Australian trainer Peter Moody and Hamilton’s Debbie Rogerson have made the biggest early hits at the Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka in New Zealand.
Moody went to $NZ470,000 ($A444,045) to secure a More Than Ready-Lovetrista colt, while Rogerson spent $NZ450,000 ($A425,150) on a Cape Blanco-Love Diamonds filly.
The colt Moody bought was from a three-quarter sister to Viking Ruler and Kempinsky.
“We probably paid a little bit more than I would have liked, but that’s always the case,” Moody said.
“He fit the bill of a nice colt that we’d like to have in the yard. He’s got a lovely pedigree and if he strikes a bit of form and runs like we hope he can then the sky’s the limit.”
Rogerson said she was determined to come away with the Love Diamonds filly.
“As they say, you should buy the ones you really like. She was the pick of the fillies we saw,” Rogerson said.
“She was a really beautiful walker and mover, had a good head on her, and had a really nice attitude.”
Rogerson said she’d already syndicated 80 per cent of the filly, many of whom were in Maritimo, a group three-placed two-year-old who ran in Sunday’s Karaka Million.
Both top-priced lots were from the draft of Cambridge Stud, which later on Monday will offer the last Zabeel yearling to be sold at auction.
