After cutting back on his original plans to be a serious buyer at the Karaka Thoroughbred sales this year Mark still said he “might bring one home” and that is already accomplished after he paid $200,000 for a Savabeel colt on the second day of the Premier Sale on Monday.
His judgment fell in favour of a Waikato Stud product on both sides of the family, the dam Pink Graffiti being a successful racemare plus a half sister to dual Group One winner in Australia,Glamour Puss (Salinger Stakes,Goodwood Handicap) and Vision of Power who won a Doncaster Handicap.
A neat brown colt,bred for high speed early and midrange stamina on maturity, the youngster fell in the mid-upper range of Savabeel colts on the day with prices being somewhat softer than in some previous years. David Ellis,a major buyer of Savabeel colts over the years went to $345,000 for one lot but $190,000 to $260,000 seemed the middle range.
“I thought I might have to make another bid or two but was prepared to do that on what I thought of him” Mark said
“I met Jamie Richards later and he told me he was primarily there to buy fillies but that he rated this colt highly”
After the first two days the sale definitely had a buyer’s flavour.
Mark has a galloper Buster Shaw at present based at Rolleston but he will be placed with another trainer for his first preparation.The Savabeel will be educated by Danny Frye at Balcairn.
While he decided to cut his original numbers with an eye to the future the colt was not the last purchase Mark made, firstly going to $80,000 for a Tivaci colt on Tuesday closely related to Singing Star, that stallion’s stock having impressed him in pre sale inspections and then $120,000 for a Proisir colt from the Riccarton winner Ticket to Ride