The popularity of our young stallion Sword Of State went to another level during the closing session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 National Yearling Sale centenary auction.

The son of Snitzel’s progeny were in keen demand at Karaka but it was Lot 513 the heavy hitters were waiting for, and the colt left the ring with the heftiest of price tags.

The stunning half-brother to star performer Ceolwulf broke the seven-figure mark to top the sale when he was sold to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Sanxiong Gao for $1,100,000.

He also helped us to the coveted title of leading Book 1 vendor by aggregate with 50 lots sold for $10,640,000 at an average of $212,800.

Maher’s Head of Bloodstock Will Bourne was on site to win a tense bidding duel against Te Akau’s David Ellis for the sale-topping Sword Of State colt, who more than lived up to all the pre-sale hype.

“David Ellis is a hard guy to beat, especially here on his home deck, but this is a lovely horse. We got some great support from a new client, Mr Gao, and we’re thrilled to have him on board,” Bourne said.

“We knew he wasn’t going to be cheap. He has a lot of power behind the saddle, to be fair he wasn’t hard to find as he’s got a great pedigree.

“For a young stallion to start the way he has is a credit to Cambridge Stud. We’re happy to support them. They do such a good job and are so supportive of the industry here and the community.

“Ciaron’s thrilled and there’s a lot of appetite from our clients for to buy New Zealand-bred horses.”

The youngster’s dam is the English-bred Shamardal mare Las Brisas, whose pedigree page also features the international top-flight winners Moonstone (Irish Oaks), Cerulean Sky (Prix Saint-Alary) and Wellington HKJC Chairman’s Sprint Prize-twice).

Sword Of State’s previous highest-priced yearling was a son of Fuld’s Bet who sold last year to Mulberry Racing for $540,000 and his sister, Lot 438, realised $475,000 when claimed by Victoria’s Cameron Cooke Bloodstock and trainer Scott Cameron.

They are out of the stakes winning I Am Invincible mare Fuld’s Bet, whose three foals to race have all been successful and includes our two-time winner I’m All In.

“Karaka’s been awesome and we really liked her from the first time we saw her,” Cameron said.

“She’s by a very good stallion so we had to be strong to get her.”

An attractive daughter of Sword Of State with a pedigree to match will be joining the powerful Cambridge stable of Stephen Marsh after he signed the ticket at $420,000 for Lot 325 with Dyland Johnson.

The filly is a half-sister to multiple winner Moschino, who was successful on Karaka Millions night, with her dam the Stravinsky mare Botanic.

She was twice successful and is a half-sister to South African stakes winner Diamond King and the family of Australasian Group winners Love Affair (Eagle Technology Stakes) and Somepin Anypin (Hawkesbury Gold Cup).

Meanwhile, an athletic daughter of Spirit Of Boom had an abundance of admirers and it was Matamata trainer Graham Richardson and high-profile cricketing identity Brendon McCullum who had the last laugh on Lot 461.

The grey filly was sold for $325,000 and is out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Gracious Grey, whose three foals to race have all been successful and includes the G3 Belle of the Turf winner Kind Words.

Gracious Grey is also a half-sister to the multiple stakes winner Positive Peace with G3 Blue Diamond Preview winner Limestone also on the pedigree page.

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Hear from our CEO, Henry Plumptre, who saw first-hand how popular the first weanlings by Chaldean were at last week’s Tattersalls December Foal Sale in England.

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Chaldean’s weanlings sold for a total of 2,686,00gns, placing him second overall by aggregate, just 14,000gns behind his sire, Frankel. Our dual Gr.1 winner had a total of 25 lots sell at a 93% clearance rate and average of 107,440gns (NZ$260,000) with top prices of 240,000gns (NZ$580,000), 205,000gns (NZ$495,000), 200,000gns (NZ$485,000), 185,000gns (NZ$450,000) etc.

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A gallant Ceolwulf emphasised his versatility at the highest level when he overcame a heavy track at Flemington to claim top honours in the G1 Champions’ Mile at Flemington.

It was our homebred son of Tavistock’s second top-flight success, and fourth overall, on the bounce after triumphing on top of the ground in the G1 King Charles III Stakes at Randwick.

“I’ve thought for a long time that he’s the best horse I’ve ever trained and in his last two starts he’s cemented that position,” trainer Joseph Pride said.

“That was another fantastic win, very special, and he’s really turned it on in the second half of his preparation.”

Ceolwulf lobbed along in fourth spot before moving into contention early in the run home and, after being clearly headed, rallied strongly for his seventh career victory and took his earnings to nearly A$11 million.

“He jumped really well to put us in a more forward position and when the race heated up at the 600, he was still going well,” regular rider Chad Schofield said.

“He got a bit lost in the straight, but when he saw that other horse (Pericles) he was the strongest late.

“He’s top class and Joe has done an amazing job with him.”

We sold Ceolwulf through Sam and Hana Beatson’s Riversley Park draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale where he was purchased by Pride for $170,000.

His dam is the unraced Shamardal mare Las Brisas who we secured at the 2018 Tattersalls December are Sale for 50,000gns.

Pride also bought her daughter of Almanzor at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for A$260,000 and as Lupa Capitolina and she has showed promise in a brief career.

A half-sister to stakes winner Nantyglo, Las Brisas also has a yearling colt by Sword Of State and recently foaled a filly by Chaldean.

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