Sierra Sue Sells for Year-High Digital Price $1.06M

Victorian breeder Bill Pearce on July 20 made his single biggest Thoroughbred investment as he added to the depth of his burgeoning Bromfield Park broodmare band by purchasing dual group 1 winner Sierra Sue for AU$1.55 million (US$1,065,839).

Acting in partnership with Ozzie Kheir, a co-owner of the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained mare, Pearce bought the rising 6-year-old through the bespoke Inglis Digital online auction, the 2021 Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (G1) and Lamaros Hotel Futurity Stakes (G1) winner of this year becoming the most expensive lot sold over the internet this year.

It is the second commercial mare acquisition in as many weeks by Pearce, who, along with Rob Cummings and Group 1 Bloodstock's Mathew Becker, bought group 3-winning mare How Womantic for AU$300,000 ($202,729) through the Inglis Digital July (Early) sale last Wednesday.

While How Womantic is booked in to be served by Yarraman Park's I Am Invincible , soon-to-be crowned this season's Australian champion stallion, Becker said a decision on a maiden mating for Sierra Sue was yet to be made.

Also the selling agent for the Sierra Sue syndicate, Becker was aware that Pearce had expressed interest in the nine-time winning New Zealand-bred mare, but he was unaware the Bromfield Park principal had purchased her when bidding stopped at AU$1.55 million late on Wednesday with the breeder's final bid, the 53rd of the two-day online auction. 

Pearce and his son Chris have an established relationship with Kheir, the trio racing 2020 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (G1) winner Sir Dragonet  together. 

"Obviously, I knew Bill was interested in the mare and, if he was to buy her, that it would be a partnership of him and Ozzie, but Bill was certainly driving that bus independently," Becker told ANZ Bloodstock News. 

"I wasn't sure who was bidding and I didn't know who had bought her until I got the phone call. It was a little bit of a strange afternoon as I was trying to urge the bidding along and hope that she got the best result for the ownership group who were selling out of her. 

"The great thing is she remains in the control of clients of mine and I get to continue the management of her career as she moves into her next phase as a broodmare."

Pearce said: "I just loved her as a racemare, she was so honest and so talented and if she can bring those traits to her broodmare career, she's going to produce some magnificent foals.

"We'll sit down together in the next week or so and work out which stallion she'll go to first up.

"I've bought five mares off Inglis Digital now, and I really like the platform." 

By The Oaks Stud stallion Darci Brahma , Sierra Sue retired as the winner of AU$1.731 million ($1,253,615) in prize money from her 24 starts. She was passed in at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale with a reserve of NZ$30,000 before her initial trainer Peter Lock paid a paltry NZ$2,000 ($1,308) for her at the following year's NZB Karaka May Sale as an unraced 2-year-old.

She trialed publicly twice for Lock, winning a heat at Te Aroha in December 2019, which prompted agent Phill Cataldo to sell the horse to expatriate Kiwi trainers, the Victoria-based Busuttin and Young. They, in turn, syndicated her to a group of owners led by Kheir.

She was immediately on the board for her new owners, winning three of her first five starts in the summer and autumn of her 3-year-old season before returning as a 4-year-old to win the Lexas Rose of Kingston Stakes (G2) in the spring of 2020. 

Last year, as a 5-year-old, she came into her own, taking out the P.B. Lawrence Stakes (G2), the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, and, earlier this year, she landed the Futurity Stakes, defeating group 1 winners Mo'unga and Tofane.

Tofane sold for AU$3.1million ($2,203,771) to Yulong (signed as Written Tycoon Syndicate) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale in May.

"Sierra Sue came across as a trial horse to the Busuttin and Young stable without a lot of fanfare and she wasn't an expensive filly," said Becker. 

"She's taken them on the ride of a lifetime with two group 1s and she's put her name up as one of the best mares in this country. She deserves the best stallions that are available to her, which is what she'll get, as she's in the hands of two really good guys who will give her every opportunity (at stud)."

Te Akau's champion mare Avantage sold for NZ$4.1 million through New Zealand Bloodstock's Gavelhouse online platform last year and fellow group 1 winner Funstar made AU$2.7 million through Inglis Digital, a little more than 12 months ago.

Group 2 winner Every Rose sold for AU$1.3 million through Inglis' online portal last year. 

Sierra Sue is a daughter of winning New Zealand mare Centree, who is a half sister to the listed-placed Kiwi mare Miss Puzzle, who was also grade 3-performed in the U.S.

Miss Puzzle is the dam of Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) winner Fashion Plate , the grade 3-winning, grade 1-placed Miss Bigly , and fellow U.S. stakes winner Mr. Candy Bar .

"There was significant bidding activity all the way through, as you would expect with a mare of Sierra Sue's quality, by some of the racing and breeding industry's biggest players," said Inglis Digital business manager Nick Melmeth.

"She was an inexpensive young horse, won over AU$1.7 million in earnings on the track, and now sells for AU$1.55 million, so it's a phenomenal story.

"I'd like to thank Ozzie Kheir and all the partners in Sierra Sue and Mat Becker, who brought the idea to offer her online to life, for entrusting us with the responsibility of selling her."