13 Jan 2023We were quietly confident a son of champion stallion Fastnet Rock would prove a star turn at the Magic Millions Sale and he duly topped our draft.
The youngster proved the highlight of our eight-strong consignment at the Gold Coast and as Lot 610 he attracted widespread interest before leading trainer Ciaron Maher landed the final blow at A$525,000.
The colt is out of the Irish-bred Galileo mare Anchovy, who is a daughter of the stakes performed Storm Cat mare Countess Lemonade.
She is a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and successful sire Duke Of Marmalade, the G1 English Derby winner Ruler Of The World, the G2 Adelaide Cup winner Annus Mirabilis and Norway, who won the G3 Enterprise Stakes and was third in the G1 Irish Derby.
A $127,000 Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale purchase, Anchovy foaled an Almanzor colt last season before she was served by Hello Youmzain.
Sydney trainer Anthony Cummings knew exactly what he was getting into when he went to A$220,000 to claim Lot 556.
He landed the son of Castelvecchio and the Fastnet Rock mare Word Games and she is a half-sister to Fiveandahalfstar, who Cummings prepared to win at Group 1 level in the BMW Stakes and the VRC Derby.
The Castelvecchio youngster’s pedigree page also includes the G1 Sydney Cup winner Cross Swords and Pierina, who landed an edition of the G2 Travis Stakes.
Word Games delivered a filly by Wootton Bassett last season before she visited his son Almanzor.
Our sole representative of Almanzor at the Gold Coast had plenty of admirers before she was knocked down to Maher for $A$120,000 as Lot 728.
The filly is out of the English-bred Zamindar mare City Fair, who is a three-quarter blood sister to the multiple Group 3 winner and sire Trade Fair.
City Fair’s half-sister Kings Fete also won twice at Group 3 level while the family has been well-represented in this part of the world by the G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Ima Single Man.
The dam had an Almanzor colt in 2022 and subsequently visited Sword Of State.
A son of Pierro, Lot 476, will be prepared for his racing career by Cranbourne couple Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young after they purchased him for A$80,000.
He is a son of the Commands mare Thames Court, a talented individual who won the G3 Alexandra Stakes and was a multiple black-type placegetter.
Thames Court, whose dam Pantenny was also a stakes winner, foaled a Capitalist filly in 2022 before she was also served by Sword Of State.