Wednesday, September 15, 2004
RECORD $8 MILLION PAID FOR YEARLING AT KEENELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE
A royally bred son of Storm Cat from the family of classic winners A.P. Indy and Summer Squall brought a September Yearling Sale record $8 million Tuesday during the blockbuster second session of the annual Keeneland auction.
Prominent Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori signed the sales ticket on behalf of an undisclosed client following a nine-minute bidding extravaganza. William S. Farish's Lane's End, agent, sold the chestnut colt, who is out of graded stakes winner Welcome Surprise, by Seeking the Gold.
Mori's $8 million bid topped the previous sale record of $6.8 million paid by Demi O'Byrne for another son of Storm Cat, consigned by Lane's End, during the 2000 auction.
It was the fourth highest price ever paid for a horse at Keeneland and the highest since BBA (England) bought Seattle Dancer, a son of Nijinsky II, for a world record $13.1 million at the 1985 July Selected Yearling Sale.
Mori is described as one of the most internationally recognized Japanese trainers. He successfully sent out Seeking the Pearl to victory in a Group 1 race in France and Agnes World to Group 1 victories in England and France.
The record-breaking purchase helped to push gross sales for Tuesday's session to $87,463,000 for 179 horses. The average was $488,620 and the median was $260,000. Each was up substantially over last year when 173 horses brought $70,695,000, an average of $408,642 and a median of $240,000.
Through two days of the 14-day auction, Keeneland has sold 349 horses for $150,648,000, an average of $431,656 and a median of $260,000. At this point in the sale a year ago, 339 horses had been sold for $131,250,000, an average of $387,168 and a median of $230,000.
Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell characterized Tuesday's session as "indescribable" and said the sales totals "surpassed our highest expectations for the session. Lane's End brought a strong group of horses and a very impressive individual in the Storm Cat colt."
Russell added that the September Yearling Sale is the "global marketplace for yearlings," noting that the leading buyers during the sale have come from the Far East, the Middle East, Europe and America.
Eighteen horses sold for $1 million or more during Tuesday's session, bringing the total number of seven-figure horses for the two-day auction to 26.
Mori also paid the second highest price of the day, bidding $3.4 million for a colt by Storm Cat out of Bless, a sister to 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.
Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for ClassicStar LLC, consigned the bay colt, who has been named Blessed Storm. Twice leading sire of the year, Storm Cat's offspring include a long list of outstanding horses including Giant's Causeway, Storm Flag Flying and Hold That Tiger.
Mori's expenditures totaled $13.2 million for the day. He also spent $1.8 million to buy a half-brother to Fusaichi Pegasus. Stone Farm, agent for Stone Farm and Stonerside Stable, consigned the bay colt by Seeking the Gold out of Angel Fever, by Danzig.
The auction resumes today and continues through September 27.
RACING UK ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY ON TELEWEST BROADBAND
Racing UK, the dedicated horseracing channel currently available to 7.5 million satellite subscribers, will reach another one million homes from Thursday (16 September 2004) through a deal with digital cable operator Telewest Broadband.
Telewest Broadband customers will benefit from a short free-to-air period before they are required to subscribe in October*. After that the cost of the channel will follow the satellite pricing structure of £20 a month (announced 1 September 2004). This can be reduced by paying £200 up front for 12 months subscription.
Racing UK Ltd, owned by 30 of the UK's leading race courses, has concluded the deal with Telewest Broadband via a commercial agreement with broadcast partner Setanta Sport, the UK's leading independent operator of pay sports channels.
Philip Snalune, director of product management and marketing at Telewest Broadband said: "We are delighted to extend the sports coverage we offer our customers and are confident of the demand for quality horseracing on a dedicated subscription channel."
Racing UK Ltd. executive chairman, Simon Bazalgette, said: "We are making life as easy as possible for anyone who wants to be able to see the best racing from the best courses. We have been inundated with requests from cable customers who want to subscribe. Telewest Broadband has been typically quick to recognise the value of such a quality service to its customers."
Racing UK will be available on channel 537.
* Telewest Broadband customers will be required to subscribe from 21 October 2004.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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