Fiorenza tops Inglis Digital May (Late) Sale, headed for date with Lead Artist
Fiorenza (Kingman) – who finished as top lot in the Inglis Digital May (Late) Online Sale that ended on Thursday – will be immediately retired and visit Arrowfield’s new stallion Lead Artist (Dubawi) this season after selling to the famed Hunter Valley nursery for $325,000.
Fiorenza had initially passed in for Mark Towell’s GT Park Spelling Farm but a deal was finalised on Thursday evening that will see the five-year-old spend the next phase of her life in the paddocks of Arrowfield.
“At the end of the day you’ve got to meet the market and they find their value and she’s found hers and we’re really happy,’’ Towell said.
“[Inglis Bloodstock Sales Manager] Harry [Baliey] has done an amazing job right the way through, he’s taken the reins with this not only today in working extremely hard to match her with a buyer but through the whole process to get the deal done.
“Obviously being a high-profile lot you always want the best course of action to get the right result and Harry has done that very well, he’s been there for us the whole week since she was listed on Inglis Digital and we can’t be more grateful.’’
Fiorenza won one and placed in a further two of her six starts and is a half-sister to the four-time Group 1 winner In Italian (Dubawi), a significant factor in Arrowfield’s decision to pursue and ultimately purchase the mare.
“We were very happy to buy her, we liked the family and recognise its international appeal,’’ Arrowfield’s Jon Freyer said.
“I’d seen the half-sister [In Italian] race in America a few times and held her in high regard so we were keen to get her.
“She’s a mare we bought to go to Lead Artist, he’s obviously by Dubawi and she’s a Kingman mare and we think Kingman mares will suit him well.’’
The sale’s second-top lot was the Group 2-winning three-year-old colt West Of Swindon (Wootton Bassett), selling to Hong Kong-based Pure Bloodstock for $310,000.
Offered by Ciaron Maher on behalf of the horse’s connections, West Of Swindon was the subject of “significant domestic and international interest’’ but will likely spend the next phase of his career in Hong Kong.
Third-top lot was the broodmare Queen Ouija (Street Cry) in foal to Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice), which sold to Ridgeport’s Santo Guagliardo for $120,000. Queen Ouija was offered by Rikki McDonald.
In total the May (Late) Sale grossed $2,951,500. Entries for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Sale are now open and will remain so until midnight next Wednesday, June 3. Among the confirmed early entries is the Group 3 winner La Mexicana (I Am Invincible), who will be offered in foal to Too Darn Hot (Dubawi). The June (Early) Sale will run from June 5-10. To enter click here.