Little Brose‘s Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) win in February had a big impact on the commercial appeal of his Little Avondale-based sire Per Incanto , so much so that Riversley Park’s Sam Beatson sensed he had to strike early.
And so he did at the June 16 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling and Broodmare Sale, going to a session-topping NZ$150,000 (US$93,824, NZ$1=US$.06255) for a Henrietta, the Dowager Duchess of Bedford-bred Per Incanto colt.
Renowned breeze-up vendor Beatson, currently preparing his draft for the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale in November, bought the colt with the possibility of reoffering him at the 2024 2-year-old sale, although his appeal could also see the Riversley Park proprietor cash him in as a yearling next January.
By the same sire as dual Australian group 1-winning mare Roch ‘n’ Horse, the Brighthill Farm-offered colt was the most expensive of five foals to reach six figures at the one-day auction, which averaged NZ$23,089 ($14,442) at a median of NZ$12,000 ($7,506) for the weanling session. The clearance rate was 70%.
“Per Incanto flies up in Hong Kong and plus the Australian market, he’s leaving group 1 winners over there—2-year-old group 1 winners—so he’s a very saleable horse anywhere around the world,” Beatson said.
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“I haven’t decided (where to present him next) but he’s a big, strong boy so he would make a yearling.
“Obviously, I do a lot of 2-year-olds for the breeze-up sale, so that’s another option. I will take him home and just see how things unfold.”
Beatson added: “He is a lovely physical colt, a good-moving colt. He just had a lot of quality about him and he had a good attitude every time I looked at him. He came out, paraded, and did his job and I loved him.”
Fiercely loyal to her ‘Mrs. Moss’ family, Henrietta, the Dowager Duchess of Bedford, was delighted with the sale of her Per Incanto colt out of the Redoute’s Choice mare She’s Apples, who was consigned as Lot 144.
“When Redoute’s Choice shuttled to the Northern Hemisphere I decided to send one of my family to him, the result was She’s Apples,” the Duchess of Bedford said.
“Her half brother (Showy) by Golden Horn raced (on Thursday) night in England. Their dam Steal the Show is a High Chaparral half sister to my Tavistock.
“I really liked the Street Cry cross and the colt has a great personality. I sent her back to Per Incanto last spring.”
Brighthill Farm sold 10 weanlings for a total of NZ$512,000.
“It’s great for the farm and staff that do all the hard work and for the owners who keep giving us these weanlings,” Brighthill Farm’s Nick King said. “It’s a sale we always aim for, we like to bring some quality horses and we were rewarded well today.”
Earlier, a filly by New Zealand’s soon-to-be crowned champion sire Proisir, who will end the long reign of Waikato Stud’s Savabeel , was also popular at the one-day Karaka sale.
The Rich Hill Stud-based stallion, the sire of five group 1 winners this season, including Prowess and Legarto, had a filly sell for NZ$140,000 to Kaha Nui Farm’s Nick and Nicky White, who are relatively new investors that have been making their presence felt on both sides of the Tasman this sales season.
“She’s just a really good filly with a massive backend on her,” Nicky White said.
“I think she’ll get up and run fairly early. She was my pick of the fillies and we’re fortunate enough to be able to take her home.”
Offered by Highline Thoroughbreds’ Cam and Eva Heron, the filly is the first foal out of two-time winner Jazamour, who in turn is a half sister to the listed winner Humbucker.
Cam Heron was “absolutely rapt” with the price achieved for the filly, who had a reserve of NZ$100,000.
“We have been long-time supporters of Proisir and our half-share allows us to send a mare every other year. However, we had a stroke of luck in April 2020 when Eva’s number was drawn out of the hat at the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ meeting, the prize being a nomination to Proisir donated by Rich Hill Stud. So, in 2021, we sent two mares.”
The top-selling broodmare was the All Too Hard mare Windmere. Consigned as Lot 252 by Kilmore Farm, she was purchased for NZ$120,000 from Little Avondale Stud. She was bought in foal to 2020 New Zealand champion 2-year-old male Sword of State.