Horse racing: $750k buy a sire prospect

Lot 294, the Too Darn Hot colt out of Lady Sayyida, was purchased by bloodstock agent Cameron Cooke for $750,000. Photo: Trish Dunell

Cameron Cooke is hoping he has bought another stallion prospect at Karaka.

The Australian bloodstock agent went to $220,000 to purchase Grunt as a yearling out of Trelawney Stud’s 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft, with the son of O’Reilly going on to win the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) for trainer Mick Price before retiring to stud.

Cooke returned to Karaka this week hoping to replicate that result and believes he has, stretching to $750,000 on Monday to secure lot 294, a close relation to the stallion, from Trelawney’s draft.

The Too Darn Hot colt is out of Lady Sayyida, the dam of Group One performer Excelida, and half-sister to multiple Group One winner and now sire Ocean Park, and Ruqqaya, the dam of Grunt and Group Two winner Zayydani.

Cooke believes he has the potential to live up to his family’s legacy.

“He is a lovely colt. He was obviously a standout and there was plenty of interest in him,” Cooke said.

“We had to fight pretty hard to get him. We met the market and paid a good dollar for him. I am so pleased to have him.

“He looks a star athlete, is a great mover. I have had good luck out of the family, I bought Grunt as a yearling and he appears in the second dam.

“There are two stallions on the page and he is just an outstanding type. Hopefully he can turn into a Grunt or Ocean Park, who are both on the pedigree page.”

The colt’s future lies in Melbourne and is set to join Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s powerhouse operation.

“He is going to go to Melbourne,” Cooke said. “I have got two clients there that have decided to give him to Ciaron Maher and put him through their system.”

Trelawney Stud principals Brent and Cherry Taylor were thrilled to get the result with breeding partner John Struthers.

“John bought Lady Sayyida as a yearling and Roger James trained her. We wanted to buy her when she retired from the track, but he would only sell half,” Cherry Taylor said.

“John owned Avanti Cycles and is a lovely guy, and he enjoys his racing. He enjoys breeding with us, so I am thrilled for him that he got such a great result.”

Trelawney Stud have been proud producers of stallions and have been big supporters of both Ocean Park and Grunt.

The Cambridge thoroughbred nursery sold a daughter of the latter earlier in the day for $380,000 to Kevin Walls on behalf of good friends Ron and Judi Wanless.

Going through the ring as lot 267, the filly is out of Joan’s A Jett, a half-sister to Group One winner Allez Wonder, Group three winner Pretty Pins, and Breccia, the dam of Group One winner and now sire Tivaci.

“She is just gorgeous. We are thrilled not to only have bred that filly, but to have bred Grunt,” Taylor said.

“She was just the most fabulous walking filly and Judi was in love with her and Ron thought she was the best filly here. They are thrilled to bits to get her.”

The filly will now likely join Peter Moody’s Pakenham barn, an association that has been very lucrative.

“We have been friends with Ron and Judi since 2001 when Amalfi won the VRC Derby (Gr.1, 2500m) and that was their first Group One winner in thoroughbred racing, and it was also Peter Moody’s first Group One winner,” Taylor said.

– NZ Racing Desk