Day 3 sale-toppers: North Pacific filly is Fully Lit after pedigree boost

Cover image courtesy of Inglis

Lot 750 - North Pacific x Sunlit (Snitzel), filly, $420,000

The sale of Lot 750 stood out on several fronts, and not only because the Glenlogan Park-bred filly was the highest-priced offering sold during the third and final session.

She is the most expensive purchase to date made by the Rising Sun Syndicate, who signed alongside R Unicorn Stable and Satomi Oka Bloodstock (FBAA), and she is also the priciest member of North Pacific’s debut yearling crop to come under the hammer so far.

The filly was catalogued as a half-sister to the G3 BJ McLachlan S. scorer The Novelist (Written By) and the page had undergone a significant update since publication as her 2-year-old half-brother is the unbeaten R. Listed Inglis Millennium winner Fully Lit (Hellbent).

“The brother is doing super well and she’s a nice type herself,” said Rising Sun’s Kosi Kawakami. “She’s not a big horse but she’s very athletic with good muscle, a good walk, we just loved her. We have a really good Japanese owner supporting us, so we’ll syndicate her in Australia and she’ll be trained by Chris Waller.

“We hope she’ll be early but at the same time we don’t want to rush her. We’ll be patient. Chris knows everything about how to train these horses. I hope she’ll make a nice 3-year-old but we’ll let the horse decide.”

On the syndicate’s recent activities, Kawakami added: “This is the fifth horse we’ve purchased this year. We bought one in Karaka and then others at Classics.

“We bought a colt by Casino Prince, the full brother to Bandersnatch (Lot 218, $50,000), and a nice Dundeel colt from Arrowfield (Lot 499, $60,000), which was great, then a reasonable one by Star Turn for $20,000 (Lot 472) and a really nice Maurice filly (Lot 598, $80,000). It’s been really good shopping this year. It’s been great.”

First-crop sire North Pacific stands at Newgate Farm, where the son of Brazen Beau stood the 2023 season at a fee of just $22,000 (inc GST). Prior to Tuesday’s session the most expensive North Pacific yearling was the colt out of Volkoff (Time Thief) bought by Gandharvi and Michael Freedman for $260,000 on the Gold Coast.

Lot 674 - Written Tycoon x Sent From Above (Lonhro), colt, $360,000

Adrian Bott referenced the success he and Gai Waterhouse had enjoyed with Shangri La Express when purchasing a filly by the same sire, Alabama Express, at $310,000 on Day 2, and now the team can look forward to training the unbeaten colt’s Written Tycoon half-brother after going to $360,000 for Lot 674.

And the six-figure youngster could be set for an immediate pedigree update as Shangri La Express is nominated for the Pierro Plate at Randwick on Saturday, as well as having loftier targets further down the track.

“He’s a half-brother to Shangri La Express, who won the Golden Gift, is heading to the Pierro Plate on Saturday and is obviously Slipper-bound,” said Claudia Miller, bloodstock manager to the Waterhouse Bott stable.

“Mum’s done a great job because she’s only had one foal to race and that’s Shangri La Express. We really liked the colt on type, although he’s a bit different to Shangri La Express; he’s a bit leggier, which is what you get with the Written Tycoons.

“He’s a great individual though and we teamed up with Jim Clarke and the Cunninghams to purchase him. He’ll race in the same silks as Storm Boy. They’re limited, but there’s definitely shares available.”

Offered by Yulong, the colt is the third foal out of Sent From Above, a winning Lonhro half-sister to the Group 2-placed Major Conquest (More Than Ready {USA}) and the Listed-placed Kinagat (Street Cry {Ire}).

“We could easily see him running at two, but he’ll probably be better at three, as will Shangri La Express,” continued Miller. “We love buying from families we know well. It helps us in terms of clients and selling the horses on, especially if they’re successful, but there’s also the little intricacies. That’s six or seven we’ve bought now, and we’ve been given a couple to train as well, so it’s been a good sale. We’ve purchased some really good individuals, both colts and fillies, so it’s been a successful sale for us.”

Lot 649 - Hellbent x Rose Of Savannah (Fastnet Rock), filly, $320,000

Yarraman Park stallion Hellbent continued his fine run of recent form when Lot 649, a filly out of Rose Of Savannah (Fastnet Rock), sold to Benny Vassallo of BK Racing & Breeding for $320,000. The filly is the second foal out of the dam, who in turn is out of a winning half-sister to Cox Plate hero and influential sire Savabeel.

There is more Group 1 action in the pedigree as the third dam is New Zealand Oaks heroine Savannah Success (Success Express {USA}), while Goodwood H. winner Black Heart Bart (Blackfriars) appears a further generation back.

