NYSS 2004 Top Lot Hits the Track

Last year's sale topping yearling will have his first start exactly one year after he was sold. Darci Brahma (Danehill x Grand Echezeaux) was sold by Pencarrow Stud at the 2004 Premier Yearling Sale for NZ$1,100,000.

Purchased by prominent New Zealand buyer, David Ellis of Te Akau Racing Stables, and now trained by Mark Walker, the colt will have his first start on Monday at Avondale over 1200 metres. His race follows two convincing wins at the trials, the most recent at Paeroa on 13 January.

Darci Brahma is the first foal of the Group 1 winning mare Grand Echezeaux and is from the family of champion racemare, Ethereal. His sire, Danehill, had 11 of his progeny sell at last year's sale for an average of $417,273. At the Magic Millions Sale on the Gold Coast earlier in the month, Danehill was the leading sire with fourteen yearlings sold for an average of A$475,357.

This year's yearling sale, which is set to start on Monday 31 January, features 20 yearlings by the champion stallion. The yearlings are the largest group of Danehill's last crop to go under the hammer in the southern hemisphere following the stallion's untimely death in May 2003.

The New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series runs from Monday 31 January to Monday 7 February 2005. For more information see the New Zealand Bloodstock website at www.nzb.co.nz or phone (09) 298 0055.