Cover image courtesy of First Light Racing
Lot 236 - Pierata x Bonnie Boru (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) (filly)
Buyer: Kariba Racing/Catheryne Bruggeman/Paul Moroney Bloodstock
Vendor: Figtree Thoroughbreds, Biddaddaba, Qld (As Agent)
“One of my most pleasant surprises of any of the sales this year,” is how renowned judge Paul Moroney described the moment the hammer went down for just $30,000 on Lot 236, a Pierata filly consigned by Figtree Thoroughbreds.
Making it to his and partner Catheryne Bruggeman's final list of 15, she was considered by them to be one of the best fillies on offer and they were pleased to also take home their top rating filly - Lot 224 by Cosmic Force out of Baumgartner Miss (So You Think {NZ}).
Having not long before happily paying $70,000 for her, they were not expecting to get the Pierata filly for so much less, especially on the back of her clean x-rays and scope.
Catheryne Bruggeman and Paul Moroney | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She is a gorgeous filly,” Moroney enthused.
“Like many of her family she is medium-sized with a good walk and you can see the Danehill coming through - she has a few crosses of him.”
Bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Flying Spur with another strain of Danehill (USA) via Holy Roman Emperor (Ire), she is the first foal produced by that stallion's unraced daughter Bonnie Boru, half-sister to the G2 Dane Ripper S. and Listed Silk Stocking winner Love You Lucy (Love Conquers All).
“It is a really nice, proven fillies family,” Moroney said, recalling the talent of Bonnie Boru's G2 Sunline S. and G3 Mannerism S.-winning-grandam Spurn (Flying Spur) and her triple Group 3-winning dam Espiare (NZ) (Licorice Stick).
“We didn't have a big budget for her but we did not expect that she would sell for $30,000,” he said, noting that the sale was a hard one overall.
“The market has been pretty resilient until now but a few cracks are starting to show. A few breeders will have to have a re-think about their reserves and in which sales they place their horses.”
Lot 236 - Pierata x Bonnie Boru Holy (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
In the meantime he is looking forward to getting this filly to the Flemington stables of his brother Michael for his Albury-based client Kariba Racing.
“She is a really active filly, the sort who looks like she could be ready to get up and going at two.”
“She (Lot 236) is a really active filly, the sort who looks like she could be ready to get up and going at two.” - Paul Moroney
“She has good movement with a quick tempo.”
Breeder Ashleigh Webster of Figtree Thoroughbreds was happy to hear Paul Moroney's thoughts, this filly one she has always had plenty of time for.
“She walks like she really wants to go somewhere," she said, excited by the prospect of the filly joining a leading stable.”
