Sea Hero Mare Tops Australian Broodmare Sale

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Led by a Sea Hero mare in foal to End Sweep, the Australian Broodmare Sale conducted by the William Inglis & Company ended Monday with a 17% increase in average price. The two-day sale grossed AUS$22,733,000, with an average price of AUS$54,255.

Storming South, a daughter of 1993 Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero, was the object of competitive bidding before being purchased by Goree Stud for AUS$550,000. Produced from the same female family as champions Storm Bird, Northernette, Green Tune and Pas de Reponse. Storming South was consigned by Vinery Australia. Bred in Kentucky by William S. Farish, Hudson Interests, and W. S. Kilroy, Storming South was purchased by Oldham Thoroughbreds for $82,000 at the 1997 Keeneland September yearling sale. After one second and one third from six starts as a 2-year-old, Storming South was sent to Australia, where she produced her first foal, a Woodman filly, last August.

Including Storming South, the four top-priced offerings at the two-day sale were bred in the U.S. Three were consigned by Vinery Australia. Second-highest price of AUS$500,000 was paid by Doncaster Bloodstock for French Flair, also offered by Vinery Australia. A 1989 daughter of Bering sold in foal to Nureyev, French Flair has been represented by two European stakes winners--Fair Weather (Italy) and Griega (France). Bred in Kentucky by Robert S. Folsom, French Flair won one of seven starts in Ireland and placed third in the 1992 Derrinstown Stud One Thousand Guineas Trial.

Of the improved numbers for the sale, managing director Reg Inglis said, "This sale indicates that the breeding industry in Australasia is in an extremely healthy state and also shows that there is great confidence in the general economy."

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