A filly by Stravinsky (USA) sold for $740,000 late in the day to be the top-priced lot on Day 1 of the NZB Premier Sale at Karaka on Monday.¬†The filly from Cambridge Stud was out of Magic of Sydney mare Jesmond’s Gift, an unraced half-sister to Canny Lad and Canny Lass and closely related to the Golden Slipper Stakes winner Sepoy.

Stravinsky - Jesmond's Gift filly
“She is a beautiful filly with a lovely outlook and a lot of class and we are thrilled to be training her,” commented Ellis on his purchase. “You have got to be prepared to pay for the best fillies and we were prepared to do that today. She was a bought for a very good client who has had many fillies with Te Akau over the past 20 years.”
“Stravinsky is a very good international sire of fillies and we are going to aim her for the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, which Te Akau has a great record with having won four of the last six titles.”
Ellis was the leading buyer of the day with 14 purchased for $2,402,500 at an average of $171,607. His second top price was $200,000 paid for Lot 46, the Danehill Dancer colt from Thunder Gulch mare Anatomy – a half-sister to last Saturday’s Group 2 Wellington Cup winner Six O’Clock News (Zabeel) – offered by Pencarrow Stud.
There were 170 lots sold on Monday at an aggregate of $24,817,500 at an average of $145,985 and the clearance rate of 70%
The sale continues on Tuesday.