Records tumble as Aussies and Japanese join Fasig-Tipton buying blitz

Rosemont's double play

Rosemont Stud made a major splash at the Australian broodmare sales earlier this year and muscled in on the seven-figure action at Fasig-Tipton, going to US$1.375 million (AU$1.87 million) for Grade 2 winner La Dragontea (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and US$750,000 (AU$1.02 million) for the Into Mischief (USA) mare, Sound Machine (USA).

La Dragontea graduated from being a Novice S. winner in Great Britain for Michael Bell as a 3-year-old to win a G2 Canadian S. for Christophe Clement at Woodbine in September. She was then narrowly beaten in the G1 EP Taylor S. at the same venue last month.

A combination of that race class, and a pedigree which includes the superstar Montjeu (Ire), who is a half-brother to her second dam La Leize (Ire) (Caerleon {GB}), drew Rosemont and Julian Blaxland to pay a significant price for the 4-year-old, who was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm.

Rosemont Stud principal Anthony Mithen said she would race on once she arrived in Australia, with a view to further building that resume ahead of her breeding career.

"We know that she is very progressive and that she hasn't hit her top yet," Mithen said. "Her run in the Grade 1 at Woodbine last start was exceptional on soft ground, which she handles. She should have won that race, and if she was a last-start Grade 1 winner, she probably gets twice the price she got today," Mithen said.

"She's middle distance and there are plenty of options for middle-distance horses in Australia with extremely good prizemoney. She's by one of the best stallions in the world in Lope De Vega and she's got a family behind her.

"She's got significant upside going forward on the racetrack and because she is that middle distance type, we don’t need to rush her off to stud. We will see if might be able to celebrate a fantastic spring carnival with La Dragontea this time next year."

Mithen said a stable for La Dragontea would be determined in the coming days, while there were plenty of stallion options for her in terms of pedigree matches when the time came to get her to the breeding barn.

A Sound decision

Earlier, Blaxland and Rosemont had come together with agent Arthur Hoyeau and Freedman Racing to pay US$750,000 (AU$1.02 million) for Lot 237, Sound Machine.

The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief has won three of her 16 starts, including two black-type races and was placed in the Princess Rooney Invitational S. at Gulfstream Park in July.

Consigned by Indian Creek, she is a half-sister to Listed winner Forever Leisl (USA) (Mineshaft {USA}) from Distorted Humor (USA) mare Ava Pie (USA), who is a half-sister to two Graded winners.

"I think she will suit Australia well, She is a beautiful physical and I thought she was pretty well bought, although she was three-quarter of million dollars," Mithen said.

"She's a multiple stakes winner in America, albeit on dirt, but our thoughts there is that she has raced on dirt because she was able to handle it, and the Into Mischiefs appear to be as adept on turf as they are on dirt.

"She's a sprinter-miler type who might stretch to 1600 metres and a race like the Coolmore Classic. She would probably need to get her rating up, but she could run well-rated in a Listed race or two and build a rating to get into those better races."

Investment rolls on

Mithen said the American investment was a continuation of the strategy for Rosemont, which has been a major player in broodmare, yearling and weanling markets in Australia throughout 2021.

"We’ve made our intentions clear that we really want to add to the quality end of our bloodstock portfolio. The time is right to buy some mares that are going to be the future of our farm for the next couple of decades," Mithen said.

"We all understand it’s a hot market, but we have seen markets like this before and you think it will slow down and all it does is keep climbing, you have to take a deep breath and be brave sometimes."

Mithen said that after spending over US$2 million (AU$2.7 million) at Fasig-Tipton, he, owner Nigel Austin and bloodstock manager Ryan McEvoy would assess overnight if Rosemont would go back to the well and be active at the Keeneland November Sale, which starts on Wednesday.

However, he said Blaxland was at the ready should they opt to continue their investment in what is becoming a formidable broodmare band.

"If we don’t feature on the buyers' list at Keeneland it won't be through lack of trying, that's for sure. I'm sure we will have a bid or two, but we don’t have to buy anything. We are delighted with today's purchased and the job Ryan and Julian and the team have done," he said.

