Vinery Stud received a timely update for its Shalaa (Ire) colts at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale when Saasmit won on debut at Murray Bridge last Saturday.
Saasmit will return for the Blue Diamond Preview Gr.3 at Caulfield on Tuesday, January 26 and she already appears a bargain-buy after going through the Vinery draft $21,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions National Foal Sale.
It also looked snip compared to a combined $790,000 paid by Team Hawkes and Chris Waller for Vinery’s Shalaa colts at the Magic Millions on Friday.
Wayne Hawkes paid $470,000 for the classically-bred colt out of Sagamiyna (Lot 736). He hails from a Group 1 winning family nurtured by the Aga Khan going back to Sagamix (Arc de Triomphe) and Sagacity (Criterium de Saint-Cloud).
Waller and agent Guy Mulcaster successfully bid $320,000 for the Shalaa colt from Pocket Power (Lot 649). Waller trained his dam’s three-quarter brother Delectation to a Group 1 triumph in the 2015 Darley Classic when he beat Team Hawkes champion Chautauqua in a head-bobber at Flemington. “We were happy to purchase him from Vinery – it’s a family we know very well,” Mulcaster said. “And Shalaa is the sire of our Breeders’ Plate winner Shaquero.”
Kelly Schweida tipped in with $425,000 for the More Than Ready (USA) half-sister to his Magic Millions 2yo Classic entrant Miss Hipstar (Star Turn). The Vinery filly (Lot 800) is also a full-sister to Sydney Group 2 performed 2yo Still Single.
Another filly by the Vinery legend destined for Schweida’s Eagle Farm stable is Lot 259. The full-sister to Group 1 Kiwi mare Spring Heat was sold for $380,000 by Sledmere Stud on Wednesday as agent for breeder Jenny Mackay. “That was a terrific start to our draft on Day 2,” Sledmere’s Royston Murphy commented. “And she goes to a great man with the More Than Ready breed!”
More Than Ready topped the Paul Pompa Dispersal at the Keeneland January Sale on Tuesday when his mare Mary’s Follies was bought by BBA Ireland for $500,000. Now a 15 year-old, Mary’s Follies won a Mrs. Revere Stakes Gr.2 at Churchill Downs and her foals include the USA Group winners Night Prowler (Giant’s Causeway) and Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom).
Pompa, a widely respected horseman and businessman who died in October 2020, raced Kentucky Derby Gr.1 winner Big Brown who shuttled to Vinery for four southern books until 2014. He sired 100 individual winners in Australia topped by Dawnie Perfect (MRC Ethereal Stakes Gr.3).
