Written by Trent Masenhelder
Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Each day of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, TDN AusNZ will find a 'value buy', where an opportunity has been spotted - even in this hot sale market.
Lot 271 - Dundeel (NZ) x Maid Of Heaven (colt) - Arrowfield Stud, $450,000, Galletta Constructions Co. Pty Ltd
Bred in the purple
The definition of value is subjective, and it’s not often a $450,000 yearling will feature in this column. But when that yearling is a three-quarter brother to multiple G1 winner and Cox Plate runner-up Castelvecchio, you can understand that the colt’s buyer and trainer both believe they got a good deal.
Offered by Arrowfield Stud, which also bred Castelvecchio, Lot 271 is by Dundeel (NZ), and was knocked to Ottavio and Wendy Galletta, who purchased and raced Castelvecchio.
Lot 271 - Dundeel (NZ) x Maid Of Heaven (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
The bay colt is the first foal of Maid Of Heaven (Smart Missile), which won two starts, including the G1 Spring Champion S. in 2018 for trainer Mark Newnham.
Maid Of Heaven is out of the ill-fated blue hen St. Therese (Dehere {USA}), making her a half-sister to Castelvecchio, Mirrasalo (Redoute’s Choice), Little Flower (Redoute’s Choice) and Precious Moment (Charge Forward).
Mirrasalo is a Group 3 winner and the dam of G2 Stan Fox S. heroine Mirra Vision (Lonhro).
Maid Of Heaven when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Little Flower was unraced, but has left the Listed winner Hussy By Choice (Hussonet {USA}), while Precious Moment also failed to hit the track, but has produced Precious Memories (Stratum), which triumphed at Listed level.
“I think Ottavio was very happy with the price, I think he thought he got a nice, cheap horse,” Richard Litt, who trained Castelvecchio and will train the colt, told TDN AusNZ.
“It’s a very good pedigree; the mother was very good - she’s a Group 1-winning mare - so they are very, very happy.”
“It’s (Lot 271's) a very good pedigree; the mother (Maid Of Heaven) was very good - she’s a Group 1-winning mare - so they (the Galletta's) are very, very happy.” - Richard Litt
Sentimental value
The Gallettas paid just $150,000 for Castelvecchio at the Inglic Classic Yearling Sale in 2018, and at the conclusion of his 13-start race career, the bay stallion had amassed close to $3 million in earnings.
Castelvecchio notched his first Group 1 in the 2019 Champagne S. before tasting success in the Rosehill Guineas the following year.
Arguably his greatest performance, however, came in between those victories, when he finished second as a 3-year-old to Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), beaten just 1.5l, in the 2019 Cox Plate.
Castelvecchio | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
“It was a very sentimental buy for the Galletas,” Litt explained.
“Castelvecchio was so good and we had some great times with him.
“Castelvecchio is on the page, the mare St. Therese is a very good mare, and there’s a small amount of similarities, but we don’t compare them, really.
“He’s just a really nice, beautiful colt, a big colt, we really liked him.”
“He’s (Lot 271) just a really nice, beautiful colt, a big colt, we really liked him.” - Richard Litt
Castelvecchio, which is free of Danehill (USA) blood, was retired in April 2020 to stand at Arrowfield Stud.
Maid Of Heaven foaled a Dundeel filly in September 2021, before being covered by Zoustar.
