Stunning result as Mo’unga’s brother makes seven figures

A brother to the multiple Group 1 winner Mo’unga was widely tipped to be a star offering for breeder Waikato Stud on the opening day of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and the handsome son of Savabeel lived up to his top billing.

Lot 161 attracted widespread interest both on the sale ground at Karaka and offshore and that translated into spirited bidding for the Savabeel colt, who was finally knocked down for a session-topping $1 million.

The youngster was signed for by Kacy Fogden on behalf of Tony Fung, who shares in the ownership of Mo’unga and will be joining his sibling at Annabel Neasham’s Sydney yard.

“Mo’unga is obviously a pretty special horse to us and we were prepared for it (price),” Fogden said. He is very straightforward, has a good temperament and is very athletic.

“It is a bit scary when you have got David Ellis coming back at you round for round. I wouldn’t want to do that too many times, but he is a quality colt and you have got to buy the colt you want.”

Mark Chittick said the yearling had been a hugely popular individual prior to entering the ring. “He’s got the looks and the pedigree, he is the full package and could have probably gone to any sale in the world and be looked at as a top lot.

“That is our second $1 million sale after the Savabeel ex Make A Wish colt we sold for $1.4 million in 2019 here.

“Being by Savabeel it gives you the opportunity to sell horses in that bracket as it is a hell of a lot of money for an unproven animal at this stage of their career.

“He will be given every opportunity and he is a lovely horse who had everything going for him. “I have to take my hat off to everyone and especially my team at Waikato Stud as they put their life and soul into this and it is great that we can get a little result like this for them. It verifies that we are doing the job right.

“We were proud to offer him – he is a lovely mover and probably stronger than Mo’unga at the same age.”

A $325,000 buy in 2019, the Annabel Neasham-trained Mo’unga has won five of his 15 starts including the G1 Rosehill Guineas and the G1 Winx S. and was recently runner-up when resuming in the G1 Futurity S.

His dam is the winning O’Reilly mare Chandelier who is a sister Irlanda, successful in the G2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. and the family of the G1 Auckland Cup winner Chenille.

The Matamata farm has retained Chandelier’s unraced juvenile Savabeel filly named Get Lit and the mare also has a Savabeel yearling colt. She was served by Super Seth in 2021 before a return visit to Savabeel.

Te Akau earlier won another hotly contested bidding duel to take home Lot 126, a Savabeel colt out of the O’Reilly mare Bingo, who is a three-quarter sister to the dam of the dual Group 1 winner Daffodil.