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.

Top Cambridge Stud stallion Stravinsky (Nureyev - Fire The Groom, by Blushing Groom) will make a stop in Victoria en route to New Zealand to begin his 2011 stud duties.

Quarantine issues have forced Cambridge Stud principal Sir Patrick Hogan to fund a fortnight, starting August 13,  at the Werribee International Horse Centre to fulfil his pre-entry obligations to New Zealand.

Racing Victoria Rob Hines said Hogan’s request was unusual but RVL would not “make a habit” of allowing commercial shuttle stallions to use its facilities to fulfil quarantine requirements.

“We received a request through agencies representing Sir Patrick Hogan,” Hines said.

“We gave it due consideration and because of the fact Cambridge Stud has agreed to meet all costs associated with Stravinsky’s quarantine period.

“Another point we took into account was Sir Patrick’s wonderful contribution to racing over many years.

“However, this is a rarity due to other circumstances. This will not be a regular thing for studs to use Werribee for quarantining shuttle stallions.”

New Zealand operation Cambridge Stud tasted dual success on the other side of the Tasman Sea with stakes winners at the Rosehill and Doomben meetings on Saturday.

The Roger James-trained Firebolt (Stravinsky - Woodsong, by Woodman) scored Cambridge Stud first stakes win of the day in the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1615m) at Doomben. Firebolt’s comfortable victory was the eighth of his career and his second stakes win after the son of Stravinsky (Nureyev - Fire The Groom, by Blushing Groom) won the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) during the 2010 Sydney spring carnival.

Cambridge Stud legend Zabeel (Sir Tristram - Lady Giselle, by Nureyev) earned the 323^rd stakes win of his illustrious career when Ironstein prevailed in the Listed W J McKell Cup (2400m) at Rosehill. The W J McKell Cup was Ironstein’s second stakes win.

Meanwhile, another New Zealand breeder gained an Australian stakes winner when the classy Savabeel (Zabeel - Savannah Success, by Success Express) filly Scarlett Lady took out the Group 3 Doomben Roses (2020m) in Brisbane.

The impressive Doomben Roses win was Scarlett Lady’s fifth straight victory and her third in succession at stakes level. The Graeme Rogerson-trained filly will now progress to the Group 1 Queensland Oaks and possibly the Group 1 Queensland Derby next month.

New Zealand bred Tuxedo Moon became another stakes winner for his sire Stravinsky (USA)  when storming home in the Group 3 $200,000 Merlion Trophy over 1200m on Sunday. In a busy finish, Tuxedo Moon scored by a head over Capablanca with Powerful Ruler a short head away third.

“I just felt after time we had been riding him wrong,” said winning trainer Don Baertschiger. “We rode him quietly last time and he finished the race off well. Johnny (Powell) thought he was going to win last time but leaders were winning so we were hopeful of him running well today and the way he trialled last time I thought we had him back.”

Tuxedo Moon, a six-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding by Stravinsky from the Prince Echo mare Jennifer Rush, landed his eighth win from 24 starts and topped the $500,000 mark in prizemoney for the Auric Stable.

In the QTIS 600 Yearling Sale Stakes over 1100m Australian-bred Dark Matter lived up to his exceptional trial form when he led home a Magic Millions clean sweep result.

A son of Stratum, Dark Matter looked a likely new star for the Steven Burridge stable when he cruised home to win on debut by almost four lengths.

Connections purchased Dark Matter for $140,000 from the draft of Widden Stud at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Winning rider Saimee Jumaat couldn’t help but be impressed. “He’s a nice horse and has got a bit of size about him,” said Saimee. “He flew the gates and has a lot of natural speed, but what I liked was the acceleration he had when I asked him for an effort.”

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