KEY POINTS:
More than $3 million in shares have been sold in Darci Brahma since The Oaks Stud offered a buy-in to the shareholders yesterday.
The Oaks, one of the 10 major shareholders in Darci Brahma, valued the horse at $10 million by offering to buy each one-tenth share for $1 million.
So far 30 per cent of the horse had been bought from shareholders and a couple had yet to make up their mind if they would sell, said Te Akau syndicate manager David Ellis.
Since Darci Brahma's group-one Telegraph Handicap win at Trentham on Saturday several leading studs had inquired about buying into the horse.
"I've told them all that is impossible, because when we put the syndicate for Darci together it included a pre-emptive clause which means any shareholder who wants to sell their share has to offer it to the other syndicate members."
The Oaks manager Rick Williams said the stud had always been keen to stand Darci Brahma at the conclusion of his racing.
Ellis said yesterday the change in some syndicate shares did not alter Darci Brahma's racing programme.
"The exciting thing is that this offer differs greatly from some of the hyped offers we've had around stallions in the past. Those offers have been what owners will sell for, this offer is what someone is offering to buy for - it's genuine."
Darci Brahma cost $1.1 million as a yearling and the 10 shares were at $110,000 plus GST.
"We've won that tax free with him and now he's worth $10 million. It's wonderful that we are seeing such an improvement in our racing scene that this type of horse can stay to stand in New Zealand.
"Previously a horse of his class would have had to be sold overseas."
Ellis said the demand for service nominations to Darci Brahma would far exceed the supply.
"The number of calls I've had this week have been absolutely huge.
"If he serves 150 mares in his first year at stud, that will leave only 50 nominations outside the shareholders for the rest of the Southern Hemisphere."
