In what was the first southern hemisphere yearling auction for Darley’s first-season sires, both Street Sense and Bernardini have been well-received by buyers, topping the leading sires for averages and also providing the top two priced sellers in the first-season sire category.
Street Cry’s history-making son led the way after four days of selling, registering the highest priced yearling for a first-season sire. Entering the ring as lot 663 during the night session, the Highgrove Stud-consigned colt was knocked down to Hong Kong owner Mr Thomas Li for $440,000. Out of the Stakes placed Danehill mare Aristocracy, the colt is from the family of G1 winners Bluebird The Word and PortoRoca, the dam of Dubawi’s G2 winner Monterosso.
Leading the averages at $136,944, the closest first-season sire to achieve the next best for three or more yearlings selling was Bernardini who averaged $115,417 for the 12 yearlings sold so far.
The top priced seller for the Champion three-year-old son of AP Indy 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 second highest price paid for a yearling by a first-season sire.
With only one yearling to sell so far, G2-winning Flying Spur first-season sire Shaft (pictured) produced one of the highlights of the evening session, having his sole representative knocked down to Ingham Racing for $170,000. Conceived off a service fee of $11,000, the return on investment for his breeders Willow Park Stud was significant. Out of the G2-winning Pentire mare Zanna, the colt is the fourth living foal for the mare.
The sale continues on Sunday.
