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Trade was again strong for the progeny of resident sire Sword Of State at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale.

Ten youngsters by our son of Snitzel changed hands for $527,000 with a top price of $110,000 outlaid by Riversley Park for Lot 136 offered by Hallmark Stud.

The colt is out of Madame Giselle, a stakes placed mare by Time Test and a pedigree page that features South African Group 1 winners Petrava and Hoeberg and successful sire Jallad.

Waikato operation Kaha Nui Farm was in the thick of the action purchasing a pair of Sword Of State weanlings, also from Hallmark.

Lot 39, a colt out of a sister to dual Group 1 winner Katie Lee was secured for $80,000 while a filly, Lot 30, was bought for $60,000. She is a daughter of the Listed Karaka Classic winner Sarsarun.

Kilgravin Lodge and Bevan Smith Bloodstock joined forces to land Lot 62 from Seaton Park’s consignment for $60,000 with the youngster’s family featuring the three-time North American Group 1 winner Winning Colors.

We also purchased a Sword Of State colt (Lot 70), going to $50,000 for the Brighthill Farm-offered youngster.

He is out of the Ocean Park mare Amalfitana and a family we know well, having bred and raced Group-winning half-siblings Von Tunzelman, Sherrif and Prince Jabeel.

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A colt by Almanzor headed our draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale at Karaka.

Lot 59 was a popular youngster and was knocked down to Hawke’s Bay buyer Derek Boocock for $85,000.

A brother to this season’s winner Rioja, he is out of the Burgundy mare Vin Rouge and the family of our G2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes winner About Time and the multiple Australian Group 1 placegetter Young Werther.

Our daughter (Lot 99) of emerging sire Bivouac caught the eye of bloodstock agent Bevan Smith and he followed through with a successful final bid of $65,000.

The filly is out of the stakes placed Brazen Beau mare Dottie Dee with the second dam a half-sister to G1 Captain Cook Stakes winner Penny Gem.

Our resident sire Sword Of State enjoyed another good sale with his top offering going to Riversley Park for $100,000.

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Buyers in both Hemispheres have embraced the first progeny of our shuttle stallion Chaldean and that was further emphasised at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale.

Bhima’s Mike Fleming joined the fan club of Frankel’s multiple Group 1-winning son when he ventured across the Tasman to purchase the auction topper for $250,000.

The highest price paid at the Weanling Sale since 2022, Lot 3 was offered by Haunui Farm and is out of the Showcasing mare Novashow and the family of elite level winning siblings Bonanova, Telesto and Fraternity.

“I bought a couple here a few years ago and I’m always happy to come over for the right horse that’s forward and well-moving,” Fleming said.

“This colt’s a lovely horse, he was right at the top of my list. A few other people have come in with us on him, and we’ll get him back to New South Wales and see where he heads over there next year.”

The strong response to Chaldean’s first weanlings in the Southern Hemisphere has mirrored his debut at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in England, where his first crop averaged the equivalent of $260,000 and sold for up to $580,000.

“This colt was only the second Chaldean that’s gone for auction in the Southern Hemisphere, and he had a very good filly that sold well (A$180,000) at Great Southern in Melbourne,” Fleming said.

“If the sire is putting them together like that, I think the Aussie buyers will be into them next year as well, so that had a bearing for us too.”

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Rapid Phantom has crowned the encouraging start he has made to his career in Hong Kong with a stylish breakthrough victory at Sha Tin.

The son of Hello Youmzain was a minor placegetter at his first two appearances for the trainer-rider combination of Ricky Yui and Nichola Yeung before opening his account.

“A great ride by the jockey, Nichola rode him before, she knows the horse and the horse has improved a lot since the last run,” Yiu told the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

“Hopefully, I can find another 1000 metre race for him for the rest of the season.”

We bred Rapid Phantom and sold him through our 2024 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $120,000 to Karson Choi and Donnie Yen.

He is a son of the Makfi mare Subatomic, a half-sister to international stakes winners Worldly, Nice Danon and Donativum we purchased at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale for 110,000gns.

She produced a brother to Rapid Phantom last season and is back in foal to Hello Youmzain.

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Back of The Bus is proving to be a smart piece of business for Cambridge trainer Tony Pike.

The daughter of Hello Youmzain has improved with each appearance and was successful at Ellerslie in just her third outing.

Out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Luce Del Sole, Back Of The Bus was purchased by Pike for $25,000 during the National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus and is a half-sister to former stablemate Witz End, a multiple winner and Group performer.

“She has improved from run to run, although to be honest we thought we might see the best of her on a wet track,” stable representative Ryan Stacey said.

“We did have confidence as she had the race day experience and could go to Ruakaka next if she keeps improving.”

