Photo: Trish Dunell
Little Avondale stallion Per Incanto’s outstanding season carried on in the Karaka sale ring on Thursday, where his weanling colt fetched a sale-topping $190,000 in the opening hour of the NZB National Weanling Sale.
Catalogued as Lot 13, the colt is the second foal out of the Shamexpress mare London Express – the winner of seven races including the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) as a late-season two-year-old.
The sale-topping colt was offered by Seaton Park and was bought by Australian bloodstock agent James Mitchell, who signed for his purchase in the name of Newgate Farm’s Jim Carey.
“We’ve put together a syndicate to buy a few colts to be traded at yearling sales next season, and I thought this was the nicest colt here and my pick of the sale,” Mitchell said.
“He’s by a stallion I love, Per Incanto, who’s just going from strength to strength, and he’s out of a running mare. Being a November foal, he’s only going to continue to develop.
“He’ll head to Newgate now and spend some time on those Group One-producing hills, and then we’ll prepare him for either the Sydney Easter or Melbourne Premier Sale. I see him as a real Hong Kong type of horse. He’ll have a lot of appeal with that market. Per Incanto has sired a lot of winners there, and being out of a Shamexpress mare, he’s a reverse of the cross that produced Ka Ying Rising.”
The colt’s $190,000 purchase price was the second-highest price paid at a weanling sale at Karaka in the last 15 years.
“It’s a fantastic result and we’re absolutely thrilled,” Seaton Park’s Scott Eagleton said. “The colt was born on the farm and he’s owned by a long-time client of ours. They’ve been with us through all of our 22 years at Seaton Park, and were even a client back in my Fayette Park days. It means a lot to get a result like this for some good Taranaki people and long-time loyal clients.
“The interest in the colt was huge leading into the sale. He was always very forward. Pinhookers come to these sales looking for horses that they can improve, and he does have scope to do that, but he’s always just oozed quality. He walks so well and he’s always been a real standout.”
Lot 13 was one of two Per Incanto progeny in the National Weanling Sale catalogue. The other, a filly out of the Gr.3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) placegetter Amazing Lady, was bought by Lordof Wingrove Limited for $65,000.
Per Incanto has enjoyed strong demand with his yearling progeny this season, including averages of A$425,000 in in the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney and A$218,333 in the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. That comes in the midst of a career-best run of racetrack success, headed by Jimmysstar’s triumphs in the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m) and Gringotts’ victory in the Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m). His current 15th place in the Australian sires’ premiership is the best of his career.
“I thought today’s colt was a really nice horse – a beautiful-walking horse and physically strong,” Little Avondale’s Sam Williams commented.
“He’ll head towards yearling sales in Australia now and I think he’s a very marketable colt. Per Incanto has had a wonderful year. He’s going to take out the Centaine Award, which is for the leading New Zealand sire by worldwide progeny earnings. To take that title off champion sire Savabeel is a massive feat and something we’re very proud of.
“Per Incanto will serve a limited book this year. I often say I’m married to the best person in the world (Catriona), but my nest-best friend is there next to us in his box at home. We just love him.”
Kaha Nui Farm secured two of the four highest-priced weanlings of the day, going to $130,000 for a colt by Super Seth out of Queen Leonora and $120,000 for a Sword Of State colt out of Goldilicious. They also picked up a Bivouac filly for $50,000, lifting their total spend to $300,000 for three purchases.
“We’re really happy with the horses we came away with,” Kaha Nui’s Nicky White said. “We managed to get the two colts that I thought were the two nicest colts here, and we picked up a speedy-looking filly by Bivouac as well. We’re thrilled.
“They’re the progeny of three exciting young sires. It’s amazing what Super Seth has done on the track lately and there’s a bit of talk about him, so it was great to secure such a nice colt by him today.
“The plan now is to take them home, try to turn them into athletes and then take them back to Karaka for the yearling sales in January.”
