SEARCHING MADE EASY – KEENELAND NOVEMBER 12th October,2004
The 2004 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale features 2,260 broodmares, a figure guaranteed to intimidate many local breeders who fear they are looking for the proverbial “needle in the haystack”.
“Not so,” said Vin Cox, Keeneland's Australasian representative.
“There is an excellent search engine on the Keeneland website, specifically designed to assist breeders with the task of narrowing down the catalogue to suit their needs.”
Users may search by sire, dam, grand-sire, broodmare sire, covering sire and even sire of covering sire, while additional information such as age of the mare and sessions to be searched can also prove useful in locating an appropriate mare in the right price range.
“Of course, to make best use of the search engine you need to know exactly what you are looking for, so consider the local stallions you are planning to use and the bloodlines best suited to compliment those horses,” added Cox.
Given the plethora of Danehill (USA) stallions on offer in Australia, lets conduct a search for mares by Rahy, a Northern Dancer free / proven top class son of Blushing Groom, whose progeny excel on turf and dirt.
The Danehill x Blushing Groom cross has been hot this season, yielding English Derby winner North Light and US Group One winner Light Jig.
The search throws up 14 prospects, but lets delete the three catalogued in the first two sessions (probably out of our price range anyway!) and concentrate on the rest.
Bingo! Lot 4456, OTRA VEZ, four year old mare, started once, in foal to a young Danzig sire in her first season at stud. Her dam is the stakes-winner Autumn Slew, a grand-daughter of stakes-winner Summer Fling, a half-sister to Sommes Sound (USA), the dam of Aussie Group One winners Assertive Lad and Assertive Lass (dam of Gr 1 winner Reset and a $1.3 million yearling in 2004).
What makes a superstar yearling?
There are many factors involved in producing a superstar yearling, but great type and an explosive pedigree are the key ingredients needed to achieve success at the very top end of the market.
Coolmore Australia broke new ground at the 2004 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when they sold a Danehill (USA) colt from Prawn Cocktail (USA) for an Australian record price of $2.2 million.
“When you’ve got the right individual and the pedigree, then you’ve got something special, ”commented Coolmore Bloodstock Manager, Michael Kirwan at the time of sale.
Information provided by William Inglis and Son Ltd shows that of the six yearlings, which have been sold at Easter for $1.5 million or more since 1999, five of them were out of imported mares.
Furthermore, only three fillies have broken the $1 million barrier since 1999, and all were from imported mares highlighted by the Danehill (USA) filly from Sommes Sound (USA), which made $1.5 million in 2002.
While Mother Nature bears sole responsibility for the issue of type, the pedigree element of the equation is firmly in the hands of the individual breeder.
“Very few domestic female families can generate the sort of international interest required to create a $1million yearling,” said Vin Cox, Keeneland's Australasian representative.
“International buyers have a significant impact at our elite yearling sales and they need to see something familiar on the pedigree page to justify spending top dollar on a Southern Hemisphere bred yearling.”
Top class shuttle stallions provide local breeders with a tremendous leg-up to the global market and a visit to the 2004 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale is a must for those seeking to seize the initiative with young mares featuring world-renowned bloodlines.
Aussie Owned Colt makes $1.3 million
Australian interest at Keeneland today centred on the A.P.Indy colt from Warrior Queen, consigned by Eaton Sales as agent for Australian breeder Jim Fleming.
The striking colt proved popular with bidders and was finally secured by Fleetwood/NW Management for US$1,300,000.
Congratulations to Mr Fleming on an outstanding result, said bloodstock agent Vin Cox, who represents the Keeneland organization in Australasia.
A.P.Indy has been hot to trot at this sale, second only to the mighty Storm Cat on the sires averages (3 or more sold) with 13 yearlings averaging US$742,307.
Storm Cat of course, blew everyone out of the water when his slashing colt from Welcome Surprise (a half-sister to A.P. Indy) fetched a whopping $US8 million to the bid of Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori.
The colt set a new record for a yearling sold at Keeneland in September, passing the old mark of $US6.8 million set in 2000, said Cox.
The market has been unbelievably strong, with a further 179 yearlings changing hands to bring the overall gross after two days to US$150,648,000.
