Ellis celebrates another sterling result with Entriviere
Group 1 winner fetches $900,000 on Gavelhouse Plus as Yulong continues relentless pursuit of high-class mares
David Ellis and Te Akau celebrated another stellar result at auction with the sale of one of their leading mares when Group 1 winner Entriviere (Tavistock) realised $900,000 on Gavelhouse Plus yesterday.
Almost a year has passed since Avantage (Fastnet Rock), a winner of nine Group 1 races for Te Akau, set an online record that still stands today, when purchased by Coolmore for $4.1 million on the online platform. She was a $210,000 buy for Ellis from the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Premier Yearling Sale in 2017.
That sale followed the $2.6 million recouped at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2021 for 14-time Group 1 winner Melody Belle (Commands), herself a $57,500 Karaka buy for Ellis who raced for John Galvin’s Fortuna Syndicate, while her winning half-sister Exaltation (Not A Single Doubt) fetched $560,000 and Listed-winner Festivity (I Am Invincible) $480,500, the latter two both on Gavelhouse Plus.
Entriviere, who was a private purchase for Ellis having been bred and initially raced by Kevin and Kathleen Gray, earned more than $725,000 in prize-money for her owners; the Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day this year being her crowning achievement.
An injury to a fetlock last month cruelly cut short the career of Entriviere, who also earned an eye-catching third behind Mazu (Maurice) in the Doomben 10,000 (Gr 1, 1200m) in May, and won the Sheraco Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Rosehill during a spring campaign in Australia last year.
“It’s a terrific result for this mare’s owners and the whole Te Akau team,” Ellis said. “Entriviere turned out to be a wonderful investment, winning Group races on both sides of the Tasman, and then bringing her career to an end by selling for that sort of price. We’re absolutely delighted.
“She was a very special mare over the last couple of seasons. It was such a thrill to see her win the Railway at Ellerslie at Group 1 level, win a Group 2 in Sydney, and run such a huge race in the Doomben 10,000 as well. We’re proud of her and what she’s achieved.
Yulong, as they did with Melody Belle last year – the mare recently foaling a filly by champion sire Written Tycoon (Iglesia) – occupied the buyer’s column, with the Victorian-based operation continuing their relentless pursuit of top-quality broodmares. They won out in an engrossing battle with underbidder Cambridge Stud, the former home of Entriviere’s late sire, Tavistock (Montjeu).
Entriviere’s purchase this year follows the acquisition of Baggy Green (Galileo), dam of four-time Group 1 winner Tofane (Ocean Park), for $1.75 million from the Valachi Downs Dispersal Sale on Gavelhouse, while last month they purchased Wandabaa (Wandjina) and Enchanted Heart (Shamus Award) for $800,000 and $295,000 respectively at a bespoke Inglis Digital auction.
Yulong also purchased the top lots at the Inglis Digital July (Early) Sale and August (Late) Sale, in the latter going to $700,000 for Winning Ways (Declaration Of War), and spent $695,000 on three mares at the July (Late) sale.
At this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in May, Yulong came away with the top two-priced purchases, snapping up Away Game (Snitzel) (who was retired this week with a date with Written Tycoon awaiting) for $4.1 million and Tofane herself for $3.1 million. The pair were among seven million-dollar buys for Yulong, who spent nearly $30 million on 63 mares, taking their broodmare band numbers to around 360 in total.
Entriviere will now visit Yulong’s juvenile Group 1 winner Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega), adding to the prowess of his second book in Australia, where he commands a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).
“We’re continuing to go out and try to buy some quality mares for our broodmare band at Yulong, and we saw this mare as a very good prospect,” Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said.
“The underbidders made us work to get her, but I still think she was good buying at that price.
“She’s by Tavistock, who’s proving himself to be a really good broodmare sire, and she had the performances on the track as a racemare. She was a high-class speed mare in New Zealand and won a Group 2 in Australia, so she had some good credentials behind her.
“She’ll come over to Australia next week, and we’ll send her to our young stallion, Lucky Vega. We think she’s a great addition to our broodmare band, and we’re looking forward to breeding a number of lovely foals from her in the years to come.”
Entriviere is one of nine Group 1 winners for the late Tavistock, who is emerging as a useful broodmare sire, judging from early results of progeny from his daughters.
He has sired five individual stakes winners from 37 runners in the capacity of damsire, for a stakes-winners-to-runners ratio of 13.5 per cent. The Lindsay Park-trained Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) contender Mr Brightside (Bullbars) is his leading light, the gelding having won the Doncaster Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) and Feehan Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m).
Entriviere is a daughter of three-time winner Marcey’s Belt (Golan), herself a half-sister to Light Fingers Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Adrift (Zabeel) and Karaka Million (RL, 1200m) scorer Xiong Feng (Imperial Win).