From the powerhouse Waikato Stud draft the filly, that entered the auction ring as Lot 109, was tipped to attract plenty of international attention and she lived up to that speculation by attracting an opening bid of $200,000. After a short but intense flurry of activity it was agent Michael Wallace who secured the filly on behalf of his client, the China Horse Club.
While acknowledging his substantial outlay, Wallace admitted he was prepared to
go higher to secure the filly. "You know when you see a quality individual like this filly, with a pedigree to match, that it's not going to be a cheap exercise to buy them," he said.
"We expected there to be plenty of good judges on her and you can see by the action that took place that she was well sought after.
"We had valued her around the mark she reached but after seeing the Banchee filly (lot 58) make $750,000 we felt we might have to go a little higher than we did."
Wallace advised the filly would head back to Australia for her racing career before becoming a member of the quality broodmare band being assembled by her new owners.
Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said he rated her as the Matamata nursery's best filly at Karaka.
"She was definitely the pick and I wasn't going to sell her for any less," Chittick said.
The home-bred Daffodil, by No Excuse Needed, was the champion three-year-old in 2008-09 following her Group One wins in the NZ 1000 Guineas and the Australian Oaks.
She trained on to further top-flight success the following season in the Windsor Park Plate.
Daffodil's first foal is the Pins mare Snowdrop, who has won six races in the Waikato Stud colours from Tony Pike's Cambridge stable. She has also been a dual black type placegetter. – NZ Racing Desk
