Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis, who looks a certainty to claim his fourteenth consecutive leading buyer title at the annual National Yearling Sale series, was back amongst the main selling action mid-way through day three at Karaka.
Ellis had outlined his plan prior to the sale to secure a triumvirate of well-bred individuals to make up the 2019 Te Akau Colts breeding syndicate.
The colts syndicate concept has worked well
for Te Akau over a number of years with seven individuals going on to make a
career as a stallion after their racing days were completed.
Ellis secured two of the three yearlings he required over the first two days of the sale with the $475,000 purchase of Lot 100, a Written Tycoon colt from the Hallmark Stud draft along with the likely sale-topper, the $1.4million Savabeel colt, Lot 192 from the Waikato Stud draft.
It was Waikato Stud and champion sire Savabeel that provided Ellis with the opportunity to close out this year's syndicate as he outlasted Australian operation Aquis Farm to secure Lot 445, the colt out of Group One winning racemare Suavito, with a final bid of $775,000.
"My colts syndicate is full now," Ellis said.
"We hope that we can win Group One races in New Zealand and Australia now and then stand them at stud.
"That mare (Suavito) was really top-class and it's just nice to have one out of her in our stable.
"I knew he was going to be an expensive horse. He's a precocious Savabeel who will probably be the first of the syndicate to race.
"I believe he will be an ideal horse for the million-dollar race at Ellerslie (Karaka Million 2YO). He's the type of horse we could look to take over for the Sires' Produce (Gr.1 1400m 2YO) and Champagne Stakes (Gr.1 1600m 2YO) at Randwick."
Ellis was adamant that while he had a longer-term perspective for his Karaka purchases it was vital that his clients had the opportunity to race locally for the sort of prizemoney on offer through races such as the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).
"It is a hell of a bonus for my owners to be able to race for a million dollars within 12 months (of the sale)," he said. "It's a real help.
"With our stake money going up soon that will help as well. I can see there is going to be significant changes (locally) by the first of August which will be a huge help for Te Akau Racing."
Ellis reiterated that it was vital for colts, such as the ones he has purchased at Karaka, to add Australian Group One form to their resume if they wished to entertain a career in the breeding barn after racing.
"When we took Darci Brahma over to win a Group One in Australia it was a huge result," he said.
"Firstly, it guaranteed him champion two-year-old status and secondly, to win with a well-bred colt meant we syndicated him at stud for $10million, ten years ago.
"Prices have doubled or even trebled since then so these really well-bred colts, if you can win a Group One with them, they are worth serious money."
Ellis advised there were three shares left in his syndicate which he expected to fill by the end of next week along with finding owners for the other 24 yearlings he has also bought over the three-days of the sale so far. – NZ Racing Desk
