The sales ace will join Ciaron Maher’s mighty stable after Will Bourne, the head of the operation’s Bloodstock division, fought off strong competition to strike the winning blow.
The colt is out of Las Brisas, a British-bred daughter of Shamardal, who was bought by Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s operation for 50,000 guineas from the Castlefarm draft at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2018. In her first year on paddocks in New Zealand she was in the final book of the late Cambridge stallion Tavistock, and the resulting foal was a multiple Group 1 winner Ceolwulf.
Bourne said: “This colt had a lot of power. He was really a yearling sales horse. When we looked at him from behind the saddle, there was a lot of power. There are a few similarities (with Ceolwulf), but I feel like he’s a different horse. He was very imposing. He was a real colt, so hopefully we can bring him home and make something of it.”
During the two days of Book 1 trading, the auction house reported 422 yearlings sold with a clearance rate of 81%. Book 1 reached a record average of NZ$187,257 (US$112,080), up 14%, while the median of NZ$140,000 (US$83,795) also set a new benchmark, being 27% higher than twelve months ago. The total ended at NZ$79,022,500 (US$47,297,762), up 5% from last year.
NZB managing director Andrew Seabrook said their decision to offer a more refined Book 1 offering had been richly rewarded.
“I’m really happy. Sales are up by NZ$3 million and there are 94 fewer horses catalogued. Sales have gone from three days to two days, so to exceed sales by NZ$3 million is huge.
“The support we’ve had over the last few days from Australians (buyers) and a lot of people coming back who haven’t been for a while to support the 100th sale has been fantastic. It’s just gone so well after the Saturday night race meeting with that great atmosphere.
“The crowd yesterday for opening day on Sunday was great, and that continues today. With an 80% clearance rate on sale day, that will continue to rise, but we haven’t done that for a number of years. The average is well around NZ$185,000, and it’s all gone very well.”
The powerful buying combination of Guy Mulcaster and Chris Waller was active during the two days of Book 1 trading at Karaka, netting 10 yearlings for NZ$3,715,000. The most expensive of the cohort was a well-related one To justify colt (lot 471), which they bought for NZ$950,000.
The colt, bred by Coolmore, has an international elite pedigree. He is out of the Zoffany mare Heart To Heart, a juvenile winner in Ireland and a half-sister of Camille Pissarro the 2024 French 2-year-old champion. The classic winning son of Wootton Bassett is about to start his first season at Coolmore Stud.
The Justify youngster is the second foal from the mare, with a colt coming first Frankel after being sold to Busuttin Racing for AU$100,000 at last year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Mulcaster said: “He is a beautiful colt, a real ‘get up and run’ type of Justify. The mother is half of a current stallion who was champion of the 2-year-olds in France. Fingers crossed he could be another Learning To Fly or Storm Boy. We thought he was a lovely horse and have stretched a bit, but we have bought him for a lot of good customers, and fingers crossed he turns out to be a good horse for us.”
The colt will join the Chris Waller stable, with Mulcaster confident the Justify youngster profiles as a sharp, early type.
“Justify is an international sensation, and it’s only a matter of time before we get another Storm Boy or something like that,” Mulcaster added. “He looked like the type to get up and run in front of us. He will be trained by a great trainer and we will have a nice group of owners.”
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