Back Of The Bus sat outside the leader at Ellerslie and was a willing partner in the run home for rider Jasmine Fawcett.

“She got a breather mid-race and balanced up nicely around the corner,” she said. “When I asked for an effort, she gave it to me.

“She is very basic, very straight forward and I think Tony (Pike) has done a really good job with her.”

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The Bjorn Baker-trained War Eternal continued his hot form Queensland winter carnival form with further success at Eagle Farm.

The Pierro seven-year-old completed a hat-trick of stakes victories on his travels when he produced a gallant performance to win the Listed Waye Wilson over 1600 metres following previous Listed successes in the Bernborough Handicap and Spear Chief Handicap.

“He’s been one of the finds of the carnival, three stakes wins in a row and at a ripe old age,” Baker’s bloodstock agent Jim Clarke said.

“He’s amazing that for a horse of his age, he has that much in him to the line. He’s tough, tenacious and he’s got a lot of heart.”

War Eternal crossed from the outside gate to make the early running before settling in the trail under rider Rachel King.

The gelding was back in front 350 metres from home and was then clearly headed before rallying strongly for a comfortable win, the eighth of his career.

“He gives them a little bit of a false sense of security in that he lets them get past him and he just comes back,” King said.

“He’s very tough and I knew I was on a fit horse, and he was comfortable on the track.”

We sold War Eternal for $160,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and is the first foal of the Fastnet Rock mare Aleria.

She is a daughter of the dual stakes winner and elite level placegetter Impressive Eagle, a half-sister to the G1 Queensland Derby winner Eagle Way.

Aleria produced a filly by Almanzor last season and is currently in foal to Frankel’s multiple Group 1-winning son Chaldean.

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Ima Brazen One was in a league of her own at Trentham where she made light of her 58.5kg impost to run her rivals into the deck.

The speedy daughter of Brazen Beau was quickly into stride to dispute the pace and when rider Erin Leighton slipped her more rein into the straight, she powered clear to be out on her own by three and a-half lengths at the end of 1200 metres.

The Mike Breslin-prepared five-year-old has now won her last two on the bounce and seven in total from 21 appearances.

The Awapuni trainer secured Ima Brazen One out of our draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $100,000 and earlier this year with InToWin Syndication bought her half-sister by Sword Of State for $120,000.

They are daughters of the winning More Than Ready mare Imanana, who is back in foal to Sword Of State, and she is out of the G1 Railway Handicap winner Imananabaa.

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Nash Rawiller is confident that Hello Captain can make his mark in top company in time.

The leading Sydney rider piloted our homebred son of Hello Youmzain to an impressive victory over 1250 metres at Canterbury Park and was lavish in his praise of the lightly raced three-year-old.

“This time next year he’ll be a horse to really be reckoned with,” Rawiller said.

Hello Captain is now unbeaten in two appearances this campaign after beginning his career with a debut second at Doomben and went one better at the Sunshine Coast on Boxing Day.

Trainer Chris Waller then spelled the gelding before bringing his to Sydney and the gelding successfully resumed at Warwick Farm and came from off the pace at Canterbury Park to win going away by two lengths under 62kg.

Hello Captain was purchased out of our draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $425,000 by Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock and is raced by Christchurch owners Glenn and Lynn Ritchie.

He is from the Pivotal mare Steer By The Stars, a two-time juvenile winner we purchased at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mare Sale for 115,000gns through agent John Foote.

Four of her foals have been successful, including Listed Carnarvon Stakes winner Never Look Back and Hello Captain’s brother Persian Wonder, runner-up in this season’s G3 Baillieu Handicap.

Steer By The Stars is a half-sister to Consort, who won the Listed Sandown Heron Stakes and finished third in the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes, with top-flight winners Dawn Approach, Kitwood, Miss Oceana, Magic Of Life, Inara and Aruna.

Her Farnan filly sold to Chinese interests for $160,000 at Karaka this year. She died foaling this year.

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Gifted Hello Youmzain three-year-old Cruiserweight landed a winning blow in his Australian debut to retain his unbeaten record.

He was successful at Swan Hill over 1200 metres in his first appearance for Ben, Will and JD Hayes following his sale to Lindsay Park and partners.

They purchased the gelding following his first-up victory as Opetaia from Allan Sharrock’s stable at New Plymouth in late December.

He settled wide in midfield at Swan Hill before angling into the clear at the top of the straight and finished resolutely under the urgings of Will Gordon.

Cruiserweight was bred by Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan with Dr Gene Tsoi and was a $40,000 buy for Matthew Corban’s Inspire Racing at Karaka where he was offered by Leanach Lodge.

He is a son of the Medaglia D’Oro mare Medal O’Rose, who had a Sword Of State filly last season, and her winning dam is the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas runner-up Oasis Rose.

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