Ciaron Maher Bloodstock continued to invest at will throughout the third day, and the Sale’s biggest buyer made a considerable splash when paying $1.5 million for Lot 419, a colt by Pierro from Kia Ora Stud.
The colt, who is out of Kia Ora’s multiple stakes-winning homebred Ravi (Redoute’s Choice), became the equal highest-priced yearling of his Coolmore-based sire, but it was a price that Maher’s Bloodstock Manager, Will Bourne, said they were prepared to pay.
“He’s got a lovely physical and going along with that, he’s a Pierro out of a Redoute’s mare who’s won herself,” he said.
“Pierro-Redoute’s crosses have produced three Group 1 winners from a sample of sales of about 40 horses. So it’s a proven sire, the mare could run, it’s a proven cross so it was a real no brainer for us. We loved the colt and we thought we had a bit of profitability in our favour.”
Bourne said the physical nature of the horse and his pedigree suggested he would be a horse that would be peaking in his 3-year-old season.
“He’ll be more of a 3-year-old but he’s that athletic, I wouldn’t put it past him to do something at two. Pierro sires more 3-year-olds but in saying that we saw Snowden’s horse (Paris Dior), a Pierro, really win dominantly at Canterbury (Friday) so he can still get a 2-year-old,” he said.
“Going off the benchmark of yesterday at $1.7 million, he’s a quality colt, one of the proper colts in the Sale so that ($1.5 million) is what the market says.’’
Ravi won a G3 Sheraco S. and Listed How Now H. in the dual blue colours of Kia Ora and is a sister to Elzaam, who was a Listed winner and Group 1-producing stallion.
She has produced an unraced brother to this colt, Ravin, who cost Mick Price $200,000 through last year’s Inglis Easter Sale, while she foaled an I Am Invincible colt last year before visiting that stallion again.
Kia Ora Bloodstock and Breeding Manager Shane Wright said the result meant a lot to the team.
“A phenomenal result, we love the colt and expected him to sell well but you can never foresee a result like that,” he said.
“He’s been very popular all week and has taken everything in his stride the whole way through the Sale and never put a foot out of place. This kind of temperament along with his physical attributes made him a very sought-after colt and one of the busiest horses I’ve ever had pleasure of selling at Magics.”
Among the nine stakes winners by Pierro from Redoute’s Choice mares are Group 1 winners Arcadia Queen, Regal Power and Levendi.
“We all know the Pierro x Redoute’s cross works so well and when you can combine that with the type of horse he is a very exciting colt going forward, and the market reflected that,” Wright said.
“Ciaron and David have bought a magnificent group of horses this week and we couldn’t be happier that he joins their stable, he gets every chance and we wish them the best of luck with him.”
Article Courtesy of TDN AUS NZ
