Blueblood Fillies Continue Cracking Pace

Two royally-bred fillies are among the highest priced yearlings at Day 2 of Karaka 2018 with a Tavistock filly fetching $750,000 and a Fastnet Rock filly following suit when purchased for $725,000.

Cambridge Stud prepared the daughter of Tavistock who came through the ring at Lot 159. The bay filly is out of the outstanding stakes-winning Danehill mare Diamond Like who has produced two Group winners in Forever Loved (NZ) (High Chaparral) and Zephyron (NZ) (Zabeel) along with stakes performed siblings Zenella (NZ) (Zabeel) and Ardeche (Dehere).

The filly also has the redoubtable Tristalove as her grand-dam with her Group One performers including Viking Ruler, Lovetrista and Kempinsky.

Peter Moody who is among a strong Australian buying bench acquired the filly with the top bid at $750,000 under his Moody Racing banner.

“She’s a lovely filly from a family that speaks for itself,” commented Moody.

“She’s one of those magical fillies that has a page to match. We’re looking to put a few nice fillies together, my wife and a few clients, that we can race back in Australia.

“She will stay here and get broken-in like we traditionally do with our New Zealand fillies – we’ve always had good success doing it. Then she’ll head to Australia come October or November.

Less than 15 lots later, the Hallmark Stud consigned Fastnet Rock filly entered the ring at Lot 172 attracting further interest from the international bench.

She fetched $725,000 from regular Karaka visitor Adrian Nicoll, principal of BBA Ireland, for an international syndicate.

“She’s a beautiful filly – the best individual I saw here,” Nicoll said. “I thought she might go for more than $600,000 and less than $800,000, so I was happy to go to $725,000 for her.

“Being a full-sister to a Group One winner, it just became a no-brainer. 

“She’ll be going to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. We’ve put a partnership together, which includes the Niarchos family.

“It’s a similar group to the one we put together for a Frankel colt we bought a couple of years ago.”

An experienced agent, Nicoll also purchased the unbeaten stakes-winning colt Long Leaf (Fastnet Rock) under BBA Ireland at the Sale last year for $750,000.