Maastricht, the dam of star 2YO Loving Gaby, became the fourth-highest priced mare ever sold through an Inglis sale ring during a spectacular night of action at The Chairman's Sale.
Amid dramatic theatre in the Riverside auditorium, Coolmore won the bidding battle at $2,250,000 for the grey mare, who was offered by Newgate Consignment for owners Alan Bell and Ananda Krishnan, in foal to I Am Invincible.
In a stunning evening at Riverside:
*Coolmore flexed their muscle to end the night as leading buyer, purchasing the top two lots – Maastricht and Srikandi (in foal to American Pharoah) - for a combined $4,250,000, both of who will be served by their US Triple Crown-winning stallion Justify
*Four mares sold for $1m or more while a further seven sold for $500,000 or more
*The sale's average of $436,569 is the highest of any mare sale in the southern hemisphere
*Lot 1 – a Trapeze Artist breeding right for the 2019 season – sold for Tye Angland for $105,000 in a moving moment for the injured jockey, who was present at the sale with his wife Erin.
*Lot 2, a stallion share in Newgate Farm stallion Russian Revolution, was purchased by Steve Morley Bloodstock and Glenlogan Park, for $510,000
The night's top lot Maastricht was knocked down to Coolmore and James Bester Bloodstock and is a representation of the standard of mare Coolmore wants to be sending to Justify when he begins the Australian breeding season in September, according to Coolmore's Tom Magnier.
"There's a lot of the best breeders in Australia sending their mares to Justify this year and I guess we want to join them,'' Magnier said.
"We want to go out and find the best mares for Justify. It's pretty exciting having him.
"These types of mares, Maastricht and Srikandi, they're hard to get your hands on so when they become available, you need to be there.''
Bruce Slade of Newgate Consignment said of Maastricht: "To be fair, these mares are hard to value because they're so rare.
"If you go back, she's the highest-priced Mastercraftsman in the southern hemisphere, her first foal Loving Gaby is right up there as the best 2YO of her season, her filly foal on the ground by Sebring is dead-set beautiful and she's back in foal to Vinnie as her third cover.
"She's done nothing wrong and she's still so young, a blue hen in the making.''
Maastricht's part-owner Alan Bell was thrilled with the result.
"It absolutely beat my expectation and I'm thrilled it did because she deserved to,'' Bell said.
"She's a mare who you can't find a chink in her armour. She's got the lot.''
Srikandi, offered by Kitchwin Hills, realised $2m as the second-top lot.
"These pedigrees are so hard to get into. They don't come around often and winning two proper Group 1s and she herself, she's just the most magnificent type, beautiful, everything you want in a mare,'' Kitchwin's Mick Malone said.
"Any mare that can make that sort of money, she's written her own script really.''
Norzita, in foal to Snitzel, was the night's third-top lot, selling to Arrowfield for $1.7m.
She was consigned by Lime Country Thoroughbreds on behalf of the Estate of the Late Dato Tan Chin Nam, who raced the filly.
"It is a poignant moment. She is the last of Dato's high-profile fillies off the track who have been sold off at auction and gone into other hands,'' Duncan Ramage, Bloodstock & Racing Manager to the Estate of the Late Dato Tan Chin Nam, said.
"It is satisfying, of course, to see the money that she made and I am delighted that she has gone to Arrowfield. John Messara has the choice to send her to probably Snitzel, Dundeel or The Autumn Sun, so her future is set very well.''
Messara said: "The thing about her is, they don't make many like her.
"She has got everything and she suits about four of our stallions, so we have a choice of horses to go to.''
The Chairman's Sale began with a touching moment as injured jockey Tye Angland sold a 2019 breeding right to Trapeze Artist – which had been gifted to him by the horse's owner Bert Vieira – for $105,000 to Sun Stud.
Angland and his wife Erin were at Riverside for the evening, their "first real night out'' since Angland's fall in Hong Kong last year.
"This is Tye's first proper outing since the accident so it's great that he's in an environment where he's got lots of support and friends in the room here,'' Erin Angland said.
"We're absolutely thrilled with this result. We're so humbled by Bert and his family. They've been through their own struggles of late and this just shows his character.
"We're very lucky.''
Vieira ended the night as equal-leading buyer by lots purchased alongside Aquis Farm with five lots.
Tomorrow is an inspection day at Riverside before action resumes on Sunday with the continuation of selling where 351 broodmares and race fillies – plus one stallion share in Sizzling – will be offered over Sunday and Monday.
To view the catalogue,CLICK HERE.
CHAIRMAN'S SALE STATISTICS
Lots sold:51
Clearance Rate:86%
Average Price:$436,569
Median Price:$280,000
Top Price:$2,250,000
Gross:$22,265,000
