A savvy $480,000 investment at the MM run Edinburgh Park Dispersal last year by astute pinhooker Jim Carey paid big dividends on Tuesday when the Newgate consigned Snitzel filly from Serena Bay sold for $1.25million to be the highest priced filly sold on the first day of Magic Millions.
A half-sister to stakes-placed Summer Loving and smart metro winner West of Africa, she is the fourth foal of Group II placed Serena Bay, whose third foal, a two year-old filly by Exceed and Excel called Alinea was an impressive winner at the Canterbury barrier trials this morning following a debut fifth in the Group III ATC Gimcrack stakes last spring.
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“That was like death by 1000 paper cuts, I never thought that was going to end to be honest,” said Sheamus Mills, who was forced to work hard to secure the filly.
“But you’ve got to be staunch with the good ones, don’t you? They stand out and everyone seems to want them.
“I got a little bit of extra incentive when I realised that Gai (Waterhouse) was on it. I think she’s got the last two (out of Serena Bay), including the one that trialled this morning (Alinea), so she’s got to think something of them if she’s punching us along this far.
“Thanks to Gai for that last little bit of incentive.”
The pedigree is on the up and Serena Bay was also sold at the Edinburgh Park Dispersal with Kia Ora Stud securing her for $360,000 empty and she is now in foal to Exceed and Excel.
“I’m sure that mare (Serena Bay) is due a very good horse, looking at the first three (foals to race). Hopefully not only is one of those a good horse, but so is ours,” said Mills.
“I feel that family was seeded a few years ago by Ian Smith and I just feel like it’s going to take off in the next 12 months.”
Mills saw the filly as a weanling at Magic Millions last year and was not convinced, but time has worked wonders turning what he suspected was an ugly duckling into a swan.
“I went back and looked at my notes and I loved everything about her, but I said that she had a bad head,” he reflected.
“Either I got it wrong in the first place, or she grew into the (beautiful) swan as the old nursery rhyme goes.”
