Racing: Sales ignite with $2.2m colt

David Ellis

Leading owner and syndicator David Ellis paid $700,000 for a Dehere filly at Karaka yesterday and told the press: "I'll see you shortly."

Ellis knew exactly what he was saying - 23 lots later he paid the second highest price ever seen at Karaka when he parted with $2.2 million for the Stravinsky half brother to top 3-year-old colt Darci Brahma.

Only AJC Derby winner Don Eduardo at $3.6 million in 2000 has excited the Karaka ring to a greater level.

The next highest after yesterday's magnificent Stravinsky-Grand Echezeaux colt was Colombia, who fetched $1.6 million in 1998.

In what is an exciting point for New Zealand racing and breeding, Ellis ended up in an all-New Zealand bidding battle with Kelt Capital Stakes dynamo Sam Kelt.

Ellis entered the bidding expecting to pay between $1.4 million and $1.5 million.

The bidding went up in $100,000 increments to $1.8 million when they jumped to $200,000 bids.

At $2 million you might have expected $100,000, but auctioneer Steve Davis took David Ellis to $2.2 million and the Te Akau principal made no effort to take that back to $2.1 million.

"My experience is that every time I've called an auctioneer back it's cost me money.

"I was aware that if I was on $2.1 million and the opposition went $2.2 million, I'd have to go $2.3 million.

"Let me tell you, the $2.2 was my last shot."

Darci Brahma is already a freakish performer for Ellis' Te Akau brand and for trainer Mark Walker.

Ellis said he had been watching the Stravinsky colt since he was a foal at Peter and Philip Vela's Pencarrow Stud.

"Darci Brahma had small feet and this colt is much better in that respect. We've managed Darci Brahma's feet and he's fine now."

Ellis said the colt was cut into 10 shares, all but one of which was already spoken for. Many of the shareholders were in Darci Brahma and a couple were held outside New Zealand.

Ellis had the job last night of explaining to the 10 shareholders that each share cost $220,000, not $150,000.

"Isn't it exciting that on a colt this magnificent and this valuable that it came down to two New Zealanders bidding on him - I'm ecstatic that Te Akau has secured what we consider the best colt and the best filly [the $700,000 Dehere filly]."

The $2.2 million purchase pushed Te Akau's sales ticket beyond $5 million.

Watching the media scrum only metres away after the sale was Te Akau's stable rider Michael Walker, sidelined with a broken hand.

He has been desperate to get back into the raceday saddle to ride Darci Brahma in the $100,000 Waikato Draught Sprint on Saturday week.

"I guarantee I'll be back," pledged Walker, holding up the metal cast on his hand.

The second highest price was the $725,000 agent Kieran Moore paid for the Redoubt's Choice-Great Bouquet filly.

Matamata trainer Gary Hennessy gave early breath to the session when he came up with $500,000 on behalf of Hong Kong buyer Andrew Wong for the No Excuses Needed-Beyond The Sunset half brother to smart Te Akau performing juvenile Don Garcia.

Like most of the top lots, the colt bought slightly more than Hennessy thought his client would have to pay.

"I rated him at $300,000, with the possibility of getting close to $500,000. We probably paid a bit more than we expected."

Hennessy said he loved the fact that the mare had already left a stakes winner and also the fact that he had great confidence in the sire No Excuses Needed, a top class English-bred stallion whose oldest are only yearlings. The colt will not race here.

Northern Hemisphere agent Adrian Nichol went to $360,000 for an Encosta de Lago-Baroness Britney filly on behalf of first-time English buyer Bill Gredley, proprietor of English stud Stetchworth.

Gredley had not been to New Zealand before. He said Coolmore Stud principal John Magnier convinced him to attend Karaka during a Barbados Christmas holiday.

"The filly will either go to Lee Freedman or David Hayes."

* The fierce ringside competition on day two resulted in a record average for the day of $149,772 and a sale average so far of $131,925. The sale median is holding solid at $85,000. Gross takings are currently $35.12 million for 267 lots sold after 360 lots catalogued.