By Mike Dillon
Yesterday's $800,000 Danehill-Nine Carat purchase will remain in New Zealand - at least temporarily.
The well-related colt from a half-sister to Octagonal and Mouawad and sister to Kaapstad, was picked up by Hong Kong-based Dr Gene Tsoi in partnership with William Choy, who the night before paid $400,000 for Tycoon Lil's half sister.
Tsoi, who has extensive racing and breeding interests internationally, said New Zealand is ideal to develop yesterday's purchase.
"He will stay here, these are the best possible conditions in which to develop horses," he said.
Tsoi, who has done a stint as president of the Hong Kong Wine Society, raced the appropriately named Great Vintage from Bart Cummings' stable a few seasons ago.
He has had good success with Seascay both here and in Australia but breeding is his passion.
"Medicine is my trade, racing horses is my hobby and breeding is my interest."
Yesterday's purchase clearly has stallion potential if he proves himself on the track.
"He has the best Northern Hemisphere sire blood and the best Southern Hemisphere female bloodlines."
Tsoi races talented filly Yangtze River from Stephen Autridge's stable and has Jermyn Street with Colin Jillings and Richard Yuill.
"I seldom pay such a price as this. The $A330,000 I paid for a mare in Sydney last year is the previous biggest price I've paid."
Eric Watson's fiancee, Nicky Robinson, said she would find a name appropriate to long ears for the Honor Grades-Waihora's Lass filly she paid $320,000 for late in the sale yesterday.
Robinson, sitting with Watson and their Sydney trainer Graeme Rogerson, was a persistent bidder to land the attractive filly.
Other notable sales were the $280,000 Queensland-based former Kiwi trainer Bevan Laming gave for the Sir Tristram-Show Queen filly; the $240,000 Last Tycoon-So Keen colt, bought by Melbourne trainer Tony Vasil, who also paid $280,000 for a Zabeel-Zim Away colt.
Michael Bastion, who was so busy on Tuesday night, outlaid $350,000 for the Thunder Gulch filly from Empire Rose's daughter, Rosie's Star while Eclipse Bloodstock paid $300,000 for a Danehill-With The Fairies filly.
"Absolutely thrilled," was NZ Bloodstock chairman Peter Vela's summation of yesterday's session.
"The middle market firming up was especially heartening. The clearance rate jumped up from 74 per cent on Tuesday night to 85 per cent, yet we still averaged $95,000.
"The fillies average of $113,000 shows the industry is in great heart and we will reap the benefits of that confidence in years to come.
Cummings finds a winner
Bart Cummings has spent decades plucking potential Melbourne Cup winners from the New Zealand yearling sale rings.
Yesterday he went hunting for a Golden Slipper horse and was chipper when he felt he found a candidate.
On behalf of the Auckland-based Asian syndicate Montax, Cummings gave $850,000 for the filly by Danehill from the winning Bluebird mare Taareck.
Then he dropped the bombshell that Crimson, raced here by Montax from Jim Gibbs and Eric Betty's Matamata stable, will be joining his Sydney team next week.
The Danehill filly had all the right attributes to make her a group one winner, said Cummings.
"She's got a Golden Slipper winner in her pedigree, Canny Lad, she's got a big girth, good middle and she's strong and correct."
Ten Melbourne Cups are what Cummings is known for, but he was quick to point out that four Golden Slippers have fallen his way - Storm Queen, Vivarchi, Century Miss and Tontanon.
Century Miss, in 1979, was his last winner in Australia's premier juvenile speed race.
"It's time I did it again," he said.
His other purchases which could be Slipper horses are a Rahy-Miss Turkomon colt ($210,000), a Danehill-Popsy filly ($420,000), a Deputy Governor-Rhythm filly ($200,000) and a Zabeel-Twiggy Kima filly ($280,000).
Cummings said there was a noticeable increase in speed influence in the catalogue this year.
"And in a few years you're going to have broodmares by sires like Thunder Gulch, which is going to put even more speed in."
Which might make it more difficult to find Melbourne Cup winner No 11, Bart.
"How do you know I haven't already got it?"
READY TO ROCK: The Danehill-Nine Carat colt who sold for $800,000 at Karaka yesterday. PICTURE / FOTOPRESS
Horse Racing: Big-money colt not leaving yet
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