By MIKE DILLON
Gary Moore did not know when he was champion jockey in France that it would eventually cost him $650,000.
Moore, these days training in Sydney, paid the highest price of the first day of the premier session of New Zealand Bloodstock's opening session for a stand-out Zabeel-Very Gilded colt.
"I rode some of those horses on the pedigree page when I was in France," Moore explained as he pointed to the host of stakes winners in the catalogue page.
Moore captured the colt with a single bid.
His Sydney stable, in its third year, is an arm of the operation he and his brother John operate, with his brother firmly established in Hong Kong, where Gary Moore was seven times champion jockey.
Gary Moore hopes he can keep the Zabeel colt in Sydney.
"As most people know, most of the cream goes to John and I'd like to change that balance a little.
"We bought two Zabeels here last year, the Kylemore colt for $250,000 was great buying."
Moore is happy with the 25 winners he has trained this season, but is looking forward to his first group race winner.
"If the Kylemore colt keeps on his current line of improvement he could provide me with that."
Moore rated his purchase the best Zabeel he inspected.
"He's got a great eye and I like the way he projects."
Former Cantabrian and New Zealand representative cricketer Jack D'Arcy paid $500,000 late in the session for the Zabeel-Audencia filly put forward by Whakanui Stud.
D'Arcy has lived in Sydney for 30 years and last year sold his computer business, so he has the opportunity to realise a lifetime dream of racing a high profile racehorse.
He paid $310,000 for a Zabeel colt at the Ready To Run sale in November and decided he wanted a class filly to eventually breed from.
"I've already registered the red and black Canterbury colours to race these horses in in Sydney."
As expected, Zabeel was responsible for the highest priced lots, each of the four which made $400,000-plus. Zabeel's yearlings averaged $311,563 for 16 lots sold ahead of Danehill at $242,000 for five lots.
The leading buyer was New Zealand Bloodstock at $1.73 million for 10 purchases ahead of Rogerson Bloodstock, which outlaid $1.43 million for 11 yearlings.
The 117 lots sold yesterday realised $14,775,000 compared to the 143 lots sold at the first session of last year's premier sale which sold for $13,880,000.
Yesterday's session average was $126,282 against a first session average last year of $97,063, the overall premier session average of $128,000 being boosted by the $3.6 million Zabeel-Diamond Lover colt in the middle of the sale.
Racing: Zabeel star of the show at Karaka
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.