Grant and Alana Williams led WA buyers at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale this week splashing out $520,000 on three yearlings at Oaklands Junction.
Overall, the WA spend reached $1.48 million for 21 yearlings topped by Team Williams and agent Suman Hedge for the Spirit of Boom – Lucky Toss colt (Lot 369) that made $240,000 on Monday. He’s a full-brother to LR MRC Debutant Stakes (1000m) winner Champagne Boom.
He was purchased from Eureka Stud (as agent) as was a Spirit Of Boom – Spiriting filly targeted by Team Williams for $220,000 at the Inglis Classic Sale last month. They are by the same sire as stable star Keshi Boom who won the G3 Champion Fillies (1600m) and LR Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) at Ascot in November.
“We found a good cross-section of nice horses and there was certainly a lot of competition for anything we wanted,” Hedge (pictured) shared on Facebook after the final session on Tuesday. “Big thanks to Grant and Alana for continuing to support my business and showing great loyalty…in a ruthless game it is very much appreciated!”
The other six-figure buy joining their team at Karnup is an Earthlight first-crop filly (Lot 87) that made $220,000 on Sunday. The Darley shuttler is a son of Shamardal and was a Group 1-winning 2yo sprinter in England and France.
Her dam Admiring (Street Cry) won at Ascot (2) and Belmont for Michael Grant and he sold the Earthlight filly through Romsey vendor Springmount which is owned by former WA studmaster Michael Flannery.
Byerley Bloodstock’s Liam Peters paid $100,000 for the Shamus Award full-brother to Hong Kong miler Packing Award (Lot 229) on Sunday and followed up with a $150,000 bid for the Trapeze Artist colt from NZ Group 3 winner Honey Rider (Lot 288) on Monday.
Ascot trainer Stefan Vahala was busy adding an Impending colt ($90,000), Doubtland filly ($80,000), Peltzer colt ($30,000) and Tagaloa filly ($25,000) for SM & KB Bloodstock. Among the other Ascot-based buyers were Luke Fernie and Neville Parnham who weighed in with $90,000 and $80,000 respectively for fillies by Trapeze Artist and Written Tycoon.
The Premier Sale was another ringing endorsement for Oakland Park and the family nurtured from its blue-hen mare Umatune (Umatilla). She was a Listed winner of the 2001 Crystal Slipper Stakes at Ascot and was purchased as a broodmare prospect by Neville and Susan Duncan in 2003.
She’s the third-dam of the Snitzel sale-topping filly (Lot 314) bought by agent Dean Hawthorne for outspoken owner Jonathan Munz for $925,000 and the Ole Kirk filly (Lot 34) purchased by Clinton McDonald for $360,000.
There are a half-dozen Stakes winners under Umatune in the catalogue and Hawthorne claimed the sale-topper had one of the best pages in the book. “Snitzel fillies like this one don’t come along very often. With that pedigree, we thought we would have a crack.
“She has that big middle, big gaskin and hindquarter and looks like she will go early. She moves very well and just seems to get on with the job. You can see her fronting up in next year’s autumn 2yo races in Melbourne and Sydney.
“And if it all goes to plan, you’ve got a good type for a broodmare as well.”
