Tartan Bearer Colt Tops Karaka Select Sale
A former Epsom Derby runner-up who once commanded a mere 50,000gns as a stallion prospect emerged from well under most people’s radar to make the headlines at Wednesday’s inaugural session of the Karaka Select Sale. Tartan Bearer (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}), the winner of the 2008 G2 Dante S. and second to New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Derby, had only one yearling on offer at Karaka, and that colt (lot 610) smashed the sale’s previous record when knocked down for NZ$525,000 to South Australian trainer Philip Stokes.
Overall trade on day one of the three-day Select Sale was solid, with the average price reaching NZ$52,019, up 13% on last year’s final figure, and the median sitting at NZ$36,000, up from NZ$35,000, with a clearance rate of 74%. The aggregate for 135 horses sold from 207 horses catalogued was NZ$7,022,500. “It’s been a great start to the Select Sale,” commented NZB’s Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela. “The top lot exceeded everyone’s expectations and just shows what can happen when two people have their hearts set on an outstanding individual.”
“Beyond the excitement of the record price, the day’s selling was very strong,” Vela continued. A lot of international buyers have stayed on from the Premier Sale and have been very active today [Wednesday]. At the same time, we have seen domestic trainers, who have enjoyed a great success from this sale, step up their activity as well.”
A full-brother to G1 2000 Guineas and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. hero Golan (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}), Tartan Bearer raced for Michael Stoute in the colors of his breeder, Ballymacoll Stud. The flashy chestnut ran only eight times over three seasons, and was forced into retirement in Sept. 2010 when failing to recover from on injury sustained when runner-up to his stablemate and fellow color-bearer Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) in the previous year’s G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. It was first announced that the colt had been sold to a stud career in Lybia, yet political unrest in the country meant that the deal never materialized. Instead, Tartan Bearer spent the summer in Ireland before making the shorter trip to Newmarket for the 2011 Tattersalls December sale, where Turkish agent Omer Halim Aydin snapped him up for a scarcely believable 50,000gns on behalf of the Turkish Jockey Club. As bad luck would have it, that plan, too, fell through.
Turkey’s loss, however, turned out to be Hallmark Stud’s gain. The Te Kauwhata-based farm has been standing Tartan Bearer for NZ$5,000 since the 2012 South Hemisphere season. The horse is owned by Hong-Kong based Andrew Chui Koon Ming, who boards mares at Hallmark and has been breeding most of them to his stallion. The Karaka sale-topper is one of only 12 foals from Tartan Bearer’s first crop. He is out of Pink Pier (Aus) (Galileo {Ire}), already the dam of the talented Thunder Fantasy (Aus) (Lucky Owners {NZ}), a Group 2 winner and runner-up in the G1 Rosehill Guineas in Chui’s colors.
The colt will remain in Hong-Kong hands as successful bidder Stokes said to be acting on behalf of Kong Kong businessman Thomas Li, whose Australian string includes last year’s G1 Emirates S. winner Hucklebuck (Aus) (Elvstroem {Aus}) and Group 3 scorer Eclair Big Bang (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}). Stokes sole other purchase at Karaka so far this week has been a half-brother to Eclair Big Bang for NZ$130,000.
Stokes told breednet.com, “Thomas said to me he was keen on the colt so I went and had a look at him although I didn’t really know too much about his sire. Once I saw him, I had him out a few times and was impressed with what I saw and when you see what the female side of his pedigree has done, there is plenty to like about him.” Regarding the colt’s future plans, Stokes offered, “He looked like a good type of staying horse. We’ll give him the time and aim him for the likes of Derbies.”
The previous record at the Select Sale was NZ$300,000, set in the bumper year of 2008, the year that the Select Sale’s record aggregate, average and median prices were set which still stand today. The figure of NZ$525,000 was the third highest price at Karaka this week, with only two yearlings at the Premier Sale selling for more.
In addition to the Tartan Bearer colt, three lots fetched prices in excess of NZ$200,000 during Wednesday’s session, when only one horse had surpassed that mark a year ago. A son of the recently deceased O’Reilly (NZ), from the ever-popular draft of Waikato Stud (lot 455), sold for NZ$240,000 on a bid from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Arrowfield Stud’s first season sire Smart Missile (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), whose yearlings sold for up to A$700,000 at Magic Millions earlier this month, was responsible for the third-highest priced yearling at Karaka yesterday (lot 500), a colt consigned by Wellfield Lodge who went the way of Palmerston North trainer Mike Breslin for NZ$220,000. The fourth horse to reach NZ$200,000 was lot 560, a Thorn Park (Aus) colt out of the imported mare Naturally (Ire) (Mtoto), purchased by NZB as agent for a Queensland-based client from Lime Country Thoroughbreds.
Selling continues on Thursday, with lots 651 to 850 going through the ring from 11:00am.