A Redoute's Choice half brother to megastar mare Black Caviar shattered the Australasian record price for a yearling when he sold for $5 million ($5,238,006 U.S.) on April 9 on opening day of the Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale.
Offered by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds on behalf of breeder Rick Jamieson's Gilgai Farm, the colt out of the Desert Sun mare Helsinge was bought by Melbourne-based bloodstock company BC3 Thoroughbreds, which paid $2.6 million ($2,681,380 U.S.) for his full sister, Belle Couture, at last year's Easter sale.
The previous Australian record for a yearling was $3 million, a price jointly held by Redoute's Choice colt out of Deja Slew sold in 2006 and a Rock of Gibraltar colt out of L'On Vite sold the following year, both at the Inglis Easter sale.
"As soon as Belle Couture started to show us that she wasn't going to let the family down and that she might be pretty special herself we started to think we better have a look at this colt," BC3 Chairman Bill Vlahos said.
"We had a bit of inside knowledge so we thought we might have to use that, and when (U.S. bloodstock agent and BC3 co-founder) John Brocklebank comes back and says it's the best yearling he has ever seen we got a bit excited.
"John has a great eye and he said has never seen a better yearling here or in the United States."
Underbidder on the colt was Swettenham Stud's Adam Sangster, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported.
Sangster first bid $5 million but dialed back to $4.9 ($5,132,756 U.S.) million before BC3 made the winning bid.
Vlahos and Simon said 5% shares in the colt would be available to as many as 12 select clients.
"We still need to talk to Rick [Jamieson about retaining an interest] and we have left a little bit so that people can jump in. As a stallion prospect we'd like to keep it manageable to 10 or 12 owners," Vlahos said.
The colt, also is a half brother to multiple Australian group I winner All Too Hard, will be sent to BC3's property at Grace Park in Victoria and enter the BC3 breaking and pre-training program.
"He's a young man trapped in a man's body," BC3's Simon Marshall said. "He's one of the most outstanding looking yearlings you are ever going to see.
"He's very typical of the family, in that he has plenty of growing to do. He's going to put his hand up when he's fully matured."
Two other horses brought seven figures at the opening session of this year's sale, each by Coolmore sire Fastnet Rock and purchased by Coolmore Stud and the China Horse Club.
A three-quarter brother to Australian and European champion sprinter Starspangledbanner brought the session's second-highest price of $2.4 million ($2,514,003 U.S.) from bloodstock agent John Warren.
Offered by Tyreel Stud, agent for Makybe, the is colt the seventh foal out of stakes-placed Gold Anthem, by Made for Gold, and is from the family of group I winners Circles of Gold, Elvstroem, and Haradasun.
Warren secured the other seven-figure yearling for $1.5 million ($1,571,058 U.S.) from consignor by Kia-Ora Stud. He is the first foal out of 2009 Comely Stakes (gr. II) winner Dream Play, by Hennessy, a half sister to grade I winner Diplomat Lady.
With the sale of the record-priced colt, total receipts for the first session soared 42% to $38,855,000 ($40,762,935 U.S.) for 127 horses purchased, compared with last year's corresponding session when 129 horses were bought.
Average price ballooned 44% to $305,945 ($320,968 U.S.) and median price was up 25% to $200,000 ($209,767 U.S.) while the clearance rate was steady at 74%.
A huge crowd was on hand at the Newmarket sales complex to see the half brother to undefeated sprinter Black Caviar, a 6-year-old Bel Esprit mare who will aim for her 25th victory April 13 in the T. J. Smith Stakes (Aus-I) at Royal Randwick. The auction also was broadcast live and free into thousands of homes, giving the breeding industry a giant boost, Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said.
The Inglis Easter yearling sale continues with the second session April 10, beginning at 11 a.m.
