Great day at Karaka for Ghibellines, White Robe Lodge

A half-brother to gritty stayer Who Shot Thebarman landed in very capable hands at the Karaka yearling sales yesterday.

The colt by Ghibellines from Ears Carol offered by White Robe Lodge was knocked down to former trainer-turned-bloodstock consultant Peter Moody.

Moody's Moody Racing bought the horse with Victorian syndicator Wylie Dalziel Racing for $115,000.

Moody trained the brilliant and unbeaten Black Caviar before walking away from his training career after a protracted battle against cobalt charges.

The colt delivered a strong result for White Robe's rookie sire, Ghibellines - the horse was the first of his progeny to be sold at a yearling sale.

It was likely the horse will be placed either with Victorian trainers Darren Weir or Ciaron Maher.

It is likely all three of the White Robe Lodge draft sold yesterday will head to do their racing in Melbourne

The stud's biggest sale came when a Savabeel filly from Include was knocked down to Paul Moroney Bloodstock, of Victoria, for $230,000.

The filly is the first foal from her three-time listed winning dam.

The horse's sale price staggered below $200,000 while she was in the ring before Moroney eventually fought off a line-up of bidders during an extensive session.

The horse is likely to be trained by Paul's brother, Mike Moroney, who operates a Victorian stable and another in Matamata.

The third of the White Robe Lodge progency, a colt by Ghibellines from Inferno, was knocked down to Weir for $52,500.

The results were pleasing, White Robe Lodge studmaster Wayne Stewart said.

``It was a really good exercise because they are all going to top trainers in Victoria.''

``We were rapt with the Savabeel filly - $230,000 is good for her and Paul Moroney is a good judge and it's going to a good stable.''

``It is a great result for Ghibellines and he has still got three more to come so he could end up with a pretty good average by the end of it.

The stud has one more Ghibellines colt from Notable to sell in the premier section of the sale tomorrow.

The sire has two more offspring in the second section of the Karaka sale on Thursday and Friday.

Otago and Southland bidders have not been active at the sales so far, only one horse has been sold to a bidder south of the Waitaki.

Only three horses have been bought by Canterbury buyers.

The Karaka sale registered its first million-dollar yearling early yesterday afternoon.

A colt, the first foal of former Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained mare Diademe, by Fastnet Rock, was offered by Waikato's Curraghmore Stud and was sold to Victorian Mark Pilkington and David Hayes' Lindsay Park Racing.

Late yesterday another $1million yearling topped the sale so far when David Ellis, of Te Akau, purchased a colt by Savabeel from Katie Lee from Cambridge Stud for $1,025,000.