A delighted Daniel Nakhle and Darren Brady are reaching for the stallion register tonight before popping corks, having managed to ward off strong international competition to buy out shareholders in Spanish Whisper (Lope De Vega) for an online record-setting AU$1,202,500.
“We’ve bred and raced her, fallen in love with her and I have a big grin on my face from having been able to secure her tonight,” Nakhle said.
“We looked around the international market for mares with similar credentials and at the price I think we’ve got great value.
“Darren and I have invested heavily in the family with an outstanding half-sister by Savabeel on the ground and her dam going back to Savabeel, we now just need to do some homework and choose a stallion in Australia for her to visit before she comes home to New Zealand.”
Originally raced in New Zealand by Daniel with co-breeders Elias Nakhle and Darren Brady, Spanish Whisper won the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders Stakes and placed in the Gr.1 Diamond Stakes.
She then transitioned to the Lindsay Park Racing team where Darren Thomas’ Seymour Bloodstock joined in the ownership and the syndicate enjoyed big stage success at Flemington with wins in the Gr.2 Kewney and Gr.2 Let’s Elope, reaping from her Australian deeds over $380,000.
“We have really enjoyed racing her with Darren and the Lindsay Park team and now share in the ownership of others with them so we can still look forward to cheering on runners in the Seymour Bloodstock colours,” Nakhle concluded.
“I know it’s a lot of money but I honestly think she is better bought than sold at that, I hope the boys consider my favourite Danehill line horse Merchant Navy as a potential mate,” commented Thomas.
“I reckon Pilko [Mark Pilkington] and I would be stitched on buyers of the resultant progeny if offered in the 2023 Karaka Sale.”
Flashing past the previous online record of NZ$670,000 for Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel) with one day left, bidding quickly jumped past the $1 million mark in the final minutes before the sale closed.
“The feedback on her as a type was very bullish and she was easy to recommend so it was no surprise to have clients bidding from Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Europe as well as New Zealand,” gavelhouse.com general manager Haylie Martin said.
“This was certainly the fairest approach in terms of transitioning the ownership from the racing into the breeding phase of her career and obviously the safest with her being able to stay in the paddock at Newhaven Park.”
