While Knight and the Novarra Park team are fully concentrated on selling their remaining Select session yearlings, results for their freshman stallion Jakkalberry during the two days of the Premier session will mark their 2017 Karaka experience a great success.
Buoyed by a steady stream of enquiry from some of the heavy hitters in the
Australasian thoroughbred industry leading up to the 2nd day of the Premier
sale, Knight admits he was nervous as the first of two Jakkalberry colts on offer
prepared to step into the auction ring."You just never quite know how things will go even when all the signs are good beforehand," he explained.
"We had a very strong performance at the weanling sale last year with the first of our Jakkalberry's so the talk was very positive around the type of individual he leaves. We'd also had plenty of sale-ground inspections and the like but as the first colt went into the ring I was holding my breath a little."
That apprehension turned to delight as Lot 259, the colt from Generous mare Lioness fetched $100,000 to the bid of well known local agent Phill Cataldo. A half brother to the ill-fated Gr. 1 Victoria Derby winner Lion Tamer, the athletic colt is also a half to the unbeaten mare Let Me Roar with multiple Group One winner (My) Blue Denim also featuring in his extended family.
Less than two hours later that delight was multiplied four-fold when retired Australian businessman John Wheeler and Mornington Peninsula-based trainer Jason Warren combined to secure Lot 366, the colt from quality mare Refused the Dance for $440,000. Refused the Dance, the dam of 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient along with Gr. 2 winner and former Windsor Park stallion Guillotine, has proven a difficult mare to breed in recent years with this colt being just her second living foal since producing Guillotine back in 2008.
Knight admitted he had a good feeling once the colt made his way into the ring.
"He just took command and put on a display that drew the attention of everyone around the auditorium," he said.
"He was superb in the way he paraded and I'm sure that really boosted the attraction for him.
"Some horses just shine when they get in front of an audience and he is certainly one of them."
Knight believes that the results garnered from the two colts can only boost the demand for Jakkalberry progeny in the future.
"This is a sale where the market comes to source quality middle distance and staying types," he explained.
"With the Australians knowing how good Jakkalberry was on the track after his effort for third in the Melbourne Cup he is the type of stallion they will look for in a catalogue.
"Breeders can also have confidence that as a sire he can leave an individual that has a real sale ring attraction and that sell well.
"And all off a $6,000 service fee."
Trainer Jason Warren can attest to the power of that attraction as he prepares to take his purchase back home to Australia.
"John's plan was to buy two horses at the sale, one for me and one for Danny O'Brien," he revealed.
"He actually bought two on the first day so I expected I would get one of those. Danny said he wanted them both so John said to me he would buy another one."
Warren advised that Lot 366 was his main fancy so the pair set about securing the colt.
"John really wanted to buy a mile and a half horse so after I'd had a look at a few I said to him that if that was what he wanted then this was the horse to buy," he said.
"His plan was to spend about $250,000 but the price went past that before he'd even had a bid.
"At that stage Nick Williams and James Cummings were fighting it out so then John joined in and away it went."
Warren has stayed on at Karaka for the first day of the Select Sale where he is keen to secure a travelling companion for his Premier session acquisition. - NZ Racing Desk
