Spendthrift Still Rolling on Day 2

Spendthrift Still Rolling on Day 2… 
Just one day after B. Wayne Hughes of Spendthrift Farm dipped his toe into the Australian market for the first time with the purchase of his first yearlings, the influential American-based owner/breeder upped the ante with his highest-priced purchased of the sale thus far. Breaking quickly from the blocks, Spendthrift went to A$650,000 for Lot 194, a filly by Fastnet Rock (Aus) from the Highgrove consignment. Out of the unraced mare Scattered (Aus), the bay is a half-sister to Group 1 hero and millionaire Wanted (Aus) and Group 2 winner Shrapnel (Aus) (Charge Forward {Aus}). 
“Of the horses we saw here, she was my favorite filly,” said Ned Toffey, General Manager of Spendthrift Farm. “She has a very athletic profile, tremendous bone and tremendous substance to her. She has great angles and shoulder to her, lovely deep hip, and an excellent gaskin and hock on her. A lot of the things I look for, she had.” 
During Monday’s opening session, Hughes paid A$550,000 for Lot 16, a colt by Street Cry (Ire) out of Group 2 winner Gallant Tess (Aus) (Galileo {Ire}), and later secured Lot 38, a filly by Fastnet Rock for A$400,000. 
“The exciting thing for me is the opportunity to infuse a little more substance and bone into our broodmare band down the road,” said Toffey. “But first things first, we think she’s an athlete.” 
On day 1, Spendthrift offered its first yearling at public auction Down Under in the form of Lot 120, a colt by Tapit out of the More Than Ready mare More Than Pretty. The half-brother to GSWs Kauai Katie (Malibu Moon) and Winding Way (Malibu Moon) brought A$500,000. 
“We had dipped our toe in this market by breeding More Than Pretty on Southern Hemisphere time in the U.S. and then bringing the yearling down here to sell. That was our primary purpose for coming down, but we thought this was an opportunity to maybe add some different pedigrees to our broodmare band.” 
As for the overall experience the Spendthrift team has encountered during the travels to Australia, Toffey added, 
“We went to the races with Mr. Hughes on Saturday, so this has kind of unfolded as we’ve been here. Mr. Hughes likes very much what he has seen here and so he felt more and more strongly that he wanted to participate.” 
After indicating that Spendthrift’s newly purchased fillies would likely join the operation’s broodmare band down the road, Toffey indicated the Street Cry colt might also forge the way to even more unchartered territory for the team. 
“I think at some point, event though we haven’t shuttled stallions, this might be the first step into the shuttling game,” he said. “He will race here and then see what happens from there. Later on, he might have the opportunity to go to the U.S. and run, or if he is successful here, he might just stay here and start a stud career here. It’s ambitious thinking, but that’s what we’re shooting for.”