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Victorian-based farm pay $600,000 for mare.
Spendthrift Farm will welcome two exciting new shuttlers to their roster in 2020 in Grade 1-winning pair Omaha Beach (War Front) and Vino Rosso (Curlin) and on Monday the operation's manager Garry Cuddy snapped up New Zealand Group 1 Santa Monica (Per Incanto) for $600,000 and she looks set for a date with Omaha Beach.
"She has been bought to be bred to Omaha Beach," said Spendthrift general manager Garry Cuddy. "She is a Group 1-winning mare and I think it is a cross that will work. She is a gorgeous mare. It is not everyday that you buy a mare and six people walk past within 30 seconds of knocking it down and say: 'Gee, you've bought a nice one.
"We are here to increase our broodmare band and to take one home that is a Group 1 winner is a step in the right direction. The market has been strong enough for the right horses - we are just happy to have her."
Catalogued as Lot 61 the mare is out of dual-winning Volksraad (Green Desert) mare Monarch, who is herself out of New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Balmacara (Bassenthwaite).
Balmacara is also the dam of Magic Millions 3YO Trophy (RL, 1400m) winner Jamieson Valley (Desert Prince), while further afield this is the same family as Group 1 winner Sharvasti (Montjeu).
Santa Monica's sale also signalled another great result for Julian Blaxland's Blue Sky Premium Consignment and he said it was good to see a New Zealand-bred mare garnering support at an Australian sale.
"I think in the current market she sold very well and she will get every chance with Spendthrift Farm," said Blaxland. "It just shows that you can bring quality Group 1 horses over from New Zealand and sell them in Australia. I'm delighted for her breeder Stuart Hope who put his trust in our consignment here."
Spendthrift also purchased recent Gai Waterhouse Classic Handicap (Listed, 1350m) winner Solar Star (Zoustar) for $450,000 from the Milburn Creek draft and she was catalogued as Lot 76
In 2017 BBA Ireland and Freedman Brothers bought Solar Star for $190,000 from the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale and she was snapped up by Damon Gabbedy's Belmont Bloodstock for $105,000 at last year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
The mare is out of Group 3 winner Petty Cury (Not A Single Doubt), who is herself out of fellow Group 3 winner Bahira (Volksraad), making her a half-sister to dual Listed winner Rio Fortune (Captain Rio).
Further afield this is the family as Group 1 winner Conifer Bay (Virginia Privateer) - the dam of Listed scorer Cong'er (Zenno Rob Roy).
