Heart Stealer lived up to her name once Roxburgh trainer Geoff Knight took her out of her box at Karaka yesterday.
The daughter of Bettor's Delight and Fight Fire With Fire was always going to be a popular lot at the Australasian Classic standardbred yearling sales after her half-brother fetched the top price of $250,000 at last year's sale.
But after a battle with underbidder Mark Purdon, who trained Fight Fire With Fire to seven wins, Bill Bain, of Roxburgh, and Doug Gollan, of Gore, now own the filly who will be in the hands of Knight for her racing career. The $95,000 paid for her was the highest in the sale for a filly. Bain is best known as the part-owner of group 1 winner Pembrook's Delight.
Knight said the southern trio had gone shopping for a quality filly, and their mind was made up once they inspected her yesterday morning.
''When we took them all out of the boxes, this was the one that stood out, really,'' Knight said.
''Her breeding is impeccable, to me. On type, she's a beautiful type and she's got a beautiful walk on her.
''Everything about her ticked all the boxes, really.''
Fight Fire With Fire is out of the Butler B G's mare, Twice As Good, who has left seven individual winners including 2006 Queen Of Hearts winner Waitfornoone and St Barts, who won 12 races before being exported to Australia.
Heart Stealer has the compactness required to foot it as a juvenile next season, and Knight hopes her size is an attribute when he prepares her to run as a 2yr-old.
''You never can tell, but she looks like the type that could [race as a 2yr-old],'' he said.
''She's not a big, rangy overgrown thing and she's nicely in proportion.''
Knight is used to chasing Purdon and his racing team on the track, so to outbid arguably the country's best age-grade trainer buoyed Knight heading into the New Zealand Premier yearling sale in Christchurch tomorrow and Thursday.
''It's always a nice feeling because it's not very often that you can beat him.''
Bain will be looking to recoup some of his outlay for Heart Stealer when he presents three yearlings on the second day of the Christchurch sale. He has a Changeover colt, a Panspacificflight colt and a Shadow Play filly for sale.
Leading sales
Sales of $50,000 and above at Karaka yesterday included. -
Strike The Gold (b c Bettor's Delight-Hill Of Gold), consigned by D G Moore, bought by Lincoln Farms, $75,000
Raell's Delight (br c Bettor's Delight-Lauraella), Breckon Farms, E & M Stride, $210,000
Duke Of Albany (bl c Bettor's Delight-Princess Alberta), Honour Lodge, P I & G J Kennard, $55,000
Alta Ronaldo (b c Mach Three-Right This Time), Alta Breeding, Neil Pilcher, $120,000
Imaginary Bet (br f Bettor's Delight-Imagine Me), Woodlands Stud, I D Dobson, $90,000
De Tiger (b c Mach Three-Tigers Delight), L A & P L Turner, M McKendry (as agent), $50,000
Pomme Roy (b c Christian Cullen-T K Swift), Ultimate Breeding, Mark Jones, $65,000
Crown Me (b c Bettor's Delight-Scuse Me), Woodlands Stud, Mark Purdon, $55,000
Heart Stealer (b f Bettor's Delight-Fight Fire With Fire) Croon Bloodstock, W E & P M Bain, $95,000
Hartofdixie (br f American Ideal-Splendid Deal) Woodlands Stud, Rosslands Stud, $82,500
Savannah Maguire (b f Art Major-Unrehearsed) Jubilee Park, PGW as agent, $50,000
Westgate Lord (br c Bettor's Delight-Alta Vista) Old Ridge Services No. 4, E & M Stride, $120,000
Zinzan Maguire (Bettor's Delight-Zenola Starbuck) Jubilee Park, Mr B Sandford, $50,000
Westgate Baron (br c Bettor's Delight-Bella Me) Old Ridge Services No. 4, Cran Dalgety, $53,000
Change Stride (b c Rocknroll Hanover-Chaangerr) R Carr & D Kirkbride, P I & G J Kennard, $90,000
Royal Loyal (b c Bettor's Delight-Braeside Lady) Braeside Lodge, Cran Dalgety, $120,000
Hug The Wind (br c Bettor's Delight-Dreaming Spires) A J & P R A Parker, Mark Purdon, $68,000
Emphasis (b f Muscles Yankee-Galleons Dream) First Grade Lodge, E & M Stride, $60,000
Gross: $3,693,500. Average: $29,786 (last year $29,454). Top-priced lots: $210,000 (colt); $95,000 (filly).
