The Not A Single Doubt filly which fetched $900,000 is a half-sister to Melody Belle. Photo / Darryl Sherer
The Not A Single Doubt filly which fetched $900,000 is a half-sister to Melody Belle. Photo / Darryl Sherer
Te Akau Racing supremo David Ellis ignited the final stages of Day Two at the NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka and he was at it again early on Day Three yesterday.
Ellis outlaid a combined $1.925 million for a pair of Savabeel yearlings on Monday evening, including the current sale-topper, Lot 301, the colt from class racemare Katie Lee that fetched $1.025 million. Lot 290, the filly out of Joys Choice went to Ellis for $900,000 and was confirmed as the first member of Te Akau's new fillies syndicate opportunity.
Ellis added the second member of that syndicate when he set the auction ring alight yesterday morning with an opening bid of $800,000 for Lot 371, an athletic Not A Single Doubt filly out of Meleka Belle. The filly is a half-sister to 2017 Karaka Million (1200m) winner Melody Belle who Ellis had purchased out of the 2016 Karaka Sale for $57,500.
Ellis admitted he had hoped to blow any opposition away with his opening salvo however the move didn't have quite the success he had hoped for when an $850,000 bid returned fire immediately. Not to be deterred, Ellis upped the ante to $900,000 which proved the winning move as he signed for the filly just minutes later.
"I normally wait until they are on the market before I bid, but I thought I would try and blow them out of the water with one bid," he said.
"I was still really pleased to get her at $900,000 as I would have gone a bit higher. I've been watching this filly's family for the last 40 years. The moment I saw her at Haunui Farm I thought she was a stunning filly.
"She came up here to the sale and didn't turn a hair as she took it all in her stride."
For breeder Marie Leicester the result exceeded any expectations she had despite many people telling her the filly would fetch good money.
"After 50 years in this game the one thing I can say is that I'm a realist," she said.
"I've learnt not to get my hopes up as the minute you do they come crashing down pretty quickly. I did have a figure in my mind that I would like to have achieved and this has well and truly exceeded that.
David Ellis.
"The Belle family, which was established by my parents back in 1938, has produced so many quality gallopers so I'm keen to see this filly now carry on that tradition."
Leicester admitted it would take some time for the result to sink in as she was still smiling about the sale of Lot 27, her Savabeel colt from classy staying mare Annie Higgins, who went to the bid of Peter Moody for $150,000 on Sunday evening.
"I was delighted that Peter bought my Annie Higgins colt and thrilled with what he fetched," she said.
"It was a wonderful start to the sale and now it has just got even better.
"I still have two yearlings left to sell so we are only halfway there."
• The appeal of the stock of New Zealand's leading sire Savabeel was never illustrated better than through the sale of Lot 487 at Karaka yesterday.
From the powerful Waikato Stud draft, the filly out of No Excuse Needed mare Posy features an outstanding pedigree, littered with stakes performers including multiple Group One winner Daffodil.
A lengthy bidding war ensued with local bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne outlasting a host of competition, including fellow agent and friend Michael Wallace, to secure the filly with a final bid of $875,000.
Hawthorne, who has been active over the first three days of the sale with seven purchases to date, explained the simple rationale behind the acquisition.
"In the old days the Australians came and they bought Zabeel fillies," he said. "Many are rueing the fact they didn't buy enough of them. I think the baton has been handed down to Savabeel. While he is still to be proven as a broodmare sire, as a sire of fillies on the racetrack there aren't many better. I wanted one good Savabeel filly and she was the one."
Purchased on behalf of a Melbourne client, Hawthorne also noted the role fellow bloodstock agent Bruce Perry had in his selection.
Hawthorne was in the thick of the action just 20 minutes later when he outlaid $700,000 for Lot 503, a Tavistock filly from Pussy O'Reilly who was sold under the Cambridge Stud banner.
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