Trish Dunell
Kevin and Julie Taylor of Koru Thoroughbreds sent two mares to Aquis Farm stallion Divine Prophet two years ago, and the results of those matings returned a healthy profit for them at Karaka on Friday.
The Taylors offered two weanlings by the son of Choisir at New Zealand Bloodstock’s May Sale, with lot 92, a filly out of Starcraft mare Startina, selling for $60,000 to Hallmark Stud, while $10 million Lotto winner Lout Te Keeti went to $95,000 to secure lot 135, a colt out of Pins mare Caramellos.
The latter was the joint top-lot of the sale with lot 83, a Tivaci filly purchased by Cambridge Bloodstock agent Bevan Smith, and the Taylors were delighted with the result.
“We are very happy and they have sold very well,” Kevin Taylor said. “They are two very nice horses.
“The filly was bought by Hallmark, I assume they are going to trade her, and I was talking with Lou and I’m not sure whether he is going to race the colt or not.”
The Taylors said the two weanlings were the result of their policy on dry mares.
“We have a farm policy that for any dry mares that we have we send to Australia to get in-foal,” Julie Taylor said.
“We went and saw Divine Prophet and just loved him. We knew Priosir, a full-brother, was here in New Zealand and we really liked him. But they are two different horses.
“We sent two dry mares over to Australia, they got in-foal and then brought them back home.”
While focused on yearling preparation, the Taylors said their growing stock numbers led them to take an alternative route when selling some of their horses.
“We want to limit our yearling book to 12 and as we are getting more mares, we are getting more horses, so we have to look at other sources to sell them,” Kevin Taylor said.
“We thought they were two cracking weanlings, but we have got other nice ones at home, so we were happy to sell this pair as weanlings.” – NZ Racing Desk
