The Easter Yearling Sale concluded on Tuesday, 7 April with Dubawi heading the first-crop sires’ averages. Four of his yearlings sold for an average of $215,000 and top of these was a chestnut half-brother to outstanding sprinter Takeover Target and Street Cry's Group Three winner Predatory Pricer. The colt (pictured), out of Shady Stream and consigned by Segenhoe Stud, realised $425,000.
Dubawi was seventh top overall by average in session one and ahead of him was Shamardal, who had three sell for an average of $270,000, making him leading second-crop sire and in fourth position overall behind the established trio of Redoute’s Choice, Encosta De Lago and Galileo. The best-seller among Shamardal’s yearlings was a half-brother to the mighty New Zealand mare Sunline. The bay colt from Carramar Park’s consignment was bought by Portelli Racing for $380,000.
Singspiel only shuttled to Australia once but such was the impression made by his select Australian-bred crop, which included Group One winner Rewaaya, that breeders have been keen to cover mares by him to southern hemisphere time. Three yearlings resulting from this were sold in Sydney for an average of $156,667.
Exceed And Excel had a bumper representation in the sale with 21 of his youngsters changing hands for a highly respectable average of $147,024. These included Macquarie Stud’s colt out of Native Jester, who fetched $370,000, a filly out of Alpine Spirit from Reavill Farm, who made $360,000 while Patinack Farm snapped up a son of Group One winner St Clemens Belle for $320,000. An Exceed And Excel half-brother to Reset's VRC Derby winner Rebel Raider was consigned by South Australia’s Mill Park Stud and will now bear Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s familiar blue and white colours after selling to Shadwell Australia for $300,000.
Another Darley stallion who featured prominently in the catalogue was Commands, a stallion who stamps so many of his offspring with his own dark brown good looks. An average of $140,000 was achieved by the sale of 15 of his yearlings and $310,000 was the deciding bid for a Commands filly out of Canny Lad's G1 Salinger Stakes winner Ancient Song. Her two-year-old half-sister by Lonhro is already a winner.
Lonhro's yearlings also returned a six-figure average. Eight sold for $128,438 and the 11-time Group One winner’s former trainer John Hawkes was foremost among the buyers of his offspring. The Hawkes Racing stable has taken charge of a filly out of the G1-placed Carnegie mare Soprana, who fetched $320,000, and a $250,000 colt out of Russian Caravan among others.
Six Elusive Quality yearlings changed hands, all making six figures and recording an average of $166,250. Top price of these was a daughter of dual Classic winner Magical Miss from the Yarraman Park Stud draft. She fetched $300,000 and will be raced by Darley.
