The stunning bay colt was consigned through the Haunui Farm draft as Lot 84 and is out of Redoute's Choice mare, Buckling. The mare is the dam of quality sprinter Ego, who numbered the Gr. 2 Concorde Handicap (1200m) amongst his six career victories.
A visibly relieved Peard endured a prolonged battle with international agent
Hubie De Burgh to secure the colt."It was a tough battle and I thought we had him $100,000 earlier than his final price," said Peard, who was communicating with training partner Bruce Wallace during the bidding duel.
"We've bought him for a Hong Kong client who has raced a number of horses with us."
Peard admitted that both he and Wallace had been taken with the colt from the minute they saw him.
"We saw him during the parades out here and really liked the look of him. He is a big raw-boned type who has a lot of scope about him and a great pedigree.
"He looks like a sprinting type although you can never tell at this early age. He has a pedigree that could make him a stallion with the right racetrack performance, but you just never know."
The $500,000 price tag matched the sum paid earlier in the day for a Tavistock filly that was sold as Lot 48 to bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne. – NZ Racing Desk
