At A Glance

>> Missrock (Fastnet Rock) tops the opening day of the sale and is bound for the other side of the world after going to English-based agents John and Jake Warren for $2,300,000.

>> Arrowfield Stud successfully claims speedy Whispering Brook (Hinchinbrook) for $1,100,000 on behalf of Northern Farm.

>> Aquis Farm goes to $1,000,000 for Oregon’s Day (Domesday) and soon after went to $950,000 when securing Quilista (Scandal Keeper {USA}).

>> The opening day grossed over $28.3 million at an average of $168,646 and with a clearance rate of just over 81 per cent.

>> Rosemont Stud's Anthony Mithen gets his dream mare Gift Of Power (NZ) (Power {GB}) with a single bid of $800,000.

>> Agent Dermot Farrington stretched to the limit, but stays the distance to claim Ellicazoom (Testa Rossa) for $800,000 for Phoenix Thoroughbreds.

Warrens dig deep for Missrock

Catalogued as Lot 903 and consigned by Kingstar Farm, Missrock will depart for the other side of the thoroughbred world after she was signed for at $2,300,000 by Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch.

“She is one of those mares who doesn’t take much inspecting, she’s an absolute beauty,” Jake Warren said.

“She fit the bill for us on conformation and she’s a lovely sized mare. She’s very strong and powerful and she has a great action.

“We were just in awe of her and thought she was a lovely type and when you married that up with her pedigree, race record and the fact she is by a top sire, she really floated our boat on all aspects.

“She has been bought for a private client of Highclere Stud and she is going to come back up to the United Kingdom and she will be based at Highclere Stud, where the intention will be to use the best available European stallions with a view to try to breed Classic horses.

“The Danehill blood in Europe mixed with the Sadler’s Wells line has been so successful and so that’s where we’re thinking - it’s very exciting.”

Bowditch did the bidding on behalf of the Warrens, who had scouted out Missrock during their time in Queensland last week.

“John and Jake were out here for the weanling sale and they took the opportunity to see some high quality mares,” he said.

“On Tuesday morning, they gave the all clear for her and she’s a queen. She was a $500,000 yearling and she did it on the track so they obviously earmarked her as one of the mares of the sale.”

“She’s got a big pedigree and the price probably exceeded vendor expectations, but you have to pay for quality.”

Trained by Robbie Laing, Missrock won four races which included the G3 Percy Sykes S. and she was also twice runner-up in the G1 Goodwood and third in the G1 Lightning S.

Missrock is out of Miss Judgement (Strategic), whose 10 wins featured the G3 How Now S., and she is a half-sister to the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Mrs Onassis (General Nediym). The third dam is the G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Australia S. winner Lady Jakeo (Last Tycoon {Ire}).

Arrowfield goes high

Multiple Group winner Whispering Brook (Hinchinbrook) broke through the seven figure barrier when Arrowfield Stud went to $1,100,000 to secure the speedster catalogued as Lot 986.

She was presented by Yarraman Park Stud and is the winner of 10 races, including the G2 Australia S. and the G2 Karrakatta Plate, as well as three Group 3 events.

“We bought her on behalf of Northern Farm,” Arrowfield principal John Messara said. “We’ve been going together for 20 years.

“We’ll sit down in the next couple of weeks and work out a mating plan. They have an interest in a number of our stallions.”

The purchasers had put a value of $1,000,000 on Whispering Brook, but went a step further to secure the mare.

“The good quality stuff is fetching its price,” Messara said.

Whispering Brook is a daughter of Artful Whisper (Machiavellian {USA}), who is a half-sister to the North American black type winner High Maintenance (GB) (Danehill {USA}).

The third dam is also a three-quarter sister to former champion European 2-year-old Storm Bird (Can), sire of the breed-shaper Storm Cat (USA).

Double strike

Aquis Farm made a strong mid-sale move when they shelled out $1,000,000 for Group winning mare Oregon’s Day (Domesday) and soon after outlaid $950,000 for Quilista (Scandal Keeper {USA}).

The former was consigned as Lot 917 by Amarina Farm and Attunga Stud presented Quilista, Lot 929.

“They are both bought for Tony Fung and a couple of his friends,” Aquis Chief Executive Officer Shane McGrath said.

“Obviously, Domesday is a stallion we’ve got a lot of time for and we’re going to try something a little bit different with Oregon’s Day.

“She’ll go out to the farm at Canungra and Ciaron Maher will take her to the Tatt’s Tiara.

“We buy these quality mares to give our stallions a start and these sorts of mares can make a stallion.

“We haven’t decided who she’ll go to and she’s a perfect outcross so there’s many options.”

The winner of the G2 Hollindale S. and a G1 Coolmore Classic runner-up, Oregon’s Day is a half-sister to the G2 Perth Cup winner Talent Show (Jeune {GB}) and the family of the G1 Queensland Derby winner Hawkspur (Purrealist).

