Online auction success

A large number of bidders saw the first of Darley’s three online auctions of nominations to Champion stallion Exceed And Excel and the country’s most consistent source of winners Commands keenly contested.

In the end, Mark Alati of Marquee Stud held the winning bid of $85,800 for the Exceed And Excel nomination, while Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock’s Darren Dance claimed the Commands nomination for $55,550.

Darley’s Head of Sales Alastair Pulford said, “We are extremely pleased with the great response we have had to the online auctions. We had 170 people register and there were 23 active bidders over the three days of our first auctions.

“This is a new initiative and it is the first time in Australia something like this has been done. We are always looking at different ways to provide our clients with access to nominations in our stallions and with the online auctions we are simply moving with the times in this digital age.”

Marquee Stud will use the Exceed And Excel nomination for G3 winner Charmview, the dam of highly promising Exceed And Excel four-year-old Knight Exemplar, while Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock will send their recently retired city winner Queenera, a half-sister to G3-winning Street Cry mare Tallow, to Commands.

“Both Marquee Stud and Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock are great clients of ours and we are very happy they have secured the nominations and will be sending quality mares,” Pulford said.

Auction two begins at 9am on Wednesday and concludes at 4pm Friday, while the third and final auction begins at 9am August 21. To register click here.