The appetite for the Widden Stud/Woodside Park-based sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor) continued on Monday at Karaka when Aquis Farm’s chief executive Shane McGrath teamed up with Lindsay Park Racing and went to $460,000 to secure a colt by the stallion from the Curraghmore draft.
The purchase follows Zoustar’s strong sale at book one of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier in the month, where 22 lots by the sire sold for an aggregate of $6,095,000 at an average of $277,045.
Aquis Farm’s new colt, who was catalogued as Lot 132, is out of the unraced Flying Spur (Danehill) mare Crystal Spur. Crystal Spur herself is a half-sister to Group Two winner Cluster (Fastnet Rock) with them both being out of Listed winner Tarcoola Diamond (Last Tycoon).
The colt was purchased for $170,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale by Suncroft Bloodstock from the Woodside Park Stud draft.
The fact Aquis Farm already races Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winning Zoustar filly Sunlight only added to McGrath’s confidence to purchase the colt from the stallion’s second crop.
“He was our pick of the sale. We have partnered up with Lindsay Park and we have already had success (with Zoustar) with Sunlight. He is a good looking colt who comes off a good farm,” McGrath said.
“We are trying to develop stallion prospects because they are too expensive once they are already created. You have got to buy the ones you love and he was a high-rating colt and we are delighted to have him.”
Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham said the colt caught his eye at the Gold Coast last year and had been an impressive type ever since he arrived in New Zealand.
“He is a magnificent colt and he has been all the way through,” Cunningham told ANZ Bloodstock News. “I look forward to seeing him race successfully. He looks like a runner to me.”
A the conclusion of Day 2 Curraghmore had sold nine yearlings for a total of $2,820,000 at an average of NZ$313,333 to be the leading vendor by average (three or more lots sold). -ANZ Bloodstock News
