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Zoustar filly out of Karuta Queen tops opening session selling for $950,000
A filly by Widden Stud's Zoustar (Northern Meteor) out of 2011 Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Karuta Queen (Not A Single Doubt) topped the opening session of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Tuesday when bought by Peter Moody for $950,000.
The Strawberry Hill Stud-consigned filly was one of 18 lots to sell for $500,000 or more on Tuesday which saw 148 lots sell for a total of $40,262,500, up 14 per cent from 2021 when 142 lots sold for $35,240,000. The average was up 9.6 per cent from the 2021 figure of $248,169 to $272,043 - a record for the opening session of the sale - while the median rose 26.5 per cent from $170,000 to $215,000. The clearance rate was 91 per cent.
The session topping Zoustar filly is the fifth foal out of Karuka Queen who has produced two winners to date headed by stakes winning filly Eawase (Sebring).
"She's a really lovely filly," Moody said of the Strawberry Hill Stud offering. "I had a bit of exposure to mum, I trained her at the back end of her career.
"Just a queen – a magnificent filly. She was my horse of the sale, which is easy for me to say now but I'm very pleased to be taking her home.
"She is a big, scopey filly – strong, powerful and well put together. She's just a bloody nice filly all round.
"I've bought her on spec with the view of getting some stable clients into her. She's a filly that's got a lot of residual value, race performance aside.
"We are a smaller operation now and just trying to find elite horses and hopefully she can fit that category," Moody added.
The filly was one of two yearlings sold by Strawberry Hill Stud on Tuesday and was the only purchase made by Moody. Widden Stud's Zoustar finished the session as the leading sire with eight lots selling for $3,745,000 at an average of $468,125.
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was pleased with the first day of trade.
"It's an extremely solid start to the sale," Bowditch said. "If someone had offered that result at the start of the day I'd have taken it!
"It was a deep, strong market and there were plenty of people bidding. We were finding buyers at all levels.
"There's a lot of water to go under the bridge but it's a great start," Bowditch added.
The sale continues on Wednesday.
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