"From the start of this sale, this was the only horse I was determined to buy," said Ellis.
"If this hadn't worked I had no plan B. It's nerve-wracking when you wait the entire sale for one horse."
Ellis said the filly would be going into a group of four horses: the Snitzel colt bought for $400,000, the Fastnet Rock half brother to Triple Honour and a colt yet to be bought.
"We've already got 50 per cent of the syndicate sold and there has been huge interest.
"When you've got stats like our New Zealand trainer Jason Bridgman training 25 stakes winners, one of our Karaka purchases War Affair last week being announced Singapore Champion 3YO, and Horse Of The Year and Mark Walker being the leading trainer in Singapore, you've got real appeal."
Walker was in the ring when the $800,000 filly was sold.
"I really miss seeing horses like this walking through the gate, but I'm delighted for Te Akau's New Zealand arm."
Ellis said the $800,000 might be impressive in the context of the sale, but he was prepared for more.
"I would have gone to a million to get her, if it had been necessary."
He described the filly as one who might come up as a 2-year-old and fire in a race like the Matamata Breeders Stakes, maybe the Manawatu Sires and the T J Smith, the big 2-year-old race in Brisbane.
The second-highest lot was the $600,000 paid by Sydney Bloodstock agent Duncan Ramage for the Fastnet Rock-Dance On By colt. Dance On By is a sister to outstanding deceased stallion High Chaparral.
Ramage has a long sales series connection to the Bart Cummings stable and at Karaka he was never far from the side of Cummings' grandson James.
James Cummings revealed the attractive colt would be arriving at their stable.
"He's bred on a cross that has produced 27 per cent of stakes winners to starters and he's a colt with definite stallion potential," said James Cummings.
"We won the Australian Guineas with Rock Classic, who was also by Fastnet Rock, but, unfortunately, we had to geld him.
"We would like to think that if this horse produces that sort of form he will do so as a colt, in which case he will be worth a lot more than we've just paid." Cummings said Queensland's Magic Millions sale was difficult for buyers this year. "But this sale is definitely a buyers' market."
The vendors were Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who have set up one of the emerging nurseries.
The Lindsays spent big on buying top-quality fillies at this sale. "We are in the business of buying nice fillies to eventually race and get the best out of. We are looking for fillies that have brothers and sisters to assist when they are not racing.
"We are not in the business of racing colts or attempting to make stallion prospects," which is why the $600,000 colt was on the market.
"We've got two Fastnet Rock fillies out of the mare and she is in foal to Lonhro."
The aggregate for the sale was $44,962,500, for an average of $150,881 and median of $120,000. There were 443 lots entered of which 298 sold for a clearance of 75 per cent.
Second-day highlights
• Good news for the local breeding industry in that the sales topper from Karaka will be staying in New Zealand.
• Fastnet Rock was again the sire in most demand with one of his colts fetching $600,000, thus giving him the quinella.
• Sydney horseman James Cummings said the Premier Sale was a buyers' market.