Kia Ora looks to Excel

Kia Ora Stud was the winning bidder for the South African Grade 1 winner Queen Supreme (Ire) (Exceed And Excel), paying US$900,000 (AU$1.2 million) for the 5-year-old mare, who was offered by Bluewater Sales and is headed to Australia.

A half-sister to Australian stakes winner Call Me Handsome (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) as well as English Listed winner Be Ready (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), Queen Supreme won seven races, including the G1 Cartier Paddock S. at Kenilworth both in 2020 and 2021 for Mike de Kock.

She had her final start for Andrew Balding in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, where she was down the track, well beaten by Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

"We are thrilled to have secured Queen Supreme. She was a standout for us in the catalogue and given current market values around the world we are very happy with how she was bought," Shane Wright, Kia Ora's Bloodstock and Breeding Manager said.

"She has the Exceed And Excel factor which is a huge tick for us along with a beautiful international pedigree and black type strength throughout every dam from all over the world not to mention that illustrious Group 1 beside her name.

"She was inspected by one of the best judges in the world and his first comment was, 'her name suits', Queen Supreme."

From a pedigree perspective, not only is she a sister to two stakes winners, but her dam, Call Later (USA) (Gone West (USA) is a half-sister to the multiple Grade 1 winning Juddmonte mare Ventura (USA) (Chester House {USA}), who is the dam of French Group 3 winner Fount (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Wright said the American mares' market was one which Kia Ora had had previous success with, notably with Gypsy Robin (USA) (Daaher {Can}), who it purchased for $750,000 at Keeneland in 2013, the dam of G1 Moir S., winner Wild Ruler (Snitzel).

"We feel this mare (Queen Supreme) will fit right into our broodmare band and look forward to her visiting one of our stallions next season."

Moroney in the Munny

Paul Moroney and his partner Catheryn Bruggeman came together with an undisclosed client to pay US$330,000 (AU$450,000) for Always In The Munny (USA), a stakes-winning 2-year-old who was offered by Taylor Made Sales as a breeding prospect only.

She is destined for a likely date with Darley's Brazen Beau, who Moroney said had been earmarked by his Australian client as a perfect match for the daughter of emerging star sire Munnings (USA), and who is a half-sister to two other stakes winners in Star Of The North (USA) (The Hunk {USA}) and Marie Mackay (USA) (Noble Mission {GB}).

"We wanted a mare that has some black-type and was from a really quick American 2-year-old family. We set about going through the catalogue and pin-pointing prospects in both Fasig-Tipton and at Keeneland and she was one that really stood out to us," he said.

"She was very, very quick and when she won her stakes race, she absolutely hacked up and she subsequently had a tendon injury which prevented her from racing on."

Moroney said her pedigree had strong appeal, given she was out of such an exciting young stallion, from a daughter of Danehill (USA).

"She's by a proven stallion, who is having a particularly good year in North America, who is a son of Speightstown, who is a great stallion and is highly sought after on the international market. He's a horse that I've followed as a racehorse and as a stallion and I have bred mares to him Southern Hemisphere time for Australian clients," he said.

"She also had good, fast European form further back in her family. All the stars aligned. She was a cracking type and came up number one on our list."

Bruggeman has been in the United States for a number of weeks visiting family before turning her eye to the Kentucky breeding sales. Moroney said she would be on the ground providing him with an expert eye at the upcoming Keeneland November Sale and the upcoming breeding sales in England and in France.

Pair suits for Newgate and SF

SF Bloodstock and Newgate Farm secured two mares through the Sale, spending US$400,000 (AU$543,000) across Chilean-bred Lagertha (Chi) (Scat Daddy {USA}) and Hay Field (USA) (Haynesfield {USA}).

Lagertha was twice stakes-placed in Chile and once in the United States, in the G3 Mint Ladies Sprint, and hails from the extended family of multiple Chilean Grade 1 winner Sacramentada (Chi) (Northair {USA}). She cost US$300,000 (AU$408,000) from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales.