Last year the Pierro filly from world champion Winx was the star of Inglis Easter when selling for $10million and this year Winx’s half-sister Covent Garden produced the highest priced yearling at this sale by I Am Invincible when her stunning bay colt sold for $1.8million to Tom Magnier.
Consigned by Segenhoe Stud on behalf of her breeder John Camilleri of Fairway Thoroughbreds, the sought after colt is the first foal of Covent Garden, a minor winning half-sister by Exceed and Excel to not only $26million earning four time Cox Plate winner Winx, but also Group III winner El Divino and to the dam of this season’s stakes-winner Enriched, who is also by this colt’s sire I Am Invincible.
The family has been on the warpath during the autumn with Gringotts winning the Group I ATC George Ryder Stakes and Vegas Queen winning the Group II Wellington Guineas.
“He was a colt that was always a standout from day one. From the day he was born, he was just a beautiful horse,” said Segenhoe Stud’s Brian Clarke.
“He had the real I Am Invincible quality, beautiful head, great colour, physically very impressive. So because of that, we always had sort of pretty big expectations from him
“We thought coming here, we were very hopeful he'd be a million-dollar horse, one of our bigger lots, but to make $1. 8 million really exceeded his expectations.”
As lovely a type as he is, it was temperament that stamped the colt as something special.
“The best thing about this horse is his temperament. He's just the best; he's just a kind of horse. Never turned a hair the whole time he was here. Every parade is the same,” Clarke said.
Covent Garden had a colt last year by Too Darn Hot (GB) on a late service and was not served, so will be ready for an early cover this spring.
