An Elusive Quality colt was the most expensive horse sold during the second session of the three-day New Zealand Bloodstock select yearling sale, bringing NZ$200,000 ($142,182 in U.S. funds) Feb. 4. Bloodstock agent Phil Cataldo, acting on behalf of a Melbourne, Australia-based client, purchased the colt from Haunui Farm at the auction at Karaka in New Zealand.
“He’s got a magnificent physique, a great front end on him, and a deep girth,” Cataldo said. “I rated him as the best colt in the sale. He’s a quality colt and quite mature, so he’s been entered for the Karaka Million.”
The colt is the fifth reported foal out of the unraced Bluebird mare Blue Quail, who is a full sister to 1994 Australian Mare of the Year and two-time group I winner Flitter and a half-sister to Kzelevn (by Zabeel), who captured the 2007 group I Patrons’ Bowl in Singapore. According to the New Zealand select auction’s catalog, Kzelevn also is known as My Royal Captain.
“I’ve had a bit of luck with the family, purchasing My Royal Captain, who won his first three races in a row before winning the Patrons’ Bowl,” Cataldo said. “The colt reminded me of My Royal Captain, and I’ve loved him since we saw him at Haunui just over a month ago.”
The gross revenue for the 305 yearlings that sold during the auction’s first two days was NZ$15,878,500 ($11,288,200). The average price was NZ$52,061 ($37,011), which was up 39.3% from last year’s average for the entire three-day auction. The median was NZ$40,000 ($28,436), which represented an increase of 33.3%. The clearance rate was 79%.
