Pair of colts by Snitzel and I Am Invincible make $2,350,000.
Yarraman Park's draft at this year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale was no doubt strengthened by 12 yearlings from the Shadwell Stud dispersal and on Tuesday two of those yearlings handed the farm memorable results, with a colt by Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) selling to the Rosemont Victorian Alliance, Suman Hedge Bloodstock and David Redvers Bloodstock for $1,200,000, while a colt by the resident sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) was purchased by James Harron and Coolmore's Tom Magnier for $1,150,000.
The Snitzel colt was catalogued as Lot 227, and is the fifth foal out of Listed-winning Shamardal (Giant's Causeway) mare Bulbula, whose one winner is Group 3 winning filly Aryaaf (Epaulette).
Bulbula herself is a daughter of fellow Listed winner Taameer (General Nediym), who is also the dam of Group 3 scorer Khulaasa (Epaulette).
Yarraman Park's general manager Matt Scown told Racing & Sports Bloodstock the colt was a standout among the Shadwell dispersal and buyers had responded well to the rare opportunity the yearlings presented.
"Rosemont Stud led the charge for the Victorian Alliance and he was the one they selected as one of their top picks of the sale and they weren't leaving for home without him," said Scown. "We discussed the colt before and not only was he by the champion sire in Snitzel, but he was a really good mover, he was correct, a half to a stakes-winning two-year-old and he was out of a Shamardal mare so it ticked every box for them.
"These are a rare group of horses that Sheikh Hamdan would have raced and they would have never previously hit the market and this is an opportunity for people to buy these sensational horses that would have previously been retained."
The Victorian Alliance is a group comprising Rosemont Stud, Suman Hedge and David Redvers put together with the view to buy colts as long term stallion prospects and they have been a familiar name on buyers sheets at all major yearling sales this year.
Hedge told Racing & Sports Bloodstock the team rated the colt one of the best colts on the sales complex and were attracted to him due to the family's ability to produce high-class, sharp two-year-olds.
“As a physical he was one of the best here,” said Hedge. “He has come off a great farm and he is out of a very fast family that hasn’t been available to the public before.
"The dam is a multiple stakes winner and she has already proven herself producing a stakes winner and the family is deep. The family has most importantly produced two-year-olds and that is what we are trying to achieve in producing a stallion and the fact they are sharp and early, give us a bit more confidence."
The Snitzel colt was the group's 11th purchase of the year and was the most expensive one so far and Hedge said the price signalled the strength of the sale.
"He is the 11th purchase for us and I would suggest he would be the last purchase for the year," said Hedge. "He really fits the brief for what we wanted, sharp athletic horses by proven stallions. He was the most expensive and I think that was indicative of the sale, it was a smaller catalogue and as we have seen all year it has been really strong and competitive all year.
"But if you really like the horse you really have to stretch yourself to get it. We have been beaten on a few here today and we are fortunate to have picked up three really nice horses."
The groups ninth and tenth purchases came on Tuesday when they bought a colt by Yarraman Park-based sire I Am Invincible later on in the afternoon for $525,000, while they also purchased a colt by Written Tycoon (Iglesia) for $200,000.
Catalogued as Lot 213, the colt by I Am Invincible is the first foal out of Grade 1-placed Speightstown (Gone West) mare Beat The Benchmark and she is herself a half-sister to Listed scorer Abraham (Distorted Humor) and the dam of Listed winner Supreme Aura (Candy Ride).
The colt's third dam is the unraced Last Tycoon (Try My Best) mare La Cucina, who in turn produced Grade 2 scorers Miss Isella (Silver Charm) and Sir Cherokee (Cherokee Run) as well as Listed scorer Guam Typhoon (Distorted Humor), while she is also the grandam of German Group 1 winner Penelopa (Giant's Causeway).
Hedge said the Victorian Alliance were all very taken with how mature the colt was during the inspections and that given the strength of the sale he felt the colt represented good value.
"This horse really grabbed our attention and has so much presence and quality," said Hedge. "One of the comments during the many inspections was just how mature he was and has a beautiful swagger and overstep and a lot of the amazing qualities of his father. The dam was a really talented mare and placed a Grade 1 level. We felt that what we paid for him represented good value as well.
"This has been a tremendous crop of two-year-olds for I Am Invincible and I think he will have a very good year next season."
The second of the Shadwell dispersal to break the seven-figure barrier was an I Am Invincible colt out of the Listed-winning Redoute's Choice (Danehill) mare Zamzam, who was catalogued as Lot 173 and sold to Harron and Magnier for $1,150,000
The colt's third dam is New Zealand Group 2 winner Fleur De Chine (Centaine), making Zamzam a three-quarter sister Lipari - the dam of 2018 Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Levendi (Pierro) and Group 3-winning duo Wu Gok (Sebring) and Marcel From Madrid (Sepoy) as well as Listed scorer Duplicity (Duporth).
Further back this is the same family as Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Thunder Lady (Mastercraftsman) and Listed winners Irish Flame (Zed) and Sufficient (Zabeel).
Scown said the colt was a spitting image of his father I Am Invincible, describing him as a 'sensational' colt.
"He is by I Am Invincible out of a Redoute's Choice mare which is a big positive and he is a gun to be honest," said Scown. "He made great money and deserved to make that money. He was a sensational colt.
"He is a spitting image of his father and James Harron bought him and loved him from the first time he saw him."
James Harron teamed up with various partners to purchase four lots on the first day, spending $3,235,000 on the quartet.
The second most expensive of Harron's purchases during the first session was a filly by Fastnet Rock (Danehill), whom he paid Coolmore Stud $1.1 million for.
Fastnet Rock has enjoyed a wonderful season on the track, siring 92 winners, headed by 15 stakes winners, including Group 1-winning trio Avantage, Rocket Spade and Personal and Harron described the filly as 'collectors item' given her high-class pedigree.
"I'm really delighted to get her and Fastnet Rock is having a wonderful season and as a broodmare sire he is doing a wonderful job," said Harron. "She is a real collectors item and really classy filly. I have been working on this for quite a while for this new investor and it was great for it to come to fruition.
"She really took everything in and handled everything well and she looks a filly who could take a bit more time, being a November foal. Hopefully we will see her in some lovely races as a late two and three-year-old."
Catalogued as Lot 53, the filly is seventh foal out of 2010 Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Rostova (Testa Rossa) and her three winners are headed by three-time Group 2 winner Anaheed and Listed-placed Farooq (Frankel).
During the opening session of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Coolmore Stud sold 14 yearlings for an aggregate of $4,905,000 at an average of $350,357, while the resident sire Fastnet Rock had six youngsters realise $3,010,000 recording an average of $501,667.
