Pierro Colt Tops Day 1 of New Zealand's Karaka Sale

A NZ$900,000 (US$538,652) colt with the potent Pierro-Redoute's Choice cross has the honor of being the highest-priced lot ever sold by Westbury Stud and the most expensive horse on the opening day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.

The Jan. 26 session-topper, one of 14 horses to make NZ$300,000 ($179,551) or more, was purchased by agent Garry Carvell on behalf of an undisclosed client after strong competition from multiple bidders.

The Pierro colt surpassed the benchmark set earlier in the day for a Savabeel colt who made NZ$800,000 ($478,802) and is heading to the Te Akau Racing stable of Jamie Richards. 

Westbury Stud general manager Russell Warwick was delighted with the record result achieved for the colt who is the sixth foal out of the twice-winning mare Our Squeezer, who is a Redoute's Choice half sister to champion stayer Bonneval. She is also a half sister to group winners Lord Arthur, Imposing Lass, Full of Spirit, and Lady Cumquat.

"I couldn't be more pleased for my clients who are based in Sydney," Warwick said. "Peter Newsom, Mac Whitehouse, and Tony Wales have entrusted me with managing their mares and matings, and it is just great that we have had such a result. 

"We have worked together now for going on 30 years, and they love their racing and breeding, although their mare band is down to six these days. They are breeders as well as owners. They bred all five stakes winners from Imposingly, including Bonneval, who was purchased by Waikato Stud for a large sum at the end of her racing career. They also bred Sedecrem, who was trained by Colin Jillings and was an outstanding sprinter-miler. It is good for Westbury but even better for our good clients."

Hiwi Lodge principal Gary Carvell admitted he thought he might have had to break the seven-figure sum to buy the colt.

"He's by a sire who's booming, and the cross with Redoute's Choice mares produces plenty of winners and stakes winners," Carvell said. "He's a lovely horse, and they aren't easy to find. When you go through the sales in Australia, there were only two or three colts out of Redoute's Choice mares."

Australian group 1 winners Levendi, Arcadia Queen, and Regal Power are among eight stakes scorers by Pierro out of Redoute's Choice mares.

Ellis Keeps Backing Savabeel With $800,000 Purchase

David Ellis, buoyed by Te Akau's Karaka Million double at Ellerslie to continue the stable's dominance of the twilight feature meeting, was arming himself with new stock at Karaka to target toward next year's $1 million sales-restricted race.

The leading buyer at Karaka for the past 14 years, Ellis again held his own against an international bench with the outright purchase of 11 yearlings on Day 1, headed by an NZ$800,000 colt by champion stallion Savabeel.

Te Akau has now won the past four Karaka Million 2-year-old races, and Probabeel became the first horse to complete the juvenile/3-year-old classic double.

Ellis outlasted the powerful Hawkes Racing team, the leading buyer at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale this month, to secure the Savabeel colt.

"When we were looking at our notes on this horse this morning, my budget was $600,000, but Mark (Walker) said to me, 'You won't get him for less than $800,000,'" Ellis said. "As usual, Mark was dead-on. He's a beautiful colt, and, interestingly, the genetic experts say the genetic cross is as high as you could ever get. When you combine that with his athleticism, then we think he will be in the (Karaka Million 2-year-old race) next year."

The high-priced colt is the first foal out of the group 3-winning mare Magic Dancer, a half sister to stakes performers Manten and Perkins. Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick quipped, "That was magic" after parting with Lot 79.

"The colt has been a standout on the farm since he was born. Obviously, he has been very popular, and where better to end up than with Te Akau. He is the perfect fit for them," Chittick said. "For the Hawkes team to go hard to get him is also very encouraging."

Ellis has bought and raced many of Savabeel's best progeny, including New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Embellish, Levin Classic (G1) winner Hall of Fame, and Sistema Stakes (G1) winner Sword of Osman as well as the stable's current flag-bearers by the stallion.

"He's a different sort of horse to Probabeel, but you could compare him very favorably with Cool Aza Beel, and it probably looks a little more precocious," Ellis said. "He is bred out of some very fast horses, all with 2-year-old form, and his granddam was one of the best 2-year-olds in the South Island and has produced numerous winners.

"He has been bought to become a member of our colts syndicate this year, and I rated him as high as I have ever rated a colt here."

Ellis, who spent NZ$2.66 million, also bought one yearling, a colt by Deep Field, with Fortuna Syndicate's John Galvin for NZ$70,000.

Solid Day's Trade

At the close, there were 151 yearlings sold at an average of NZ$145,381 and a median of NZ$110,000, the same figure achieved at the shortened Sunday session in 2019.

For comparison, after Day 2 in 2019, 296 horses had been offered, with 223 lots selling at an average of NZ$142,848.

New Zealand Bloodstock managing director Andrew Seabrook was ecstatic with the figures achieved.

"The place has been heaving since last Thursday, and the number of people on site at Karaka is phenomenal off the back of a massive Karaka Million evening," Seabrook said. "We are thrilled with the way this sale has started and are looking forward to what the next two days bring." 

Book 1 of the sale continues for the next two days.