31 Jan 2017
The many hours that Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis puts in behind the scenes in the build-up to the annual NZB National Yearling sale paid a handsome dividend on Tuesday when he secured his self-described "colt of the sale" from the Cambridge Stud draft during the selling action at Karaka.
Ellis and his team set out to inspect every catalogued yearling on at least one occasion, and often several times more, before the sale commences.
Among the individuals that Ellis surveyed during that exercise was Lot 312, the handsome Exceed And Excel colt from Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan's Gr.1 1000 Guineas runner-up Oasis Rose.
Ellis admitted that this was a colt he had inspected well in excess of his normal average.
"I first saw this colt as a foal at Cambridge Stud," he said.
"Since then I've probably had the opportunity to see him at least another 10 times before he went into the ring today. He has impressed me all the way through, particularly with the way he has thrived in the environment here at the sales complex. He has a wonderful temperament that is just one of his many admirable attributes."
Ellis was happy to share his succinct notes about the colt that were documented in his sale catalogue.
"Beautiful colt, medium size, real class ? THE RACE," he wrote.
"I've always had a dream to win the Golden Slipper and it is this type of colt that I think is well suited to a task like that."
Ellis beat out the determined efforts of a number of major international players to secure the colt with a final bid of $625,000. ? NZ Racing Desk