Matamata farm enjoys super RTR Sale

Waikato Stud ended a successful New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale when its Sacred Falls colt sold to Australian interests on Thursday afternoon for $600,000.

It followed the $640,000 realised by a Savabeel colt on Wednesday with both youngsters bred and offered by the Matamata farm through Jamie Beatson’s Ohukia Lodge draft.

The Sacred Falls colt drew an opening bid of $200,000 and was finally knocked down to Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker and Group 1 Bloodstock.

Presented as Lot 218, the two-year-old boasts an impressive pedigree and had breezed up well in 10.84 seconds to make him Baker’s pick of the sale.

“One hundred per cent and we’re thrilled to get him. He’s a cracking colt and it’s exciting to get a nice horse like him to Sydney with the heaps of increases in prizemoney here in recent years,” he said.

“He’s got a strong pedigree behind him and it’s great to get a horse like him. I must say the price was a bit out of my comfort zone, but we definitely liked him a lot and I think he will be well placed over here.”

The colt’s value has been significantly boosted this spring with the emergence of his Tivaci half-sister Never Been Kissed.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for Waikato Stud, the filly won the G1 Flight S. at Randwick and returned there to finish runner-up in the G1 Spring Champion S. 

They are out of the Savabeel mare Movie (NZ), who won on three occasions, and she is a blood sister to G1 New Zealand Oaks and G1 Livamol Classic winner Savvy Coup and a three-quarter sister to the multiple Group 2 winner Ocean Emperor.

The family also includes the three-time Group 1 winner Probabeel and Group winners Tootsie and Legless Veuve. Bellacontte has also added to the roll of honour this season with wins in the G3 Gold Trail S. and the Listed O’Leary’s Fillies’ S.

Baker has a close association with Jim Clarke and the Queensland-based bloodstock agent had also assisted him to secure the colt.

“I do a fair bit of work with Jim and we were lucky enough to talk to Ozzie Kheir, who has had a lot of success lately, and he will be coming into the horse so it’s all worked out really well,” Baker said.

“It’s one step at a time and we will get the colt over here and have a good look at him,” Baker said.

Meanwhile, a classically Waikato Stud-bred son of Savabeel sold for $155,000 on the final day of the sale with Sparta Racing securing Lot 175. 

The 2-year-old, who breezed up in 10.92s, is a brother to the multiple winner Queen Leonora and they are out of the O’Reilly mare Lego, who is a sister to the stakes winner Wolfwhistle.

She is also a blood sister to the G1 Herbie Dyke S. winner Tiptronic and three-quarter sister to the G1 WATC Derby winner Guyno. The pedigree page also features the elite level winner Sixty Seconds.