Heys not mean on the Lean Machines
Young trainer Bryce Heys had to wait but was delighted to land a winning bid on a colt by first–season sire Lean Mean Machine (Zoustar) as Book 1 of Classic closed with a bang.
The trainer of dual Group 1-placed sprinter Spieth (Thorn Park) paid $380,000 for the last page of the book, Lot 660, a son of two-time stakes-winning mare Kulgrinda (Exceed And Excel), ending proceedings with the equal-tenth highest lot of the session.
Aquis stallion Lean Mean Machine, having endured an ordinary debut with an average of $107,000 through four lots sold at the Magic Millions, came away as top first–season sire on averages in Book 1 this week, with three yearlings going for an average of $225,000.
Heys bought the top one, his second purchase of the sale after he paid $220,000 on Sunday for a colt by Capitalist (Written Tycoon) out of the stakes-placed Roeinda (Lonhro) from the Willow Park draft.
While a strong Book 1 left more than a few potential buyers missing out, Heys was pleased to emerge with his targets.
“It’s been a fortunate week for me. Everyone says it, but they were the two colts I wanted out of the sale and I was able to get them,” Heys told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“The market’s very strong and rightly so. But this is a sale to back your judgement on. The sale speaks for itself in terms of results and horses produced. But everyone’s aware of where the industry’s at and just how strong the yearling market is.”
Heys took a punt on a first season sire but said Sledmere Stud’s muscular colt by Lean Mean Machine – a dual Group 2 winner – hailed from “the right sireline” being a son of Zoustar (Northern Meteor).
“I didn’t intentionally come to buy a Lean Mean Machine but I like him. He’s from a very good colonial speed family. That always bodes well and it’s important when these horses go to stud,” said Heys, who had quickly sold most of the colt.
“He beat good horses when he won, like Zousain, and ran third in a Coolmore Stud Stakes, so that’s the right sort of form for a colonial stallion.
“For me, the colt rated very high physically. He has plenty of masculinity about him and everyone’s looking for a forward–going sort of horse. Hopefully he’s a horse who fits that bill.”
Lean Mean Machine’s other premium-priced yearling came late on day two, as Lindsey Smith and Boomer Bloodstock went to $230,000 to prize a Silverdale Farm-consigned colt out of Eloquent Ruby (Turffontein).
The Autumn Sun takes top billing again
The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), as he did at the conclusion of last month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, ended the Classic auction as the leading first-season sire by average (three or more lots sold).
All seven of the Arrowfield Stud stallion’s offered progeny found homes at an average price of $195,000 and a top of $550,000 – that being the day two filly out of Talimena (Lonhro), purchased by Glenn Burrows for Gary Harding.
Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) ended the sale as the leading first-season sire by aggregate with receipts of $2,860,000 from 17 lots sold, making for an average of $168,235.
His top-priced yearling of $430,000 went the way of Suman Hedge Bloodstock, who picked up Lot 352, a filly out of Zelady’s Night Out (Myboycharlie).
Darley shuttler Harry Angel (Dark Angel) delivered the second top-priced yearling among first-season sires, after Lot 459, a colt out of Chiquita (Commands), was knocked down to Roughwood Park for $460,000.
The stallion, who averaged $184,063 through 16 lots sold on the Gold Coast, yielded an average of $130,800 from 17 lots sold in Book 1 at Classic.
Those sires who saw their first yearlings sell at Classic included Waikato Stud’s Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice), whose day two colt out of Snowdonia (Peintre Celebre) caught the eye, fetching $170,000 to the bid of Brae Sokolski’s Yes Bloodstock; and Kooringal’s Prized Icon (More Than Ready), with his six Book 1 yearlings averaging 6.7 times his $11,000 service fee, and to a high of $145,000 as Duncan Ramage and John Thompson came away with a colt out of Agueda (General Nediym) on day two.
The only yearling by Novara Park’s Staphanos (Deep Impact) realised $140,000 when secured by Annabel Neasham on day one, while fellow New Zealand shuttler U S Navy Flag (War Front) saw a high of the same price when his filly from Shenandoah (Darci Brahma) found favour with Mark Kavanagh, who added a further filly by the stallion at the sale.