Racing: Million-dollar colt part of a bigger plan

When David Ellis wrote his second straight million-dollar cheque at the National Yearling Sales yesterday he did it for more than just the Te Akau flag.

Ellis, who paid $1,050,000 for Pencarrow Stud's Danehill-Beyond the Sunset colt, is striking back against the drain shuttle stallions are having on the New Zealand breeding industry.

"Having Coolmore stallions like Cape Cross, Stravinsky and Montjeu is a long-term disaster for the industry in New Zealand," said Ellis, whose 2004 $1.1 million sales topper Darci Brahma won on debut at Avondale on Monday.

"The service fees go back to Ireland where they have big tax advantages and none of the benefits come back to New Zealand breeders.

"That's why I want to buy a horse each year like this one and Darci Brahma.

"The entire New Zealand industry will benefit."

Ellis had a gut feeling that the Danehill colt was his first choice from this year's Premier catalogue, the strongest line-up Ellis has seen since he began buying in 1982.

He first viewed the son of the ill-fated superstar when still a foal at the side of his imported first-time mum, a Gone West mare who raced twice without winning.

Ellis and his trainer Mark Walker went back for another look when the horse was a weanling.

The clincher came when Ellis made a special trip to view the pick of Danehill's progeny at last month's Magic Million sales on the Gold Coast.

"I looked at all the Danehills there but didn't buy any," he said. "I just wanted to make sure I had chosen the right one for New Zealanders."

Late yesterday Ellis, who had taken a half share with Walker in the horse, had only one slot to fill of the 10 shares he is offering in the Danehill colt, one of the last available in the Southern Hemisphere.

Their co-owners include three with a stake in Darci Brahma, South Island pie king Ray Coupland, Auckland businessman Kerry Hoggard and Wellington property developer John Bromley.

"Darci Brahma might be good to run in the Sires Produce races but he's more of a 2000 Guineas type," said Ellis.

"He's not as precocious as this colt. This Danehill is like the other ones who have won group ones as two-year-olds."

The Danehill-Beyond the Sunset colt was the 20th cheque for Ellis in just two days of the premier lots.

He has his eye on another 10 lots today, including what he tips as the potential sales-topper, Ascot Farm's Danehill-Fern Bay colt, which goes under the hammer just after midday.

Meanwhile, shares are filling fast in yesterday's second top-priced lot, Bob Emery's Giant's Causeway-Champagne colt, which transtasman trainer Graeme Rogerson bought for $875,000.

He had sold four of the 10 slots while walking the few metres from the sales ring to the VIP room just minutes after the final hammer fell.

"I don't think he's going to be hard to place - I think he's a beautiful animal," said Rogerson.

Overall, the frantic buying frenzy from the first day spilled over again across the 133 lots sold yesterday, with an average price of $137,410.

Last year's average across all three days of the premier catalogue was $111,955.

Premier sales

* David Ellis pays $1.05 million for a Danehill colt.

* Ellis says it is the strongest premier lineup he has seen since he started at the sales in 1982.

* Second-highest price yesterday is paid by Graeme Rogerson for a Giant's Causeway colt.

* On the second day of the sales yesterday, 133 lots sold for an average price of $137,410.