Group 1 winner makes $1.6 million
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier finished last month’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale as the leading purchaser after shelling out $5,165,000 on five yearlings and he picked up where he left off, purchasing last year’s Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Booker (Written Tycoon) for $1.6 million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale on Friday and he later went to a cool $1.8 million for dual Group 1 winner Samaready (More Than Ready).
Magnier said both the mares had been purchased for the syndicate Coolmore have put together for their Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) - whose first foals have hit the ground in the northern hempisphere.
“There are obviously people who are very keen to get involved with him [Justify], so we bought a lot of nice mares last year and we are trying to do the same this year," Magnier said.
"He's getting the best chance at stud by getting the best mares and so we are going to keep trying to get the best mares for him.
"Booker is one of the best speed mares we have seen in Australia in recent times and physically we all rated her extremely highly - she is a stunning mare,” Magnier continued.
“The first Justify foals in the northern hemisphere are absolutely outstanding, so the initial plan is for her to visit him this year. We have great faith that Justify will succeed in Australia and we are committed to supporting him with mares of appropriate quality."
Out of the Flying Spur (Danehill) mare Noondie – who sold for $600,000 to Mitchell Bloodstock at last year's Chairman's Sale – Booker won four of her 21 career starts which saw her accumulate $856,150 in career prize-money.
Booker was purchased by Barrie Griffiths for $230,000 at the 2016 Inglis Premier Sale from the draft of Mill Park Stud.
A winner over 1100 metres on debut at Flemington as a two-year-old for Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra, Booker then ran second in the National Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at her only other juvenile start.
Her three-year-old season saw her defeat top-class mares Shoals (Fastnet Rock) and Catchy (Fastnet Rock) in the Thousand Guineas Prelude (Gr 2, 1400m), as well as running a narrow second to champion sprinter Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) in the McNeil Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and fourth to Russian Revolution (Snitzel) in a blanket finish to the 2018 Oakleigh Plate.
Her career highlight came in her four-year-old season when she defeated 17 rivals – including Nature Strip (Nicconi), Viddora (I Am Invincible) and Spright (Hinchinbrook) – to take out the 2019 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield.
Later on in the session, Magnier pushed past the $1 million barrier for a second time when purchasing dual Group 1 winner Samaready (More Than Ready) - who has already made her mark as a broodmare - for $1.8 million.
"A mare like her, she ticks every box,” said Magnier. “She's a great racemare, she's a great physical, she's got the pedigree and she is proven. She's ideal and when you put her to a champion like Justify, hopefully the result will be exciting.”
Offered by Vinery Stud and by their former shuttle stallion More Than Ready (Southern Halo), Samaready was sold in foal to Arrowfield Stud's three-time champion sire Sntizel (Redoute's Choice) making the resultant foal a sibling to the Group 3 winner Exhilarates, who also landed the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) in 2019.
Exhilarates was purchased by Godolphin for $600,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Vinery Stud draft in 2018.
Samaready herself was a top performer on the track, winning six races including the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and the AJ Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m).
She is out of two-time winning Secret Savings (Seeking The Gold) mare Samar, making her a half-sister to Group 2 winner Night War (General Nediym). Samar herself is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner County Tyrone (Danewin) and the dam of 2014 JJ Atkins Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Almalad (Al Maher).
Vinery Stud’s Peter Orton said he was delighted with the result, but also admitted that he was sad to see the daughter of More Than Ready leave the farm.
“She’s a beautiful mare and it’s sad to see her leave the farm but she realised what was a great price for her. In this market you’re never too sure but she got the value she deserved,’’ Orton said.
With the sale being forced to take place in the virtual format due to restrictions in place to combat coronavirus, Orton was also quick to pay tribute to the resilience of the Australian breeding and racing industries.
“It’s a new world and I just love this industry and how enthusiastic and resilient it is and how people are embracing this new concept of virtual and online selling,” said Orton.
“It’s such an exciting industry to be involved in and for the stability to still show through under a pretty dire global situation has been fantastic.’’
