Partly thanks to the meteoric rise of Rich Hill Stud stallions Proisir and Satono Aladdin, the three well-credentialled broodmare prospects being offered by the stud on Gavelhouse Plus this week are among the highest-profile entries in the 2024 National Online Breeding Stock Sale.
The Rich Hill Stud trio is made up of a well-related daughter of Proisir, a proven broodmare in foal to Satono Aladdin, and a highly talented racemare in foal to Proisir.
Proisir was introduced to the Rich Hill roster at a service fee of $7,000 and has risen to superstardom, commanding $80,000 in 2024. His 18 individual stakes winners include Group One stars Legarto (NZ), Prowess (NZ), Levante (NZ), Dark Destroyer (NZ), Pier (NZ) and Waitak (NZ).
Proisir averaged over $270,000 with his Book 1 yearlings at Karaka earlier this year, and he topped last month’s National Weanling Sale with an average of $90,286. He sired five of the nine weanlings that broke the $100,000 mark.
Satono Aladdin’s career is also on a sharp upward trajectory. He will stand for $65,000 this season, with his two New Zealand crops producing 38 winners including eight at stakes level. Pennyweka (NZ) won last year’s Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and Australian Oaks (2400m), while Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) was last season’s New Zealand champion two-year-old and Lantern Way (NZ), Sacred Satono (NZ), Still Bangon (NZ), Lupo Solitario (NZ), Grand Impact (NZ) and Raf Attack (NZ) have all been Group winners.
Satono Aladdin yearlings averaged $234,643 in Book 1 of Karaka 2024, and he topped last month’s National Weanling Sale with a filly that fetched $170,000.
“With the way the stallions have been going, we think the mares we’re selling on Gavelhouse Plus this week are among the most exciting mares in that catalogue,” Rich Hill Stud’s communications manager Karl Mihaljevich said. “They’re all lovely Book 1 mares with the potential to provide some outstanding returns over the next few seasons, because we believe the stallions are only part of the way through their upward trajectories.”
The highest-profile of the Rich Hill mares in the National Online Breeding Stock Sale is Miss Labasa (NZ) (Swiss Ace), whose bidding currently sits at a sale-topping $50,000.
Miss Labasa was a six-time winner from a 21-start career. She also finished fifth in the Group Two Lowland Stakes (2100m) and the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
She is a half-sister to the Listed winner Starvoia (NZ) (Charge Forward), whose daughter Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel) won this season’s Group One Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings and Group Three Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
Miss Labasa is being offered in foal to Proisir.
“She’s a lovely mare who showed some very good ability on the racetrack,” Mihaljevich said. “She won six times for the John Bary stable and was close up in a couple of black-type races.
“The way Proisir is going, whoever buys this mare could be very well rewarded when the time comes to present the resulting foal for sale. The Proisir crops over the next couple of seasons are coming from his books of mares with significantly better pedigrees, so he could reach even greater heights than he’s got to already.”
The other Proisir connection in the Rich Hill contingent is the unnamed filly being offered as Lot 1. She is a three-year-old daughter of Proisir and the Perfectly Ready mare Giardini (NZ), which makes her a full-sister to the Group One George Main Stakes (1600m) and Epsom Handicap (1600m) placegetter Riodini (NZ) (Proisir).
“She’s a lovely filly with a Book 1 pedigree and her whole breeding career in front of her,” Mihaljevich said. “She’s a full-sister to a high-quality performer in Riodini.
“There’s also the potential for some fantastic timing for anyone who breeds from a Proisir mare in the next season or two.”
Rounding out the Rich Hill trio is Ardere (Hidden Dragon), who herself was a winner in Australia and is the dam of three winners from four foals to race. Her progeny have sold for up to $150,000 as yearlings at Karaka.
She is being offered in foal to Satono Aladdin. Her filly by the same sire sold for $100,000 at Karaka earlier this year.
“Ardere is another lovely mare,” Mihaljevich said. “Ciaron Maher bought the Satono Aladdin filly at Karaka for $100,000 earlier this year. She was a beautiful filly with a gorgeous walk, and everyone at the Maher stable who’s had anything to do with her has been very taken with her.
“This mare leaves lovely types that have always sold well. She’s owned by a client who’s looking to consolidate his numbers a little bit, so this is a great opportunity for someone to buy a fantastic mare.”
The 2024 National Online Breeding Stock Sale is now live on Gavelhouse Plus, with the first lot closing from 7pm on Wednesday July 10.
Also online is a 36 Lot mixed bloodstock sale with bidding closing at gavelhouse.co.nz from 7pm on Monday 8 July.
