First Yearlings By Caravaggio Produce Top Average At Book 2

Strong demand for the first yearlings by top sprinter Caravaggio at Tattersalls Book 2 was reflected in his average price of 105,417gns - the highest of any first crop sire over the three day sale.

Demi O’Byrne bought the two highest-priced yearlings by Caravaggio on behalf of Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm. The first, Lot 949 from Mountain View Stud, is the first foal out of the winning Galileo mare Longing, herself a half-sister to dual Stakes winner Ladys First. O’Byrne went to 205,000gns for the colt, while 170,000gns secured his next purchase; Lot 1228 from Rathbarry Stud as agent.

The colt was also out of a Galileo mare in Solar Event, who is a three-parts sister to Group 2 winner Time On; herself now the dam of a Group 3 winner.

Earlier in the session, Kilminfoyle House Stud celebrated a profitable return on their Caravaggio colt (Lot 1046), after he was sold to Federico Barberini for 160,000gns. The late April foal is out of the unraced mare Nictate, whose Holy Roman Emperor three-year-old sold for HK$3.7million at this year’s breeze-up sales.

Camas Park Stud offered the joint highest-priced Caravaggio filly of the sale; a half-sister to multiple Stakes winner True Valour (Lot 1272). The grey is now bound for the States, where her half-brother flourished, after selling for 150,000gns to Meah Lloyd Bloodstock for Calvin Nguyen.

Newsells Park Stud offered another well-rated daughter of Caravaggio in Lot 608; a half-sister to Group-placed juvenile Arctician. Out of a half-sister to top-class miler Lightning Spear, the grey was knocked down to Gainsborough Thoroughbreds for 150,000gns.

The shrewd Morrin brothers of Pier House Stud invested in a Caravaggio colt out of Cape Joy and resold the colt for 110,000gns to Avenue Bloodstock on behalf of MV Magnier.