St Mark’s Basilica Colt Fetches $435,000 in Japan

St Mark’s Basilica’s first yearling to be offered at auction sold for $435,000 at the JHRA Select Sale.

Aakimoto Tatsuya signed for the Northern Farm-consigned colt, which was his sire’s only offering at the prestigious sale. The bay is the first foal out of Carta Embrujada, a three-time Group 1 winner in her native Argentina.

The result continues a fantastic start commercially for St Mark’s Basilica, who sired the highest-priced foal in Europe and North American last year at 575,000gns. Purchasers of his first crop included Camas Park Stud, MAB Agency, Newsells Park Stud, Peter and Ross Doyle, and Yeomanstown Stud.

St Mark’s Basilica himself cost 1.3million guineas as a yearling and went on to reward connections with five Group 1 wins as a two and three-year-old. The son of Siyouni is out of the Group 3 winning Galileo mare Cabaret, making him a half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Magna Grecia.