Even with just one yearling on offer, ill-fated supersire Danehill (USA) still made a splash at Keeneland. His colt from champion turf mare Fiji was knocked down to Irish agent Demi O’Byrne for $US1,500,000.
O’Byrne also signed the docket at $US1,900,000 for a colt from the first crop of English Derby winner Galileo (IRE), whose oldest Australian progeny are yearlings.
The colt was one of only three lots catalogued by Galileo (IRE), being from the Unbridled mare Regina Maria, a half-sister to two American stakes-winners.
Keeneland September Summary 30 September 2004
Keeneland’s 2004 September Yearling Sale ended with a multitude of records including the highest gross sales in thoroughbred auction history.
During the 14 day marathon sale, Keeneland sold 3,370 horses for $US324,904,300 at an average price of $US96,411. This topped the previous record of $US317,666,000 for 3,461 horses sold during Keeneland’s 1999 November Breeding Stock Sale.
“There almost is no way to describe it,” said Keeneland’s Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “Any way you analyze it, the sale was a tremendous success. It was strong from Day 1 to Day 14.”
In my role as Australasian representative for Keeneland, I was in attendance for most of the sale and the market was phenomenal to say the least.
Bloodstock agent John Ferguson was the leading buyer, signing the dockets for 54 yearlings to the tune of a staggering $US33,930,000, or $47.3 million in Aussie dollars, close to the worth of an entire Easter or Magic Millions catalogue in one fell swoop.
Next on the leading buyers list were Irish agent Demi O’Byrne, Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori and the Shadwell Estate Company. All of the top four buyers have purchased previously at the major Australian yearling sales proving once again how international the bloodstock market has become.
Vin Cox Bloodstock appeared on the buyers list at Keeneland September for the first time when we secured a Forest Wildcat filly from the stakes-winning producer Hot Princess, the dam of five winners including champion European three year old Rodrigo de Triano.
Purchased on behalf of a private client for $US75,000, we consider her to be a terrific buy given the residual value of her pedigree and she will be broken in shortly to pursue a racing career, most likely in Europe where her relatives achieved their stakes success.
Swettenham Stud Stakes to Group One 30 September 2004
Recent amendments to a number of Australian Group and Listed races by the Australian Pattern Committee (of which I am a member) included the upgrading of five races to Group One status, namely the AJC T.J. Smith Stakes, BTC Cup, VRC Empire Rose Stakes, STC Queen of the Turf Stakes and SAJC Swettenham Stud Stakes.
Three of the upgraded races are restricted to fillies and mares, a deliberate move designed to address the chronic lack of Group One events for the older mares.
While most people are accepting of the upgrade for the Empire Rose and Queen of the Turf, there have been a few raised eyebrows over the Swettenham Stud Stakes, a 1200 metre race that we firmly believe is deserving of Group One status.
Past winners and place-getters of this race suggest the required depth of quality to merit an upgrade, despite their lack of acknowledged Group One performance, a fact that cannot be held against these girls given the complete absence of opportunity for them to attain Group One form while competing in their own class.
We are confident that the best female sprinters in the land will now target the SAJC Swettenham Stud Stakes as the premier distaff sprint.
Two Year Olds Are Up and Running 30 September 2004
It certainly is a most exciting time of year with so many of our yearling purchases now hitting the tracks as new season two year olds.
Already a number of our youngsters have made it to the trials, an achievement in itself given the many physical hurdles, which can sideline a young horse in the early stages of their racing career.
The Flying Spur filly DAHLEAH (2004 Magic Millions $200,000) appeals as a very speedy type with two wins from two trials, her latest in the second fastest time of the morning. Trained by Garry Frazer, she is a half-sister to the stakes-winners Camena and Jai’s Jump from the Star Watch mare Soda Watch.
She is nominated for the first Sydney juvenile fillies event of the season (AJC Gimcrack Stakes L) this Saturday and we anticipate a bold showing.
MASTER MARINER (2004 Magic Millions $57,500) has also been quick to find his feet for the Frazer stable, winning in convincing fashion at his second trial appearance at Randwick. An eye-catching chestnut by Perugino (USA), he has already been gelded and has racehorse written all over him.
