The Satono Aladdin half-brother to Group One winner On The Rocks (NZ) (Alamosa) and a filly with similar traits to Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir) were among a small but select group of purchases for champion trainer Mike Moroney during Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka.
The Melbourne Cup-winning trainer and his bloodstock agent brother Paul made five purchases together between Sunday and Tuesday and indicated that several of the higher-priced lots are headed to his Flemington stable.
Moroney paid NZ$460,000 for Lot 661, a son of Japanese shuttler Satono Aladdin out of Cold Shoulder (NZ) (Volksraad), who is a half-sister to brilliant stayer Efficient (NZ) (Zabeel).
The mare has already produced Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes winner On The Rocks.
On Sunday, he parted with NZ$240,000 to secure Lot 69, a Proisir filly from Rich Hill Stud’s draft.
He said the filly boasts similar physical attributes to current stable star Coeur Volante, who won multiple Stakes races during the spring before running fourth in the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas.
“She’s very much like Coeur Volante, expect she was an earlier foal,” Moroney said.
“She’s got a bit of growing to do but I think she’ll do it now, whereas Coeur Volante did it a bit later because she’s a later foal.
“She looks like a real runner to me and Proisir fillies have a great record.
“She’ll probably stay here and have a go at the two-year-old race (Karaka Millions) and as long as she’s coming up quick enough, we’ll leave her here for that race and then go to Australia.”
Moroney said he and his brother will be active during Book 2 of the sale, which begins on Wednesday.
