Almanzor Filly Tops South Island Sale

Media Release - Thursday April 15

New Zealand Bloodstock’s annual South Island Sale saw its second-ever online session conclude on Gavelhouse Plus on Wednesday 14 April. 

Astute kiwi judges were are the forefront of the bidding action last night, with bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo, Te Akau Racing Principal David Ellis, and Roger James and Robert Wellwood’s Kingsclere Stables headlining the cluster of prominent buyers.

Waiting until the last leg of the Sale, Cataldo purchased the final yearling in Lot 63, a filly from an international family by exciting freshman sire Almanzor out of Next (In the Wings) for $85,000. 

$85,000 Almanzor filly from Next.

Offered by Brighthill Farm, she is a half-sister to exciting three-year-old Montre Moi (NZ) (Showcasing) who recently placed third in the 2021 $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) and fourth in the Group Two Waikato Guineas (2000m).

Cataldo, who purchased Montre Moi in partnership with Benner Racing from Brighthill Farm’s Karaka 2019 Book 1 draft for $67,500, was immediately drawn to the performer’s half-sister.  

“As soon as I saw this filly I was immediately interested because of her association with Montre Moi, his run in this year’s Karaka Million 3YO Classic behind Aegon and Amarelinha was just outstanding.”

“Obviously there was an attraction to the filly being by Almanzor and when I saw her at the farm, I was most impressed with her as a type and she vetted well.

“She is bred to be an Oaks filly and she definitely looks like one of Lady (Henrietta) Tavistock’s tried and true international families.

“I bought her for a private breeder in Victoria and she will go over there on the next available flight,” Cataldo said.  

A strong supporter of NZB sales, this time Karaka titan David Ellis was active from behind the screen instead of his usual seat in the auction ring, securing the second highest priced yearling in the online session (Lot 2) for $55,000.

Also offered by Brighthill Farm, Ellis purchased the colt by emerging sire Preferment out of winning race mare Play Me (Nashwan).

Ellis commented on the Tangerine team’s recent addition.

“We have had a lot of luck with our two and three-year-olds, as well as our Classic horses, but I’m pretty keen to buy some more Derby types and I immediately thought this was a 2000 Guineas or Derby colt.”

“There are some really good race results happening in Australia, as we have just seen where New Zealand horses were the first three home in the Australian Derby. 

“I think that Preferment is an exciting sire in the making, with good words being spoken about young horses from his first two crops.

“We will nominate him for the Karaka Million Series and I thought he was very well prepared and an all-round athletic type,” Ellis said.

Te Akau Racing’s recent win with Markus Aurelius (NZ) (Ghibellines) prompted Ellis’ interest in the South Island Sale.

“We have had quite a bit of success buying out of this Sale, highlighted by the recent performance of Markus Aurelius and he will be going into his next start as one of the favourites,” he said.

The third highest purchase of the session was made by Roger James and Robert Wellwood’s Kingsclere Stables who secured Lot 5, a filly by up-and-coming sire Proisir out of Zabeel mare Quella Finale from Rich Hill Stud.

Brighthill Farm was the leading consignor by aggregate, selling the top two lots of the online session.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the result,” Brighthill Farm’s Nick King commented.

“This was a Sale that we specifically targeted with a group of quality horses that were really suited to an Autumn auction.

“To have some of the best judges in the game bidding on and buying our horses via an online sale really gives us great confidence in the platform heading into the future.

“We were quietly confident leading into the Sale due to the sheer number of on-farm parades and to have Te Akau Racing, Phill Cataldo and Kingsclere Stables all purchase horses off us was a great result,” King said.

All unbroken yearlings sold at this Sale are eligible to be nominated for the Karaka Million Series. The Series features two $1 million races – the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), in addition to the $100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup (2200m), which graduates can contest for the duration of their career.

To enquire about Passed In lots contact NZB Sales Representatives Kane Jones (+64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz) or Regan Donnison (+64 21 512 466 or email regan.donnison@nzb.co.nz).

To view the full 2021 South Island Sale results click here.

2021 South Island Sale Statistics

 

Advertisement

Aggregate

$450,820

Average

$14,543

Median

$6,050

Clearance

55%

Catalogued

63

Offered

56

Sold

31

Top Lot

Lot 63, Almanzor x Next, $85,000

Advertisment
More Reading...
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
Coolmore Announce Euro 2025 Fees
Coolmore have announced fees for their 20 strong European sire roster with three new additions City of Troy (Justify), Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact)and Henry Longfellow (Dubawi) and a significant increase for Wootton Bassett, who is currently in Australia.
Melbourne Cup Winner for Extreme Choice – Rare Slice of History
This year’s $8.5million Group I VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) produced a genuinely amazing fairytale result for the connections of five year-old Extreme Choice gelding Knight’s Choice, but part of that fairytale is his sire Extreme Choice, who has carved out something seriously special as being only the second sire in history to produce the winner of a Golden Slipper and a Melbourne Cup.
Before They Were Stars
Spring racing in Australia is in full swing and while many people are studying video with a view to backing winners, others are spending just as much time assessing breeze up footage with a view to finding the next champions to emerge from the NZB Ready to Run Sale, so what does a champion look like?
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
More Aussie Purchases at Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale Day 3
Strong trade continued on the third day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale headed by the two-year-old LA BELLOTA at 425,000 guineas with eight lots realising 200,000 guineas or more and a clearance rate above 90%.
Strong Trade Continues at Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale
Strong trade continued on the fourth day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale with an interesting horse set to join the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald stable as turnover has already soared to be the second highest in the sale’s history with the fifth and final session still to come. 
Oaks Pedigree Preview – Who is Bred to Stay?
The $1million Group I VRC Oaks (2500m) is the highlight at Flemington on Thursday and with all of the fillies on trial at the trip, pedigree can be a good indicator and in a field of 14 that features only two stakes-winners and no Group I winners, it could be a year for an upset result.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.