David Ellis Purchases $600,000 Justify Colt

Te Akau Racing will have a chance to win that Ferrari with leading New Zealand buyer David Ellis securing an outstanding colt by Triple Crown winner Justify for $600,000 during the final session of Karaka Book 1.

Consigned by The Oaks Stud, the colt is the first foal of winning Darci Brahma mare Repeat a full sister to dual Group I winner Recite and daughter of Champion NZ 2YO Filly Chant.

“He is an absolutely stunning colt. He’s gone into my colts syndicate, which has been very, very well received by our owners. I think he is a Karaka Million colt,” Ellis told ANZ Bloodstock News

“He is probably a little bit more precocious than, say, (2022 Karaka Million winner) Dynastic and it is really exciting to buy a colt by a Triple Crown winner at Karaka.

“He is from a really good two-year-old family, but they all train on to be good at three and four and that’s the sort of colt that we are trying to buy.”

Ellis also purchased a Justify filly from the Pencarrow Stud draft from Fair Isle for $190,000.

The Oaks Stud’s Rick Williams compared the $600,000 colt to some of the best horses he’s been associated with, giving hope to Ellis’ dream of making it a seventh straight Karaka Million victory for Te Akau. “I just loved the colt to bits. He has a great brain and I put him right up there alongside DB Pins, Avantage, Pure Theatre and Maluckyday. He's that good,” Williams said.

Justify also had good sales in New Zealand with Milan Park selling a colt from star producer Danex for $220,000 to G Knight and Hallmark Stud selling a colt from Mongolian Beauty to TFI for $200,000.