“Quilista is a lovely type of mare with good race performance,” McGrath said.

She has won eight races, including the G2 Sapphire S. and the G3 Birthday Card S. and is most likely to stay in training for the Queensland carnival. Like Oregon’s Day, a choice of stallion has yet to be made.

“We’ve got a bunch of new horses so we’ll decide that later on,” McGrath said.

Mithen gets his gift

Rosemont Stud’s Anthony Mithen was pinching himself after a bold bidding ploy paid off in spades when he landed the Group winner and well-related mare Gift Of Power (NZ) (Power {GB}) with a single strike at $800,000.

Catalogued as Lot 855 from Dormello Stud, Mithen thought the 4-year-old may have been slipping away before the pendulum swung his way.

“I thought at seven figures that she would be out of our range and I’d leave it to the big boys,” he said.

“It then slowed down and I only had one bid and if someone had gone again we wouldn’t be there.”

Bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan, Gift Of Power was trained by Graeme Rogerson, his wife Debbie and his grand-daughter Bailey and he was quick to congratulate Mithen and offer advice.

“He’s a man who can convince many people of many things and he’s trying to convince me to have another dash with her,” Mithen said.

Rogerson and the Hogans were members of the syndicate that race Gift Of Power.

“We’ll see. We have a breeding right to I Am Invincible so we’ll have a think about it.”

The winner of 11 races, including the G2 Wakefield Challenge S., Gift Of Power is a daughter of the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas placegetter Capital Diamond (NZ) (Lucky Unicorn) and is from the famed Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}).

"I’ve admired the mare for the last couple of seasons,” Mithen said. “I must have looked up her pedigree 20 times on Arion. I can’t believe I got her.”

Sigh of relief

Agent Dermot Farrington won a bidding battle for Ellicazoom (Testa Rossa), but only just.

He made a final play at $800,000 for the mare consigned by Kitchwin Hills catalogued as Lot 1874 and was able to breathe a sigh of relief when the hammer fell.

“That was it, my last bid,” said Farrington, who purchased the 5-year-old on behalf of Phoenix Thoroughbreds.

Out of the G1 Swettenham Stud S. winner Ellicorsam (Fimiston), Ellicazoom is the winner of the G3 Cockram S. and finished third in the G1 William Reid S.

“We’ve bought her as a broodmare, but she could race on. We haven’t decided, but could give it another whirl,” Farrington said.

Zoustar top choice

Zoustar is the stallion of choice for the speedy filly Bleu Roche (Fastnet Rock) if she goes to stud in the spring.

The G3 Red Roses S. winner produced fireworks early in the session when, as Lot 809, from Newgate’s draft she was sold for $600,000 to Yulong.

“Obviously, she’s a gorgeous looker and we’ll probably put her back into work and see how she comes up,” Chief Operating Officer Sam Fairgray said.

Bleu Roche has done all her racing from Matt Laurie’s Mornington stable, but a decision on her return there has yet to be made.

“We’ll see. Mr Zhang likes to stick to his group of trainers so we’ll have a think about that,” Fairgray said.

Should Yulong decide against racing Bleu Roche on, they will be knocking on the door of Widden Stud.

“She’s a lovely type and we’re thinking Zoustar for her, but we’ll have to see whether we can still get her in. He’s pretty popular,” Fairgray said.

“We want to buy a few mares here for Grunt as well to add to our ever-growing broodmare band. We’ve got about 140 and Mr Zhang is keen to add to that each year and sell a few off the bottom.”

Out of the North American black type winner Esprit De Bleu (USA) (Littleexpectations {USA}), Bleu Roche has won twice from eight appearances and hasn’t raced since she tailed the field home in the G3 PJ Bell S. in early April.

Grand day's trading

More than $28.3 million was traded on the opening day of the sale with 168 lots selling at an average price of $168,646 - slightly up on last year's opening session. The clearance rate grew throughout the day to currently sit at over 81 per cent.

"The average is up on last year and the clearance rate is over 80 per cent so we're thrilled with that," Barry Bowditch said.

"All in all it was a fantastic day of trade. It's one of those days we look forward to and we've had such pleasing results.

"We now start on the broodmares and there will be great buying across all levels of the market - opportunities for all buyers to step in and purchase quality lots."

Angland benefits

At the end of the session, a number of stallion nominations were auctioned off with all proceeds to injured jockey Tye Angland.

Topping the list was the $100,000 Mill Creek Farm paid for a nomination to Dundeel (NZ), Widden paid $55,000 for Capitalist, Valiant Stud paid $32,500 for Hellbent, UHC paid $27,000 for a nomination to Mendelssohn (USA), Suffolk Vale & Co went to $25,000 for Sidstep, David Raphael bought the Press Statement nomination for $17,000, Andrew Williams Bloodstock paid $15,000 for Tosen Stardom (Jpn) and Bowcock Bloodstock bought the Encryption nomination for $12,000.

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