Newgate Farm enjoyed a sensational start to the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale selling all seven yearlings offered on Tuesday at an average $492,875.
Top seller was a colt by Fastnet Rock from Rose of Cimmaron that made $1.2 million to the bid of Tom Magnier, Gai Waterhouse and partners including South African owner/breeder Markus Jooste and Emirates Park Stud.
Bred by the Bateman family and foaled and raised at Newgate, the star colt is a full brother to Group III winner Bull Point, who topped the 2012 Magic Millions Yearling Sale when fetching $960,000.
It’s also the family of $7 million earner Criterion, who retires to Newgate Farm this spring after his swansong in the Group I ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday.
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said the appeal of the royally bred colt was obvious.
“Sure, he’s a colt we were high on, he’s a lot of quality and he’s a Fastnet Rock so we’re delighted to have him,” he said.
“All the lads really like this horse and it’s a family we know well. It’s an exciting partnership we have for him so we just hope we’re lucky.
“When you see all the right people on him and we thought he was a standout. At the money you want to be thinking about what you’re doing but we really wanted him.”
Waterhouse has trained several members of the family including Bull Point, Upon This Rock, Najoom and Bhutane Dane.
She said she was smitten with the colt.
“He’s an athlete – he doesn’t walk, he glides. When I first saw him at Newgate Farm I fell in love with him,” Waterhouse said.
“I’ve had good success with the stallion and the family and I can’t wait to get him into our system and train him.”
Other good sales on day one included $600,000 for a Fastnet Rock filly from Valourina bought by China Horse Club and $480,000 for a Fastnet Rock filly from Pane in the Glass that was secured by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.