Gary Portelli has been very impressed with the Beautiful Crown (USA) filly CHAUD ROCHE (2004 Classic $28,000), who showed race sense beyond her years when weaving through the field to win her only trial after missing the start. The filly has now gone for a short break, but we are really pleased with everything she has done.
Another Portelli trained filly HARLEQUIN ROSE (2004 Premier $42,500) is also going in the right direction. The Rory’s Jester filly is very typical of the breed and has been transferred to the Melbourne stable run by Gary’s brother Troy and will hopefully race during the next few weeks.
Also from the Portelli camp there have been positive reports on LETTER OF INTENT (2004 Classic $50,000) and CUERDALE (2004 Magic Millions $50,000), who finished down the track in the AJC Breeder’s Plate L.
A big leggy colt by Danehill Dancer (IRE), Cuerdale was all at sea in the 1000 metre scamper but will be greatly improved for the experience and with a spell under his belt should return as a really nice horse.
Letter of Intent is also off to the paddock after finishing fourth in his first barrier trial to Breeder’s Plate winner Snitzel. The son of Commands was feeling the effects of shin soreness and his trial effort is not really indicative of his true ability.
GIANT’S CAUSEWAY TOPS SESSION THREE 16th September,2004
Strong demand for the progeny of exciting young sire Giant’s Causeway (USA) continued at Keeneland today, when he topped the third session at $US750,000 with a cracking bay colt from stakes-placed President’s Girl.
“Giant’s Causeway has been extremely popular at this sale and his first crop of Southern Hemisphere yearlings are going to be a highlight at Australasian sales next year,” said bloodstock agent Vin Cox, who represents the Keeneland organization in Australasia.
After three sessions Giant’s Causeway (USA) has had 42 yearlings sell at an average price of $US379,094 including three which broke the million dollar barrier.
Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) has been right there with his Coolmore stablemate, represented by 28 yearlings which sold at an average of $US381,071, highlighted by a glorious filly on the first day for $US1.5 million.
Another of the Coolmore team, Tale of the Cat (USA), has also been most consistent with 15 yearlings averaging $US273,466. His top seller at $US675,000 was the half-sister to champion two year old filly Phone Chatter.
Darley Stud owned Elusive Quality (USA) provided the second highest priced offering during the third session, a sensational colt from the Danzig mare Dazzling Bright, which fetched $US650,000.
Overall, Elusive Quality (USA) has had nine yearlings sell at an average price of $US220,555.
Darley running mate, Fantastic Light (USA), had just four yearlings (all fillies) catalogued from his first Northern Hemisphere crop and they all sold well, averaging $US252,500 with the highest an attractive bay filly from the Storm Cat mare Spring Pitch for $US400,000.
For full results and statistics log on to keeneland.com
Storm Cat to Sizzle 6 September 2004
Twenty one year old sire Storm Cat is the most expensive stallion standing in North America this year with an advertised fee of $US500,000.
His progeny are a regular fixture in Group One events on both sides of the Atlantic and command instant attention when produced as yearlings in the sale ring.
“Storm Cat was the leading sire by average at Keeneland last year with 12 yearlings generating nearly $US11.5 million at an average price of $US956,666,” said bloodstock agent Vin Cox, who represents the Keeneland organization in Australasia.
Storm Cat is credited with producing the three highest priced colts ever sold at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale:
$US6.8 million (2000) Tasmanian Tiger
$US6.4 million (2001) Van Nistelrooy (USA)(shuttles to Trelawney Stud in NZ)
$US5.5 million (2001) Alajwad
This year Storm Cat has 27 yearlings catalogued for sale including a cracking colt from Bless (Lot 455), an unraced full sister to Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (USA).
“He is a well built son of Storm Cat, somewhat like Tale of the Cat and bred along very similar lines,” said Australian, Byron Rogers, now working in America for Taylor Made who will offer this exciting colt.
Another Storm Cat youngster of interest to the local market is Lot 224. The chestnut filly is from English Group One winner Catchascatchcan, a half-sister to Australian based producer Isle of Pines (GB), the dam of stakes-winners Tall Timbers and Taken, both prepared by popular Victorian trainer Danny O’Brien.
