Racing: Ellis reigns as king of Karaka

Mark Forbes parades the Red Ransom-Nureyev's Girl colt, which saw Cambridge Stud take bragging rights at Karaka. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Cambridge Stud owner Sir Patrick Hogan paced nervously ringside as his Red Ransom-Nureyev's Girl colt went through the Karaka ring late in last night's session.

Fellow Waikato horseman David Ellis looked much more relaxed as he parted with $875,000 for the sale-topping yearling.

Why wouldn't he?

The colt was a magnificent type, a great walker and a half-brother to Ellis' Te Akau Stable's headliner King's Rose, hot favourite to pick up the Filly of the Year series.

"Having King's Rose, we were delighted to pick this colt up," said a beaming Ellis.

"We are very pleased with what we've purchased at this sale."

The previous equal high for the sale was the $800,000 the British Bloodstock Agency paid for the Zabeel-Jesmond's Gift filly.

"She has the Zabeel appeal," said Hogan.

David Ellis paid $800,000 for the Danehill Dancer half-brother to Pure Harmony on the first day of the sale.

There is a word worth more than dollars in horse racing - champion.

Peter Moody brought it to New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka sale even though it's a word the Melbourne trainer would never use to promote himself.

He doesn't need to.

Black Caviar promoted herself.

Even though he wouldn't mention it, the Melbourne trainer has the mare that is rated the world's best sprinter to promote him.

Moody summed up the tenor of yesterday's closing session of the Karaka's premier two-day sales: "I love some of the types I've seen here and bought some of them.

"Perhaps some of the pedigrees have been a touch short, but the types have more than made up for that.

"I can't train a pedigree. I can only train a type and I can't wait to start training some of the horses I've bought.

"There are some lovely individuals." Like many trainers, Moody was taken with the stock of first season sire Iffraaj and his first purchase on Monday was a colt from Secondo Me for $200,000.

He followed up with a Red Ransom-Talisa colt for $80,000 a Fastnet Rocket-Amanusa colt for $150,000, $55,000 for a Pins-Barzar Babe filly and $50,000 for a Golan-Clown Princess colt.

Moody launched yesterday with $675,000 for a Zabeel colt from the Danehill mare Danger Point.

A cup of coffee later came up with $300,000 for a Bernardini-Dominatrix filly and $90,000 for an Iffraaj - Ester Kelly colt.

Moody was buoyed by news late in the morning that Black Caviar had just produced an impressive gallop in Melbourne in advance of her much-awaited return to racing.

"The staff said she worked super in a jump-out," said Moody.

Black Caviar will resume in the group one Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 19.

Moody said the remarkable unbeaten mare has come back better than ever.

"This time when she went out it was the first time she'd gone to the paddock sound.

"It's exciting."

Moody said he was impressed enough with what he saw of the horses from the catalogue of the Select Sale, a three-day sale which begins today, to stick around for "a while", before flying home tonight.

"Most of the business I do will be on the phone."

British Bloodstock Agency came up with $800,000 for the Cambridge Stud's Zabeel-Jesmond's Gift filly, the dam being a half sister to Canny Lad.

Australia's big entity Patinack Farm was in full flight when it paid $625,000 for a Darci Brahma filly from Miss Distinction, the dam of perhaps one of the greatest under-rated mares in recent years, Gee I Jane.

Patinack bought the filly through agent Rick Connolly.

"We bought a Tale Of The Cat-Gee I Jane colt in Sydney at Easter for A$800,000 - it's a great family."

It's a family that is on the move. Banchee and Katie Lee are current close relatives.

A few lots later, Connolly paid $650,000 for a filly by Encosta de Lago from Mrs Squillionaire, the dam of Singapore's Krisflyer winner, Hong Kong-based Green Birdie.

New Zealand agent Gary Carvill came up with $625,000 for the High Chaparral-Egoli Lass colt on behalf of a Hong Kong buyer, who came up on the sheets as Mrs M.B. Lee.

Egoli Lass is a daughter of Guineas winner Rationale.

Australian trainers dominated with Mark Kavanagh and Danny O'Brien being particularly busy.

Shaune Ritchie struck a blow for the locals when he paid $260,000 for the filly by Bernardini from Paris Tryst, whose dam was the mighty Melbourne and Caulfield Cup winner Let's Elope.