The Australasian record price for a yearling was smashed at Newmarket on the first day of the Easter Yearling Sale when the half-brother to Black Caviar and All Too Hard (Lot 131) sold for $5million.
The colt (Redoute’s Choice x Helsinge, by Desert Sun) was purchased by Melbourne based bloodstock company BC3 Thoroughbreds who last year bought the sister to the colt for $2.6 million. The unraced filly is named Belle Couture.
Under-bidder was Swettenham Stud’s Adam Sangster whose final bid was initially taken as $5 million but he took that back to 4.9 million and then when BC3 then took the bid to $5 million he walked away from the sale.
The colt was in the ring for two minutes and 42 seconds with the opening bid being $2 million.
The next bid was $2.5 million then $3 million before the fourth bid jumped by $1 million to $4 million.
Then it went up in $100,000 increments until auctioneer Peter Heagney thought Sangster’s bid was $200,000 taking it from, $4.8 million to $5 million before it went back to Sangster at $4.9 million.
The colt was offered by Three Bridge’s Thoroughbreds as agent for Gilgai Farm.
Earlier in the day the Queen’s Bloodstock Consultant, John Warren, has paid $2.4 million for Lot 123, a three-quarter brother by Fastnet Rock to top sprinter Starspangledbanner.
By Owens Wong
