Yulong based Alabama Express recently set a new sale ring benchmark for his progeny at the Magic Millions when a colt from Navarro sold for $625,000, but that mark was eclipsed in the second and final session of Karaka Book One on Monday.
Bloodstock agent Kevin ‘Millie’ Walls was a force to be reckoned with on the buying bench of Book 1 of Karaka 2026, spending more than $3.6 million across Sunday and Monday.
Walls secured one of the highest-priced lots on Sunday’s opening day of the sale with a $675,000 colt by Super Seth, and he followed that up on Monday with an $850,000 colt by Alabama Express from the draft of Elsdon Park.
The colt went through the ring as Lot 383 and is the first foal out of the winning Tivaci mare Diva Carolina, a granddaughter of multiple black-type winner and Group One placegetter Ombre Rose.
Walls bought the colt on behalf of his clients and friends Ron and Judi Wanless.
“We buy purely on type and we rated this colt as one of the best types in the sale,” Walls said. “He stood out. He’s a very nice horse.
“Once he (Ron Wanless) starts, he tries hard. He loves racing. It’s his hobby, it’s his passion. Both Ron and Judi love their horses, love their racing and have been in the game for a long time.”
Walls indicated that the colt is likely to do his racing in Melbourne.
“He’s eligible for the Vobis Sires bonus, so no doubt he’ll be going to Melbourne,” he said.
Walls also had a pair of $450,000 purchases – a So You Think colt out of Excel In The Sun and an Ardrossan colt out of Lucetta – and paid $320,000 for an Ardrossan colt out of Caramella, $300,000 for a Sword Of State colt out of Oceans Eight, $275,000 for a Proisir colt out of Galway, $220,000 for an Alabama Express colt out of Get Hitched, and $90,000 for a Noverre colt out of Serenalla.
For Elsdon Park, the $850,000 Alabama Express colt was the headline act of a Book 1 draft that yielded $4.98 million from 25 yearlings sold. They also fetched $490,000 for a filly by Alabama Express out of Daniela’s Magic and $450,000 for a colt by Ardrossan out of Lucetta. – NZ Racing Desk.
