Pierro colt leads the way on day one

Lot 155, Westbury Stud’s Pierro colt was the top lot on Day One of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale after fetching $900,000 Photo: Darryl Sherer

Waikato bloodstock agent Garry Carvell went home with the horse he wanted on the first day of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.

He went to $900,000 to secure lot 155, the Pierro colt out of Redoute’s Choice mare Our Squeezer, from Westbury Stud’s draft.

Carvell said the colt’s pedigree was particularly enticing, with Our Squeezer being a half-sister to Imposingly, the dam of three-time Group One winner Bonneval and Group winners Lord Arthur, Imposing Lass, Full Of Spirit, and Lady Cumquat.

“He’s by a sire who’s booming and the cross with Redoute’s Choice mares produces plenty of winners and stakes winners.

“He’s a lovely horse and they aren’t easy to find. When you go through the sales in Australia there were only two or three colts out of Redoute’s Choice mares.

“I thought he would go to NZ$800,000 or more.”

Carvell said his new owners would take a patient approach with their new acquisition.

“We’ll take our time with him and get him broken in and go from there.

“He’ll be telling us how good he is and where he goes.”

Lot 189, The American Pharoah colt is headed to Chris Waller in Sydney after being purchased for $575,000 from the Pencarrow Stud draft
Photo: Trish Dunell

Chris Waller’s Sydney stable will be the recipient of one of the other top-priced lots on the day with bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster outlaying $575,000 to secure Lot 189, a colt by United States Triple Crown winner American Pharoah from the Pencarrow Stud draft.

Mulcaster had been keen to show Waller the athletic colt after inspecting him earlier in the week and got the thumbs up to pursue the colt on behalf of stable clients after Waller was excited by what he saw.

“Chris went and saw him on Saturday morning and he loved him so we were pleased to secure him,” Mulcaster said.

“He (American Pharoah) is doing a super job as they are doing it on the grass and on the dirt so to have a horse of his calibre standing down here is a real privilege.

“He is leaving super types and you won’t see a horse walk like that very often.”

The colt is out of Tiger Hill mare Posavina and is a half-brother to five-race winner Podravina while multiple stakes winner Rasa Lila also features in his extended family.