
For the second consecutive year, a sister to dual Group 1 winner Prowess has fetched a seven-figure price at the Karaka Yearling Sale.
The highlight of Tuesday’s third and final day of Book 1 at New Zealand’s premier yearling sale was the Hallmark Stud filly by Proisir out of Don Eduardo mare Donna Marie, who sold for NZ1.1million (AU995,000).
This sale comes exactly 12 months after the second of three fillies from Donna Marie, also by Proisir, sold for $1.6 million.
Unlike that filly, purchased by Peter Moody and now named Seychelles, the $1.1 million filly will be trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, who guided Prowess’s career. The pair secured the winning bid on behalf of Colin and Helen Litt, owners of another James and Wellwood star, Orchestral. Wellwood expressed relief at landing the filly, admitting it was likely their final offer.
“It’s always hard to gauge with these high-end fillies, especially one who’s a full sister to Prowess, with whom we won a couple of Group Ones,” Wellwood said.
“These fillies attract global attention, and you just hope your competitors aren’t willing to go as far as you are. Valuing such fillies is incredibly challenging, and we were fortunate to secure her on what was probably our last bid.”
Wellwood suggested the $1.1 million filly might mature earlier than Prowess, who didn’t race until late April in her two-year-old season. Prowess went on to win eight of her 12 starts, including Group 1 victories in the Bonecrusher Stakes and the Vinery Stud Stakes over 2000 meters.
“She shares Prowess’s athleticism, but Prowess was a bigger filly, and this one might develop a bit sooner,” Wellwood noted.
“This filly, Prowess, and the sister sold last year are all unique in their own way, but each is an exceptional filly.”
The Prowess sister was one of two seven-figure lots at the sale, following the record-breaking $2.4 million sale of Orchestral’s sister on Monday, the highest price ever paid for a filly at Karaka.
Proisir enjoyed a standout day, with another of his fillies, out of Golden Hind, selling for $850,000 to Dean Hawthorne, making it the third highest-priced lot of the sale.
The Proisir fillies played a significant role in a sale that saw over NZ75 million change hands. While the gross and average were slightly down from last year, New Zealand Bloodstock chief executive Andrew Seabrook was pleased with the results.
“Three days ago, I said matching last year’s figures would be a tremendous achievement, and we’ve come within two or three percent of that,” Seabrook said.
“Given the current economic climate, this demonstrates the resilience of our industry.”