Valuable Moonlight Maid Passed In on Inglis Digital

A deal could yet be reached for the sale of Moonlight Maid (by Puissance de Lune) in time for the valuable group 2 winner to head to stud in September after she was passed in through the Inglis Digital Online Auction Aug. 11.

The star attraction of the August (Early) Sale, Kennedy VRC Oaks (G1) placegetter Moonlight Maid did not meet her reserve of AU$500,000 (US$366,880) after five days of bidding.

The bidding closed at AU$495,000 ($363,211), which was not enough for principal owner Gerry Ryan to allow the digital hammer to fall on the former Mitch Freedman-trained mare consigned to the sale as Lot 183.

Now officially retired, the 2-year-old-winning Moonlight Maid saluted twice from 15 starts, the highlight being a victory in the 2019 TAB Edward Manifold Stakes (G2) at Flemington. 

In that same preparation, as a 3-year-old, she was also placed in the Drummond Golf MV Vase (G2) and the VRC Oaks.

Agent Rob Roulston, who is managing the sale of Moonlight Maid for Ryan, last night confirmed negotiations between the owner and an interested party were ongoing.

He expects a decision to be made in the next 24 hours and if a deal is not agreed upon then Ryan will retain Moonlight Maid to breed with himself.

Shadwell Filly Sulwaan Tops Sale

Meanwhile, Wollongong owner Tory Lavalle, who operates under the ML Stables banner, bought the most expensive lot sold through the Inglis Digital sale Wednesday after paying AU$300,000 ($220,128) for an I Am Invincible  filly bred by the late Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stud.

Educated and trained by Lindsay Park, the unraced Sulwaan (Lot 108) came in for strong competition with the 3-year-old's immediate family already finding favor with breeders and bloodstock agents on the Gold Coast earlier this year.

A half sister to the Shadwell-raced Wawail, a three-time stakes winner for Lindsay Park who was sold for AU$425,000 ($329,486) to agent Paul Willetts at Sheikh Hamdan's mares' dispersal sale at Magic Millions in May, Sulwaan is also a daughter of the group 2 winner and group 1-performed El Daana .

Also raced by Shadwell, El Daana was bought by New Zealander Willetts for AU$120,000 ($93,032) at this year's Gold Coast auction in foal to Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot .

Lindsay Park also sold fillies Ghazaaly (Lot 80) and Bakreya (Lot 65) on behalf of Shadwell Wednesday, with the pair purchased for AU$75,000 ($55,032) and AU$27,500 ($20,178) by Arrowfield Stud and Kacy Fogden Racing respectively.

"Sulwaan is one of the many beautifully bred Shadwell fillies," co-trainer Ben Hayes said.

"She won a trial at Flemington and beat the eventual Blue Diamond (G1) winner Artorius, so she definitely isn't lacking in ability.

"We really wanted to keep training her, the underbidder was a client of Lindsay Park so we were very hopeful, but I can assure Tory and Anthony (Mountney) that they've secured themselves an absolutely gorgeous filly who they'll have a heck of a lot of fun with."

Sulwaan's racetrack career had been delayed by a fractured wither, which occurred in March, but veterinary opinion suggests she has recovered and is ready to resume training at Mountney's Kembla Grange base.

"Her trial form was really good, and I had a few people who I respect greatly tell me she would be a fabulous get for the stable," Lavalle said.

"So we had a go and we got her, albeit I had to pay a fair bit more than I was intending to.

"She'll go straight into work now, I think she arrives at the stables on Tuesday and she might have a week or so to get used to the new surroundings, but then it's straight into the process and we get her ready to race.

"She obviously had a setback but that has been fully disclosed and everything points to her having fully recovered and ready to be a star on the track.

"With a mare like her, she's so well bred so we get that extra shot with her not only as a racing prospect but in the breeding barn as well, so it's very exciting."

Lavelle has previously bought tried racehorses Belieber (AU$300,000), Oblique (AU$130,000), and Wolves (AU$250,000) through Inglis Digital.

Singapore-based owner and breeder Ben Kwok also used Wednesday's sale to add to his growing broodmare band in Australia and New Zealand by purchasing the Randwick winner Tastebud (Lot 110). 

A 4-year-old mare who was offered by trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, she was bought by Kwok for AU$115,000 ($84,382).

"We will head to the breeding barn with Tastebud, I'll make a decision on a stallion in the coming weeks," Kwok said.

"She's a lovely type of filly with a good pedigree which will be easy to match with a stallion and being a city winner was a definite plus for me, they are hard to come by, especially at a reasonable price.

"The market is very hot at the moment and very competitive with a filly like her. We will look for a nice stallion so she can produce a neat and tidy first foal."