IN THE NEWS: Mitchell and Gabbedy take shine to Bivouac colt

End users were also prominent on the buying bench yesterday, with a six‑figure colt by World Champion Sprinter Bivouac (Exceed And Excel), purchased to race rather than be reo­ffered through next year’s yearling sales.

Owner Wayne Mitchell, a business partner in the Victorian training operation of father and son Tony and Calvin McEvoy, has so much belief in the prospects of Darley sire Bivouac that he was prepared to go to $275,000 to buy a first-crop colt by the three-time Group 1 winner.

Acting through agent Damon Gabbedy, who was on the Gold Coast taking instructions from Mitchell via the phone, the colt will be retained to race.

“[Wayne Mitchell’s] got a very big rap on Bivouac, he rated him the highest first-season sire in the catalogue,” Gabbedy said.

“We loved Bivouac, the half-brother goes really well, he wanted to have a Bivouac, so we thought we’d find the best one in the sale, and we thought this was it.”

A half-brother to this season’s talented stakes-performed Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained two-year-old Tumbling, the Three Bridges Thoroughbreds-bred and -sold colt, who was catalogued as Lot 5, is the third foal out of Viviette (Invincible Spirit).

The Redwall syndicate was believed to be the underbidder on the Bivouac colt.

Gabbedy reasoned that buying high-calibre weanlings to race was a cost-e­ffective way of procuring stock for the Ballarat-based McEvoy Mitchell Racing.

“We’ve seen how strong the yearling market is at the top end, they’re hard to buy,” the agent said. “So, you can aff­ord to pay a little bit more if you’ve got a bit of patience. I still think he ended up being cheaper than (he would be) as a yearling.

“He’s a beautiful horse with a fantastic temperament. We saw him about four times over the last few days and he just did the right thing every time - head down, great attitude, good walker.

“He’s from a very good farm; Three Bridges are very good breeders, they rear their stock naturally and brilliantly, so great to buy off­ them.”

Source: ANZ Bloodstock News