Moroney’s judgement stands test of time for Sears
Pendragon’s half-brother joins Queensland stable after $220,000 buy at NZB
As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
And that’s the philosophy Queensland trainers Tony and Maddy Sears have stuck by at this week’s New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, once again employing the services of renowned agents Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman to select horses for their Toowoomba stable.
After buying two colts by Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park (Thorn Park) in Book 1, for $150,000 and $40,000 respectively, the Sears’ doubled their tally on the opening day of Book 2 session, going to $220,000 for the session’s highest-priced yearling, a Time Test (Dubawi) half-brother to the exciting Pendragon (U S Navy Flag).
They also paid $75,000 for a daughter of Westbury Stud stallion Redwood (High Chaparral) earlier in the condensed 118-lot offering.
“Most people would say that he’s a lovely type of horse and Paul Moroney told us early [on Tuesday] that he thought he was one of the picks of the sale in Book 2. We just go along with what he says, he’s not too far wrong,” Tony Sears said.
“Paul said he’s thrown a lot to Sadler’s Wells and he was very keen on him. He thought he was a great looking colt and we’re looking 12 months ahead when we think he’ll develop into a beautiful animal.”
By Little Avondale’s shuttler Time Test, he was sold by Cambridge vendor Leanach Lodge on behalf of breeders Brett McDonald and his partner Tania Donaldson who paid $3,300 for his dam out of the 2021 Gavelhouse Valachi Downs Reduction Sale when in foal to Zacinto (Dansili).
The appeal of the colt, the third foal out of the placed European mare Kerre (Pour Moi), has been dramatically enhanced since the catalogue was released last November with Pendragon winning three of his five starts this season, including the Auckland Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) on Boxing Day.
Trained by Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard, the three-year-old was also runner-up to star filly Orchestral (Savabeel) in last Saturday’s Karaka Millions 3YO (RL, 1600m), while the two-year-old half-sister Zerre (Zacinto), a $70,000 purchase at last year’s NZB sale, barrier trialled encouragingly at Taupo last week for Ballymore’s New Zealand stable.
Inspections of the session-topping colt leading up to his late-in-the-day sale gave Leanach Lodge’s Ross Mackay confidence that the horse would make six figures, his sale price almost five times the day’s average price of $46,253.
“He behaved like an absolute trooper, he ploughed through his work and was fantastic all week,” Mackay said. “We were expecting him to sell well. He is a beautiful colt. Certainly, the things you dream of as far as getting a pedigree uplift prior to the sale.
“He was a perfectly clean colt, lovely x-rays and a great scope and he was everything we could have dreamed for. Collectively, he was as busy as the whole [Leanach Lodge] draft.”
The Sears’, Moroney and Bruggeman bought six horses at last year’s NZB sale, three out of the Book 1 sale and another three in Book 2, led by Brisbane carnival-bound Phelan Ready Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Beau Dazzler (Ardrossan).
The colt has been spelling at Waikato Stud following Saturday’s closing seventh in the Karaka Millions 2YO (RL, 1200m) with the father-and-daughter trainers to map out a winter campaign in their home state later this season for the two-year-old.
“We bought a few last year and they look like they’re OK, so we’ve decided to come back and load the gun again and get a few more good ones hopefully. We only had a few serious ones to buy [in Book 1] and a lot of them were way too dear for what we were prepared to pay,” said expatriate Kiwi Sears, referring to Lot 302, a $440,000 Savabeel (Zabeel) colt.
“Even this Time Test horse, we waited all day hoping that we could get him for under $250,000, which we have, and I bought him for a client in Australia.”
Meanwhile, fledgling Ardmore vendor Lilywhites Lodge went back to the well in search of stock to fill its draft for the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale after reaching new heights at last November’s two-year-old auction.
Derek and Sophia Nolan’s Lilywhites Lodge sold 15 two-year-olds at November’s NZB Ready to Run Sale, highlighted by a $525,000 Super Seth (Dundeel) filly who was bought by Gold Coast trainer Paul Shailer, and they hope to score a pinhook return with a impressive Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) colt.
The Nolans, who have 60 boxes and a private training track on their property, paid $155,000 for the Landsdowne Park-consigned yearling – the session’s second highest-priced horse – with the view of returning to Karaka later this year.
“He’s a strong, well-bodied colt and a beautiful mover. He’s a very attractive horse and there was a lot to like about him,” Sophia Nolan said.
“He looks like the perfect type to take through to the Ready To Run Sale. He should be well-liked.”
As well as being the sire of Beau Dazzler, Ardrosssan is also the sire of stakes winners Codigo, Saltcoats and Loch Katrine from just two crops of racing age and Sophia Nolan is a fan of the young sire.
“He is doing a good job with four stakes winners and another stakes-performer at this early stage, plus the market seems to like them,” she said.
“I thought there was also a fair bit of Per Incanto in the horse, which the mother was by. We had a tried on a couple of others but they went beyond our budget.
“We maybe went slightly over the price on this one, but we were happy to get him. There are a couple still on the short-list but we are happy we got the lot we came for. It just broadens the appeal of our draft at the Ready To Run Sale, having a colt like him.”
The Lilywhites acquisition is the second foal out of La Donna (Per Incanto), a three-quarter sister to stakes-winning two-year-old Rocanto.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has La Donna’s two-year-old first foal Namara, a daughter of Ardrossan, in work after trialling at Wyong in mid-December.
Day two starts at 11am NZ time.
2024 2023 Catalogued 118 156
Sold 57 (62%) 81 (60%)
Aggregate $2,637,000 (-22%) $3,363,500
Average $46,263 (+11%) $41,525
Median $37,500 (+15%) $32,500
Top Lot $220,000 $180,000