The quality of thoroughbred being bred and raised at Pencarrow Stud was again rewarded in the Karaka Sale ring last week with 15 yearlings aggregating $4,145,000 over the two-day Premier Sale.

A special highlight came at Lot 431, the Redoute’s Choice colt out of Grand Echezeaux, who became the seventh million dollar yearling for Pencarrow when he fetched $1,300,000 to the bid of David Ellis.

The result was fitting as Ellis had secured the colt’s half-brother Darci Brahma at the very same session for over a million dollars and, under the care of leading NZ trainer Mark Walker, he went on to win five Group 1 contests through Australasia.

Overall Pencarrow Stud was the leading vendor by average ($276,333) for the sixth time in the past seven years, a remarkable achievement for the boutique operation on a buoyant market.

Pencarrow Stud manager Leon Casey was delighted with the sale, especially happy with the diverse range of buyers keen to source a yearling carrying the ‘v in a box’ on his/her left shoulder.

“We had a diverse range of yearlings that suited a number of different markets and that showed in the buyers sheet”.

“Having a million dollar yearling was a special highlight and he was a special colt who sold to a great judge”.

As Leon alluded to the buying bench in 2010 was again diverse with Pencarrow yearlings destined for Australia (5), Hong Kong (1), Ireland (1), and New Zealand (8).

David Ellis was again the biggest supporter of Pencarrow yearlings with three purchases at an aggregate of $1,925,000. His lots took his Pencarrow yearling purchases to a total of 18 in the past four years.

Rogerson Bloodstock too purchased three yearlings from the 2010 draft for an aggregate of $800,000 with a top price of $380,000 paid for the colt by Pins out of Perrine (Zabeel).

Other notable return customers included The Hong Kong Jockey Club who purchased the O’Reilly x Paolino colt for $230,000, while Starspangledbanner’s syndicator Brad Spicer purchased his first Pencarrow-bred when securing the Fast n Famous x Eminent Walk colt for $80,000.

The first crop of Pencarrow-bred Darci Brahma were well received throughout Karaka 2010 with his progeny selling up to $480,000. Pencarrow sold the third top-priced Darci Brahma colt at $310,000 with the three-quarter sibling of NZB Filly of the Year Insouciant knocked down to the BBA-Ireland.

The focus of Pencarrow stud staff now turns to the weaning and handling of the 2009 crop of young Pencarrow-bred thoroughbreds, some of which will be present in the Karaka 2011 Yearling Draft.

A special thanks to all Pencarrow Stud staff for maintaining such a level of excellence year in and year out, and to all buyers, thank you for your support and we wish you all the best on the racetrack in the coming years.

For full details of Pencarrow Stud’s Karaka 2010 result visit the Yearlings section of this website.