Whispers went around Wingatui last week when the son of Bettor's Delight was paraded in front of prospective buyers, as trainers and fellow breeders remarked on the colt's impressive conformation.
It seems plenty of others at the Canterbury Agricultural Park yesterday agreed, as the yearling was finally knocked down to leviathan owner Emilio Rosati for $200,000 - topping day one of the Christchurch leg of the sales.
The yearling was bred by Phil and Margaret Creighton, of Mosgiel, along with Stewart Gillan, of Winton, and the price improves on the $170,000 the trio received for an Art Major half-brother to Bollinger in 2013.
The bumper day did not end there for the Creightons, with a Mach Three-Cartier filly fetching $71,000 when bought by Australian buyer Domenico Martello.
Other southern-bred yearlings to fetch tidy prices included Arden's Beach Boy, who went for $35,000, and the Gavin Chin-bred The Artristocrat, who went to Peter Bagrie for $30,000. Sales of $50,000 and above from the first day of the New Zealand premier yearling sale at Christchurch yesterday included.-B c Bettor's Delight-Asabella, Glenbrook Park Standardbreds as vendor, Emilio and Mary Rosati as buyer, Australia, $200,000. B c Bettor's Delight-Bee Jays Money, Ultimate Breeding, PGW as agent, Christchurch, $60,000. B c Christian Cullen-Blackbird Fly, Norwegian Wood Breeding, TD & AV Taylor, Pleasant Point, $100,000. Bl c Bettor's Delight-Baileys Pearl, AJ Grant, Cran Dalgety, Christchurch, $60,000. B c Muscles Yankee-Belle Galleon, Seavale Racing, CT & KL Templeton, Invercargill, $90,000. Br f Mach Three-Cartier, Glenbrook Park Standardbreds, Domenico Martello, Australia, $71,000. Br c Bettor's Delight-Beaudiene Bad Babe, Taffy Ltd, S Reid, Pukekohe, $90,000. B c Christian Cullen-Brooklyn Dream, Jordash Breeding Trust, B Purdon, Clevedon, $75,000. Br c Bettor's Delight-Cullen's Creation, Tavistock Breeding, PGW as agent, $65,000. B f Bettor's Delight-Foxy Styx, Styx Stables, Braeview Ltd, Gore, $60,000. B c Somebeachsomewhere-Free As A Bird, Styx Stables, RJ Dunn, Christchurch, $100,000. B c Bettor's Delight-Funontherun, Studholme Bloodstock, Cran Dalgety, Christchurch, $85,000. B c Bettor's Delight-Galleons Respect, Fanny Allen Family Trust, PI & GJ Kennard Bloodstock, Christchurch, $70,000. B c Art Major-Gotta Go Hype, Styx Stables, PI & GJ Kennard Bloodstock, Christchurch, $60,000. B c Bettor's Delight-Heavenly Franco, Renwick Farm, Tony Herlihy, Auckland, $67,500. B c Christian Cullen-Hunter Franco, Spreydon Lodge, JH & NJ Gameson, Christchurch, $75,000. B c Bettor's Delight-Jen Marie, Rosedale Farm, Ian Dobson, Christchurch, $170,000.
