With his oldest Australian progeny about to turn three, St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) is a young shuttle stallion that profiles for an upswing next season and his two weanlings offered at Inglis Great Southern this week were both sold with a filly from Jamita fetching $150,000.
Consigned by Supreme Thoroughbreds, the filly from well bred Fasnet Rock mare Jamita is a half-sister to good Sydney metro winner Captain Furai and her dam is a full sister to Group III winner Hvasstan.
The athletic bay was bought by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock / Ash Dowley Bloodstock.
“I partnered up with Seamus, obviously one of the best judges around, as I've got a new client here that I'm purchasing for,” explained Ash Dowley when interviewed by Inglis.
“So we teamed and when we met this morning, I asked him... Who's your favourite filly of the sale and he said, ‘the St Mark's Basilica,’ and I'm like, 'Oh, I think we're on the same horse here’.
“She was my favourite filly in the sale and I know he felt the same way.
“She’s just a gorgeous filly. We loved everything about her. She's a great size and we loved the way she moved.
“She had a full relation sell at Easter earlier this year. It sold really well, so that gave us a bit of confidence and we are very happy to have her.”
At this stage, the filly is likely to be pinhooked into a yearling sale next year.
“We're here to look at pinhooks, but anything we buy to pinhook, we always want horses that if something goes wrong or we change our mind, we are happy to have them to race them as well,” Dowley added.
“We’ll let the dust settle and chat to Seamus and come up with a plan of attack, but she will suit suit either pathway for sure.”
The yearling full brother to this filly sold for $240,000 at Inglis Easter this year to Mathland Pty Ltd and he was a successful pinhook having come from Inglis Great Southern last year when picked up by another good judge James Bester Bloodstock for $150,000.
The second St Mark’s Basilica weanling sold at this sale was a filly from Sofonisba that made $55,000 on Friday for Highfield Thoroughbreds when bought by Hillside Downs Pty Ltd, Qld.
St Mark’s Basilica is due back at Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $38,500.
