$1million Fastnet Rock Colt Stars at Easter

A stunning bay colt by Fastnet Rock from the young stakes-winner Catreign topped the opening session of the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for Newgate Farm on Tuesday. One of the ‘prettier’ Fastnets and very much in the mould of brilliant Group I winner Foxwedge, the star colt put on a show in the cold and windy weather, rearing, striking and playing to the crowd before being knocked down to the bid of James Bester Bloodstock/Demi O’Byrne Bloodstock. He is one of a four Fastnet Rock youngsters that were purchased on the opening day by Coolmore, who have been very keen to secure his stock at all the major Australasian sales this year. “Fastnet Rock is going so well, so of course you want to go out and try to buy the best of them,” Tom Magnier told TVN. “We had not seen this colt until he got down here to the sale, but James, Demi and the whole team just loved him as soon as they saw him. “Fastnet Rock works well with the Storm Cat line and we rate him among the best Fastnet Rocks here.” Bred in Victoria by Robert McClure’s Morning Rise Stud, the million dollar colt is the second foal of stakes-winning Tale of the Cat mare Catreign, who comes from the family of US Group I winners Awesome Gem, Louis Quatorze, Wildcat Heir and Royal Indy. The Fastnet Rock x Storm Cat cross has proven very successful producing Group I winners Foxwedge and Irish Lights as well as stakes-placed Zikmann and Epona Princess. Other big results for Fastnet Rock included fillies from Allegra and Absolut Glam that made $650,000 and $625,000 respectively as well as a colt from Bella Jewel that sold for $420,000. Currently leading the Australian General Sires List by earnings, Fastnet Rock finished the session as the leading sire by average with 14 youngsters averaging $373,929.