3 minute read
Filly by champion stallion sells for $825,000.
The Frankel filly who was promoted as the banner lot of this year's Great Southern Sale lived up to her high billing when she obliterated Inglis records on Thursday's opening to the Oaklands Junction offering.
The Burnewang North-prepared daughter of French mare Vedema got to $825,000 before being knocked down to Mitchell Bloodstock on behalf of Victorian client Stephen Spiteri.
That is $465,000 more than the previous record at the Victorian sale, the Zoustar-Vergara colt who sold two years ago, and $200,000 more than More Than Ready-Milanova filly from 2009 and the Capitalist-Speedboat from last month's Australian Weanling Sale who jointly held the record for the highest-priced Inglis weanling.
James Mitchell said it was more than he thought they would be spending, but Spiteri was intent on going home with her.
"I thought we'd be paying between $500,000 and $600,000, so Stephen made the call at the end of the day – I was just doing the bidding – but he was thrilled to have bought her," Mitchell said.
"Stephen has loved her from the minute he saw her and I thought we were out about two or three times, but he stuck to his guns and had that one last bid, which I didn't think we were having.
"It's a great thrill for Stephen and I'm sure he'll have a lot of fun with the filly."
The result continues the love the Australian industry has for products of Frankel with the top two lots at last month National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast sons of the Juddmonte stallion who sold for $925,000 and $725,000 respectively.
Spiteri's big buy is from a daughter of Invincible Spirit who did not race but is out of Vedouma, a Listed winner in France who is a half-sister to Vederana, the dam of last year's European champion three-year-old Vadeni.
The Burnewang North filly was bought by to race, with Flemington trainer Mike Moroney to oversee her career, but will have breeding barn value regardless of how her racetrack career plays out.
"She's got huge residual value, she's got her whole racing career ahead of her and, if she's true to type, she should be a pretty handy racehorse," Mitchell said.
"She's out of an Invincible Spirit mare from a big European family, so the residual value was there from the minute she was born and hopefully she can add to it on the racetrack.
"She'd be a great addition to any broodmare band."
The $825,000 filly was one of two Frankel weanlings to be offered at the Great Southern Sale with Esker Lodge offering a filly out of the Dubawi mare Murasaki on Friday's second and final day of the sale.
