Magnier Gets War Front Colt for $1.45 Million

By Ron Mitchell and Alicia Wincze Hughes

The demand for well-bred weanlings materialized late during the second session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale when Coolmore Stud’s M. V. Magnier went to $1.45 million to buy a son of War Front   whose female family includes top Australian sire Redoute's Choice.

The bay colt, foaled Jan. 25, was bred in Kentucky by Elevage II and was presented as Hip 408 by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency. He was produced from the Encosta de Lago mare Drifting Cube, who was purchased by Hill ‘n’ Dale for $1,018,000 at a Magic Millions auction in 2014.

"He comes from one of the best Australian familes ... hopefully it will work up here," M.V. Magnier said. "The lads from Hill 'n' Dale went down to Australia and gave a lot of money (for the mare). (This colt) is a very good mover, has a lot of good quality. Let's hope it keeps up."

Second dam Sliding Cube, who produced Australian group II winner Rubick, is a half sister to three group I winners Down Under, including Redoute’s Choice. Standing at Arrowfield Stud, Redoute’s Choice has been Australia’s leading sire three times.

The result was especially satisfying for Hill 'n' Dale owner John Sikura, both for what it said about the weanling market and the fact that it validated the leap of faith he took in traveling to Australia to seek out a family he considered one of the sport's best.

Prior to selling the War Front colt Nov. 9, Sikura also sold a bay Medaglia d'Oro   filly out of another Encosta de Lago mare, Taste of Heaven—a half sister to Redoute's Choice—for $525,000.

"It's very fulfilling because I went to Australia and bought two mares and they were very expensive and I felt like a fish out of water," Sikura said. "It was Southern Hemisphere and the pedigrees I bid on weren't familiar. I took a deep breath and bought two really expensive maiden fillies from one of the best families in Australia. The Medaglia d'Oro filly sold well and this colt sold fantastic, he's a beautiful horse. 

"When I got home, everyone wondered if I had lost my mind ... but it worked out well. Hopefully the Australians will be more bullish about being active in our market seeing that their pedigrees sell well here."

Earlier in the session, Sikura had expressed concern that "the breakout foals were not happening" after selling a Tapit   colt that is a half brother to champion Honor Code   to Chris Baccari for $1.05 million—one year after selling the half sibling for $2.6 million at the 2015 Keeneland November auction. 

"It was a little tough early on," Sikura said. "We bought back several horses that we thought we'd get sold. The market is ebbing and flowing a bit. There were some ups and downs along the way and this horse (the War Front) certainly brightened the day."