King’s Legacy wins the Group One Inglis Sires’ at Royal Randwick (Steve Hart Photographics)
“遍寻我所到过的国家，从未有一个节日庆典能够被全民所热爱，能够将全民凝聚在一起。墨尔本杯就是有这种魅力，它使我震惊不已。”
The Redoute’s Choice colt at the 2019 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale was always going to generate plenty of competition in the ring.
Great type, closely related to Not A Single Doubt.
Successful bloodstock agent James Harron was keen to secure the yearling from the moment he laid eyes on the Segenhoe Stud consigned youngster, but was probably hoping he wouldn’t have to go all the way to $1.4 million to secure said colt: the third highest price of the sale.
Harron’s faith was justified on Saturday however when the Redoute’s Choice colt – King’s Legacy – produced a withering burst in the final stages to capture the $500,000 Group One Inglis Sires’ over 1400m at Royal Randwick.
Coupled with his success in last December’s Group Three BJ McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm, King’s Legacy has now won $651,500 in prize money, but more importantly, the colt’s Inglis Sires’ victory has ensured a commercial career at stud when his racing days are done.
“All the stars have aligned with this one (King’s Legacy),” a delighted James Harron, points out.
“He is by an absolute breed shaper in Redoute’s Choice, he’s out of a multiple stakes placed winner of seven who is a half sister to Group One winner and Golden Slipper runner-up in Oohood and, most importantly of all, he’s closely related to top-class stallions Not A Single Doubt (also by Redoute’s Choice) and Snippets.
“You can never be sure, obviously, how a yearling will turn out, but I was confident about this colt … especially when our breaker gave us such a glowing report of the horse’s progress and Peter and Paul Snowden told me within weeks of him landing in the stable that he would be something special.
The Snowdens would also train Capitalist for Harron and co. who went on to win a Golden Slipper, Magic Millions 2YO Classic and $3.5 million in stakes after being sold for just $165,000 at the 2015 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
With his oldest progeny yearlings – 20 on offer at Easter this week – Capitalist has covered 670 mares in his first three seasons at Newgate Farm at a fee of $55,000.
“You clearly need to get it right as often as you can, but there can be incredible upside for buying colts at Australian yearling sales,” Harron explains. “In the last five years we’ve purchased Capitalist, Defcon (dual Group winner and Silver Slipper runner-up), Pariah (multiple Group winner and Blue Diamond second) and now King’s Legacy who are all at stud or have ensured a place at stud.”
Harron has done his “due diligence” leading up to this week’s Easter Yearling Sale and believes Inglis has assembled another quality catalogue: “We’ve done a lot of homework and seen everything we possibly can … there’s some very nice yearlings in there. I reckon Inglis has set up a good platform for the online sale and will be as good as they can make it.
“Fortunately, racing is continuing in Australia and I hope everything comes together sales-wise this week as it’s so important for the industry.”
Harron has also inspected the Segenhoe Stud draft of 16 for Easter which, in rather timely fashion, features the full sister to King’s Legacy.
“She’s a tall, very scopey filly and has a beautiful head, just like her big brother, but more leggy,” Segenhoe’s Peter O’Brien enthused. “She has just continued to improve throughout the prep and while she isn’t likely to be as precocious as King’s Legacy, she still has the same pedigree!”
It’s been a big seven days for Segenhoe Stud who will also offer, on Wednesday, the full sister to last week’s Group One Vinery Stud Stakes winner, Shout The Bar.
“The $1.4 million for King’s Legacy might appear expensive, but purchasing an elite colt at Australian yearling sale is more affordable than in other parts of the world, yet our stallion returns are far greater than other countries,” Aushorse CEO, Tom Reilly reveals. “When you look at the purchase price of the top 50 colts over a five year average, Australia is almost half that of Europe, yet the service fees of our freshmen stallions is four times greater than, say, France and higher than the USA, UK and Ireland.
“Capitalist is a shining example but then you don’t have to look far to find a stallion like Russian Revolution who was sold for $320,000 as a yearling, won $1.4 million on the track and covered 449 mares in his first two seasons at stud at a fee of $55,000.
“Already this year you have colts like Golden Slipper winner, Farnan ($550,000), Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa ($300,000) and Group One CF Orr Stakes winner Alabama Express ($280,000) that have all been earmarked for stud careers.
“There are some very nice colts at Easter this week and I’m sure a lot of buyers will be keen to ensure the Australian ‘trend’ continues.”
