for a High Chaparral filly out of Alma Star from the Westbury Stud draft.
The previous top price for the sale was for a $470,000 More Than Ready-Lovetrista colt sold on Monday.
The filly is from the same family as Atlantic Jewel and Commanding Jewel, and Moroney said there were physical similarities with the yearling.
Moroney said Glenn fell in love with the filly when he saw her on Monday and paid more than he originally planned.
Glenn did well in 2014 with Australian Derby winner Criterion and is already planning for the horse’s career as a stallion, Moroney said.
“The horse will be going to stud at some time and he’s looking at buying some fillies to race with the potential after their careers to be mates for Criterion,” he said.
“We see that Criterion will cross with anything. He’s an outcross so we can then have quite a broad spectrum of pedigrees that we can look at.”
The filly is likely to be trained in Australia, possibly with Criterion’s current trainer David Hayes or Chris Waller.
She was the top seller early on day two at Karaka, with early lots sold also including a $420,000 So You Think-Better Alternative colt, a $400,000 Fastnet Rock-Allez France colt and a $380,000 Cape Blanco-Alagant Satin filly.
It follows a first day in which the average sale was $145,866.
