Widden Stud’s 20 year-old stallion Nicconi is best known as the sire of champion sprinter Nature Strip and while high end commercial breeders have largely moved on from the evergreen sire, he made his presence felt at the Magic Millions on Friday when his lone yearling sold for $500,000.
A strongly built chestnut filly, she was purchased by Scott Waters/Jay McPhee/Clarke Bloodstock and is set to be an investment for the future.
Bred and offered for sale by the Kruger family of Lyndhurst Stud, the filly from Scorched is a full sister to multiple Group placed stakes-winner Scorched Earth, who was sold in the Lyndhurst draft at Magic Millions in 2020 for $90,000.
Scorched Earth was a natural runner that won four races and nearly $500,000 and when she was retired and offered as a broodmare prospect, she was purchased by Andrew Williams Bloodstock / Blandford Bloodstock for $500,000 at the 2023 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
Now based at Yarraman Park, Scorched Earth has been married to I Am Invincible and her first foal, a lovely filly was offered at this sale in the Yarraman draft fetching $850,000 earlier today when bought by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
“I thought she was one of the top three fillies in the sale. She was sitting around that 600k mark so we asked whether we should back ourselves to buy her, and that’s what we’ve done,” said Bruce Slade of Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
“She has so much power, a huge girth, great forearms. She moved like the good Vinnies do and her dam was an absolute flying machine. Nicconi, Exceed and Excel, Strategic - one of the fast families.”
It’s a family on the move with Scorched producing a colt last spring by Spirit of Boom before going to Better Than Ready and Scorched Earth returning to I Am Invincible after missing the previous year.
