$1.3 million jewel for Walsh
As the owner of Group 1-winning mare Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni), Western Australian breeder Peter Walsh has enjoyed many racing and sale ring highs over the past year and he received another massive adrenaline rush yesterday.
Through Segenhoe Stud, Walsh’s Amelia Park Racing and Breeding sold a son of Zoustar out of his Group 3 winner Lady Cosmology (Universal Ruler) to colts baron James Harron for $1.3 million. Gandharvi Racing’s Mick Wallace went to $1.25 million on behalf of his boss, US-based health tech entrepreneur Kuldeep Singh Rajput.
“She was probably my second best horse that I’ve ever owned,” Walsh said of Lady Cosmology.
“She ran second to Arcadia Queen in the Guineas and the Champion Fillies and she beat her in the Burgess Queen. She only raced in Group races and black-type and she always performed very well and she was a tough, tough mare.
“He’s a beautiful horse and I would like to keep something in him if I can.”
Harron, who has bought seven colts so far for a spend of $6.185 million, was also an admirer of Lady Cosmology as a racehorse.
He said: “She was a super-fast mare. She had great form around the likes of Arcadia Queen, a household name in the west. He was a cracking colt; a beautifully-balanced horse who handled the sale very well and we were very keen to get him.”
Lady Cosmology’s first foal, a colt by Trapeze Artist (Snitzel), was bought by Western Australian trainer Adam Durrant last year for $260,000 at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale and Walsh sold Amelia’s Jewel’s half-brother by Blue Point (Shamardal) to the Rosemont Alliance and Annabel Neasham for $900,000 at the Gold Coast last year.
Bowditch was once again satisfied with trade.
“It went ‘steady as she goes’ as expected. It can be sticky out there at times,” Bowditch said.
“We saw a few pass in but on the whole we seem to be still getting those done outside of the ring which is pleasing. An average of $282,000, a clearance rate of 86 per cent, and a gross of $205 million, which is less than $2 million off last year at the same stage.
“It’s a fantastic result and a result that we would have been thrilled to take five days ago.”
The Book 1 sale concludes tonight – after the bumper 11-race Magic Millions raceday – with a 90-lot evening offering from 6pm.