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Progeny of Arrowfield Stud shuttler prove popular.
Book 1 of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale was concluded with the selling of yearlings from the The Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco, who died in June and the most expensive of the dispersal was a colt by Arrowfield Stud's first-season shuttler Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) who was purchased by Matt Laurie Racing, Bahen Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock for $360,000.
Catalogued as Lot 1493, the colt is out of Bloodhorse Breeders' Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Crowned Glory (Danehill), who finished second in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Crowned Glory is the dam of seven winners headed by dual Group 1 winner and now Darley sire Hallowed Crown (Street Sense), while she also produced Group 3 winner Needs Further (Encosta De Lago), who is famed for being the sire of Group 1-winning mare Mystic Journey.
Meanwhile, the colt's third dam Lady Giselle (Nureyev) produced Group 1 winner and subsequent champion sire Zabeel (Sir Tristram).
"He's got a stallion's pedigree," said Williams. "He's a horse who is a half-brother to Golden Rose-Randwick Guineas horse who is also from the family of Zabeel and we thought he might be a three-year-old style of horse.
"However, given he's a Shalaa, he has a bit of Invincible Spirit blood there and, first and foremost, I thought he was a ripping sort with lovely size and scope and comes from one of the great nurseries in Australia.
"We've been beaten on a lot (of Shalaas) but this is a pretty unique horse with his pedigree and the fact that the Cojuancgo family and Gooree's history with good horses."
Shalaa has made a good start with this northern hemisphere runners, producing three winners to date, while his son Saeiqa also finished third in the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Royal Ascot and his first Australian-bred runners will hit the track this season.
Williams, who was buying for Victorian-based trainer Matt Laurie for the first time, said the trainer was delighted the colt would be joining his stable.
"This is the first horse (I've bought for Laurie) but because of Covid reasons he was stuck and couldn't get up here, so he relied on my fantastic videoing and pictures. Matty's over the moon.
"He's definitely an Easter style of colt, so God knows what he could have made at that level and we put him in that bracket, so it's great to secure a style of horse like him.
"He's going to go straight down to (Laurie's) and go through orientation and learn a bit more in new surroundings and go from there."
Matt Laurie Racing and Bahen Bloodstock took home another colt by the Arrowfield Stud shuttler from the The Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco, going to $100,000 for the colt.
Catalogued as Lot 1491, he is the eighth foal out of winning and Group placed Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Above Perfection, whose six foals to race have all been winners, headed by multiple stakes winner Tactical Advantage (Bel Esprit).
Above Perfection herself is out of dual Listed winner Actress (Snippets), while further back this is the same family as dual Group 1 winner Desert War (Desert King) and fellow elite level winner Laser Hawk (Artie Schiller).
There were three yearlings by Shalaa sold during the yearling session of The Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco, with the trio making $535,000 at an average of $178,333.
Meanwhile, during Book 1 Queensland-based Kelly Schweida went to $240,000 for a colt by Shalaa, who was offered by Valiant Stud and catalogued as Lot 1239.
Schweida said he was happy to secure the colt, having tried to buy progeny by the sire earlier in the year, but they were too expensive.
"I tried to buy some in January and they were too dear. There's been good raps from the breakers about them and he is a nice horse," Schweida said.
"The owner who bought him will take him along slowly and we will see how he goes."
The colt is the fourth foal out of Lonhro (Octagonal) mare Lonoree, whose two foals to race have both been winners. Lonoree herself is out of Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Euphoria (Marauding), making her a half-sister to Listed winner Fleet (Dehere) and the dam of Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt).
In the catalogue proper, Shalaa had five yearlings sell for an aggregate of $542,500 at an average of $108,500, while Schweida purchased four yearlings for a gross of $412,500.