That price supplied first-time vendors Riverstone Lodge with a handsome profit as the filly was pinhooked through Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) for $150,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, where she was presented by Baramul Stud.

“We raced a filly Maddi Rock who’s out of the second dam,” said Vassallo. “We actually bought another that we have a bit of unfinished business with so it’s good to secure this filly today, who looks destined to be trained by John O’Shea.

“John’s got a handy Hellbent filly in the stable by the name of Howler and we have a good relationship with John and Tom (Charlton, assistant trainer) and the team. It’s just a matter of building up the ranks and getting another filly in the barn to follow in the footsteps of the ones that are about to step out.”

Vassallo continued: “She’s a very athletic filly, I thought she had the best body type in the sale. Hellbent is obviously a son of I Am Invincible and he’s going from strength to strength. I thought him winning the Millennium (with Fully Lit) was going to make it difficult to buy this filly today, but she came in right around our expectations so I’m very happy to leave the sale with her.”

The purchaser also shared his perspective on market conditions, saying: “The market is strong. This is a good buyers’ market and gives everyone an opportunity to come here and leave with a horse, but it’s been strong in all the right points.”

Lot 662 - Farnan x Sauvignon (Pierro), colt, $300,000

Breeder Joe Motherway was left shaking with excitement after seeing Lot 662 knocked down to George Moore Bloodstock at $300,000. Consigned by Fergal Connolly’s Valiant Stud, the Farnan colt is a half-brother to the Listed-winning Chilled (Shalaa {Ire}) and is the third foal out of Sauvignon, a daughter of Pierro who shares her page with the Blue Diamond S. hero Catchy (Fastnet Rock).

The dam last changed hands at public auction for just $40,000 when she was carrying Chilled in utero back in 2020.

“We’re absolutely over the moon,” said Motherway, who was joined by his 23-year-old daughter Sarah. “My daughter came out to a sale with me for the first time today as well, so basically, I’m nearly shaking! I bought the mare through COVID and this is her third foal. She’s been very good to us. Her first foal is called Chilled and won a Listed race for us and it’s just been onwards and upwards.

“This colt was very popular and we had a $200,000 reserve on him. He had 19 x-ray (hits) so we knew he was popular, and it was the right people were on him. We cannot believe it. Thanks go to Colm Santry who got me onto the mare. We bought her really cheap and the rest is history.”

Motherway also expanded on his association with Valiant Stud. He said: “I was with somebody else but from the day Fergal (Connolly) started I’ve been with him. I’ve been blown away by his professionalism and his updates every week. We probably speak every day either by text or on the phone and it’s just been fantastic. He’s having a real go up in the Hunter Valley and he’s going to be very successful in the future. This is by far our biggest result so far. I race a few as well, so obviously there’s good days and bad days, but this is definitely a good day.”

The breeder added: “This is Sarah’s first ever sale. She’s blown away as well. I think my other daughter and mum will be coming to the next one!”

Lot 613 - Capitalist x Queen Of Eight (Haradasun), colt, $300,000

Hong Kong-based trainer Ricky Yiu was back in business at the head of the market on Day 3 and went to $300,000 for Lot 613. Offered by Fernrigg Farm, the Capitalist colt is out of Queen Of Eight (Haradasun), a winning half-sister to the Group 1-placed Lizard Island (Sebring).

This makes the youngster a sibling to two black-type performers in the Group 3-placed Cardigan Queen (Sebring) and the Listed-placed Athletica (Exceed And Excel).

“I always think the Capitalists do well in Hong Kong,” said Yiu. “I’ve had a couple by Capitalist and they’re up-and-coming horses in Hong Kong. They’re like the sire as individuals. It’s taken a bit of work to buy some particular lots this week, but I think there’s some very reasonable prices at this sale. The people at Inglis always look after me.”

Newgate Farm’s Capitalist has had six winners during the Hong Kong season, led by the Caspar Fownes-trained Capital Delight. He added to his record when Winning Data struck at Sha Tin on Monday.

The transaction provided Fernrigg Farm with a fine pinhooking result as the colt was picked up for $180,000 at last year’s Inglis Australian Weanling Sale. “We bought him from the weanling sale here and we loved him,” said the farm’s Rae-Louise Kelly.

“He was just an outstanding colt from day one. Capitalist is obviously doing the job, he’s really picked back up the last few weeks. I think he deserved that money as there was plenty of interest and some very good judges bought him.

“Ricky has bought a horse from us every sale for the last few years and he’s had a bit of success. I think when people get the results, they come back looking for more. We’ve sold five from five so 100 per cent. A nice horse sells so it’s been good.”

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