Written by Jessica Owers
A single share in the New Zealand sire of the moment, the Rich Hill Stud resident Proisir, topped the Inglis Digital March (Early) Online Sale on Wednesday night, selling for $265,000 to popular Australian owner Carl Holt.
The share was offered by Rich Hill Stud as agent for one of the stallion’s existing Australian shareholders, and it was a clear top lot. The nearest-selling was the Safeguard mare Policiere, who went to Yulong for $225,000, and the 3-year-old filly Matildas Run (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was also snapped up by Yulong under the Chatsworth Farm banner for $205,000.
Proisir | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
The share in Proisir was being sold by one of the horse’s original shareholders, who had bought in when Proisir was first syndicated in 2015. Details of the vendor weren’t revealed, but he is an Australian-based breeder who, at a $265,000 selling price, has profited well on an initial investment of just NZ$20,000.
“It’s pretty common knowledge that when we syndicated the horse originally, he was NZ$20,000-a share at 44 shares,” John Thompson, the Rich Hill studmaster, told TDN AusNZ on Wednesday night. “So, our seller has done pretty well, you’d have to say.
“Proisir is going incredible right now, with the results he’s been having on the track in particular, so this is another excuse for his popularity, I guess.”
John Thompson | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
Proisir’s share was the first instance that any stallion share has topped an Inglis Digital Sale, breaking new ground for the industry-leading platform. Inglis expects it might become a more commn theme in future sales.
But equally, it wasn’t surprising a result because the Kiwi-based Proisir has clattered through this season with Group 1-winning horses like Legarto (NZ), Pier (NZ), Levante (NZ) and Dark Destroyer (NZ).
“He started at a NZ$7000 service fee, and he’s dealing with a different level of mare these days,” Thompson said. “He’s managed to upgrade what he got in those early seasons, and an upgrading stallion is an asset to anyone. That’s what he’s turned out to be.
“He’s throwing horses of real class, as we saw on Saturday with Legarto. Four Group 1 winners in an individual season is pretty good for any stallion, isn’t it?”
“He (Proisir) started at a NZ$7000 service fee, and he’s dealing with a different level of mare these days. He’s managed to upgrade what he got in those early seasons, and an upgrading stallion is an asset to anyone.” - John Thompson
Proisir’s 3-year-old filly Legarto won the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington last weekend. She was impressive, given it was her first visit to Australia and she downed a field that included the boom colt Jacquinot (Rubick).
Proisir’s track results have, naturally, been followed by healthy returns in the sale rings this year as well, so Carl Holt will be welcomed into the Proisir fold at a very good time.
Holt has been involved in racing since 2001, with Lost And Running’s (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) berth in The Everest an ownership highlight.
“It’s a testament to where the horse is at when a person like Carl Holt invests in him,” Thompson said. “Carl’s had Lost And Running and Zaaki, and he had a horse run second in the Australian Derby. I spoke to him earlier and he reminded me he was an original shareholder in Snitzel, and he made some favourable comparisons between Proisir and Snitzel, so that was a huge compliment as well.”
“It’s a testament to where the horse (Proisir) is at when a person like Carl Holt invests in him... he made some favourable comparisons between Proisir and Snitzel, so that was a huge compliment as well.” - John Thompson
Holt said his share purchase was motivated by a shifting of the guard in New Zealand's sire ranks.
“I think he could be the successor to Savabeel in New Zealand, given what he's doing at the moment," Holt said. "That position will be vacated at some point given the age he is, and he's (Proisir) obviously had a handful of crops on the ground and he's not just getting winners; he's getting very good winners."
Give or take, the shareholder numbers on Proisir remain the same as when the horse was originally syndicated.
Gallery: Proisir's Group 1-winning horses this season, images courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
If Wednesday’s sale can be taken as anything on the current value of the stallion, it puts Proisir at around $11 million, and that’s significantly more than the NZ$800,000 he started at.
“We pretty much have the same syndicate, with only a couple of people selling out early,” Thompson said. “That was because they had made a financial gain, but in hindsight it was probably a bit early in the piece.”
Yulong go again
The 4-year-old mare Policiere was the next-best seller after Proisir on Wednesday. She was Lot 282, selling to Yulong for $225,000.
Policiere was offered in foal to Maurice (Jpn) by Oakland Park Stud in Western Australia, that operation also being her breeder, and it was the first time she had ever been offered for sale. The Maurice youngster, believed to be a colt, will be her first foal.
Policiere was a four-time winner during her racing career, running second early on in the G3 WATC Gimcrack S. as a 2-year-old. She was unplaced in the G2 Karrakatta Plate in 2021 and didn’t run in stakes company again. However, she was a very quick race filly that was better than the bare bones of her record.
Lot 282 - Policiere offered in foal to Maurice (Jpn) was purchased by Yulong for $225,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
On paper, she is from the More Than Ready (USA) mare Magnifique Lass, who was a full sister to the G2 AJC The Shorts winner Fritz’s Princess (More Than Ready {USA}).
This is the family of the Champion 2-Year-Old Align (Night Shift {USA}) and, on an October cover to Maurice, the resultant foal will be bred on a similar cross to the Group 1-winning sprinter Mazu and dual Derby winner Hitotsu, both by Maurice.
Whipping in Yulong’s prominent pair on Wednesday was Lot 135, the Frankel (GB) filly Matildas Run, and with an international pedigree as this horse has, it wasn’t hard to guess Yulong’s interest.
Lot 135 - Matildas Run (GB) was purchased by Yulong for $205,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
She is a daughter of the American mare Stellatina (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}), a half-sister to the American turf Champion English Channel (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}).
Matildas Run was bred by Waratah Thoroughbreds in England and imported to Australia in October 2020. She is yet to make it to a racecourse but has been trialling with Hawkesbury master Brad Widdup.
She was sold on Wednesday as either a racing and/or breeding prospect.
“Having another Frankel in the broodmare band is exciting for years to come,’’ said Yulong's Sam Fairgray. “Mr Zhang obviously has an affinity with Frankel and often you see these champion stallions become champion broodmare sires too.’’
“Having another Frankel (Matildas Run) in the broodmare band is exciting for years to come. Mr Zhang obviously has an affinity with Frankel and often you see these champion stallions become champion broodmare sires too.’’ - Sam Fairgray
Olly Koolman, representing Waratah Thoroughbreds, said Matildas Run was a regretful sale but a good result.
“We wish the new owners all the best with her, I’ve no doubt she will make a beautiful broodmare,’’ he said. “It was a great result for connections. She’s sold with a heavy heart as the breeding operation has come to an end.’’
The facts
Proisir’s single share, Policiere and Matildas Run were the three sole items of Wednesday’s sale to make $200,000 plus, while a total of six horses in the 315-strong catalogue of the Inglis Digital March (Early) Online Sale made six figures.
The session grossed a total of $3,374,050, with an average of $14,236. The clearance rate was a healthy 79 per cent.
Entries for the Inglis Digital March (Late) Online Sale, which will run from March 17 to 22, are currently open, wrapping up next Wednesday, March 15.
