Racing: Paul Moroney impressed by the first season sires

Paul Moroney went to $185,000 to secure the Vadamos colt. Photo / Trish Dunell

The international bloodstock agent has liked what he has seen at Karaka this week and went to $185,000 to secure the yearling he marked as the best mover on the complex, lot 859, the Vadamos colt out of Silke Top.

"Vadamos is an internationally bred and performed horse," Moroney said. "He's top-class from a Monsun line, which I am a great fan of. They have been really good types across the board.

"I rated this horse as the best mover I saw on the sales ground, of any sale, across the board.

"He just used himself everywhere. He's medium-sized but he's balanced and just had great shoulder movement and used his hindquarters, and he was clean and correct.

"He's just a gorgeous colt."

The colt's immediate future will lie in New Zealand where he will join Moroney's brother Michael's Matamata barn.

"He has been bought for Mike's New Zealand stable and he will go into the system there," Moroney said.

"I think he could get up and make an autumn 2-year-old and potentially be a Guineas and Derby horse. That's what he struck me as and he will get every opportunity to get there."

Moroney has been impressed by a number of first-season sires at Karaka, but he said he has particularly been taken by progeny of Rich Hill Stud's Vadamos and Waikato Stud's Tivaci.

"Vadamos and Tivaci are the two who have impressed me the most. Both are leaving good bodied, athletic horses," he said.

"Tivaci is leaving big, strong horses that trainers should be able to train, while Vadamos is leaving slightly more elegant types with a bit more European quality about them."

Tivaci was the leading first season sire in the Book 1 session of New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sale with 28 yearlings sold for an aggregate of $3.5 million, while Vadamos was close behind with 21 sold for a total of $2.6m.

- NZ Racing Desk