Worth a staggering $20million, The Everest is designed to showcase the very best the Australian breeding industry can produce as a 1200m sprint open to all aged horses with the vast majority of horses bred in this country featuring the basic genetics to put them in the mix, so who bred, bought and sold this years contenders?
Below is a snapshot of the Sale Mail for the race with four homebred horses in the final field of 12 – I Wish I Win (Waikato Stud), Giga Kick (GSA Bloodstock - Jonathan Munz), Traffic Warden (Godolphin) and Lady of Camelot (Go Bloodstock – Sir Owen Glenn) - and the rest purchased at public auction.
The most expensive runner is Sunshine in Paris, who was bred by Aquis and made just $90,000 as a yearling, but was then bought by her current owner John Camilleri of Fairway Thoroughbreds for $3.9million at the MM National Broodmare Sale on the advice of James Harron Bloodstock.
She was a lightly raced Group I winner at the time of the sale and has won two races since, taking out the Group II ATC Sheraco Stakes last year and this year.
The most expensive purchase as a yearling is Joliestar, who was snapped up by Cambridge Stud for $950,000 at Inglis Easter from Segenhoe Stud, who are also the vendor of another runner in I Am Me, who was bought by Dynamic Syndications at Inglis Premier for $210,000.
Two colts with big reputations and careers at stud ahead of them are Growing Empire and Storm Boy, the former was bought by Yulong for $700,000 at Inglis Easter from Vinery and the latter from the Coolmore draft at Magic Millions by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Growing Empire runs in the Yulong slot for the race and Storm Boy for Coolmore, who bought a controlling interest in the colt prior to this year’s Golden Slipper in which he finished third.
At the cheaper end of the scale the least expensive runner is Private Eye, who was bought at Magic Millions Adelaide by Proven Thoroughbreds / Pride Racing for $62,500 and has won over $10million.
Also from the bargain basement was Bella Nipotina, who made $80,000 at Inglis Premier when offered by Rosemont Stud and she has also won over $11million.
Stefi Magnetica was also well found in the Cressfield draft at Magic Millions, snaffled by Cunningham Thoroughbreds/Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA)/Bjorn Baker Racing for $140,000, a modest sum for a daughter of Group I winner Mid Summer Music.
