With his first northern hemisphere crop to race showing tremendous ability, highlighted by G1 winners Biondetti and AZ Warrior, the first-crop of yearlings to sell in the southern hemisphere by AP Indy's Champion son Bernardini have proven to be extremely well received on the Gold Coast.
The last lot offered on day two for the Eclipse Champion three-year-old was the Southern Cross Breeders-consigned lot 333. Out of the Danehill mare Miguelita, from the family of Stakes winners Brocco Babe, Rebecca Sharp, Hidden Hope, Mystic Knight and Miss Pinkerton, the bay colt was knocked down to Mr J. B. Cummings for $300,000; the highest priced paid for a yearling by a first-season sire.
Bernardini (pictured) has a further 11 yearlings to sell over the remaining three days of the sale including lot 434, a half-brother to Shamardal Stakes winner Gingerbread Man; the Rothwell Park-consigned lot 620, a half-sister to the G2 winner Sound Journey and lot 628, a half-sister to Stakes winner Fast 'N' Famous, out of the Stakes-winning Zabeel mare Zalinda.
Only a few lots later Melbourne trainer Lee Freedman parted with $460,000 for lot 339, the Toolooganvale Farm-consigned Exceed And Excel colt out of Freedman's former Champion race mare Miss Andretti. The first foal from the five-time G1 winner, Freedman stated that, "I had seen the colt many times and he continued to improve. I was very keen to get the first foal of a great race mare."
Leading stallion Lonhro also made his presence felt on day two with lot 328, the Widden Stud-consigned filly out of the Success Express mare Material Mover being knocked down to Denise Martin's Star Thoroughbreds for $170,000. The filly will be trained by Gai Waterhouse, who a hand full of lots later purchased her own Lonhro yearling, lot 353 a colt out of the Daylami mare Miss Right Note for $230,000.
The sale is set to continue on Friday.
