And that makes a neat dozen for $802,000 - Street completes stable stock up

Lincoln Farms boss John Street opened his wallet again today, shelling out $463,000 on seven yearlings at NZB Standardbred’s Christchurch sale at Agricultural Park.

Street was the leading buyer on the final day of the annual sales round and his total would have been even higher, but he exercised his right to cancel the deal on a $130,000 Art Major filly (lot 274) after she failed a scope test.

The tally brought Street’s total from the two days of pacing sales, in Auckland and Christchurch, to 12 yearlings with a combined cost of $802,000.

“We got every horse we wanted so we’re very, very lucky,” said Street. “They’ll go into some of our partnerships but we won’t do that until they are two-year-olds.”

Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green was delighted with the haul and said he and the team at his Pukekohe stable would have some really up market yearlings to work on this year.

But it won’t just be the dozen bought by Street. Green revealed Lincoln Farms would also be training four yearlings bought by leading Australian owner Emilio Rosati including today’s equal top price of $170,000, a colt by champion sire Bettor’s Delight out of 11-race winner Pemberton Shard.

Also joining the class of 2019, at the other end of the price scale, will be a $7000 Rocknroll Hanover- Regal Banner filly which Lincoln Farms business manager Ian Middleton bought today to race with his daughters. And Green has four others at home who will also join the roster, making a total of 21 yearlings.

“We’ve got some extremely nice animals and I’m sure a few of them will emerge to be top performers,’’ says Green.

“I’m loathed to single anything out but, if I was forced to, I’d have to pick the $140,000 horse we bought at Karaka and the $170,000 colt Emilio bought today. They are spectacular.”

Doing the hard yards inspecting yearlings … from left, trainer Ray Green and wife Debbie, with Emilio Rosati.But while they were the two most expensive horses, Green says he’s excited about a couple of today’s cheaper lots.

The one horse Green says he really wanted after doing the pre-sale South Island bus tours was lot 306, a colt by the ill-fated Somebeachsomewhere.

“We stole him at $28,000. He was one of my favourites and is about the only Somebeachsomewhere I’ve ever liked. Most of them look more like Alpacas than horses but he took my eye immediately. He’s a strong bugger with the best conformation.”

Green also called lot 334 a “must buy”.

A little filly by American Ideal she is named Themightyserina and is closely related to three time Australian Horse of the Year, champion pacer I’m Themightyquinn, the winner of 58 races and more than A$4.5 million.

“She’s very small but is a gorgeous filly. I loved her. We paid virtually nothing for her at $22,000.’’

Only one of Lincoln Farms’ buys today were by Bettor’s Delight as competition raged for the progeny of the champion stallion. He had 68 lots sell today for $3,496,000, an average of $51,412.

But Green says he’s rapt to have a few by the new horse Captaintreacherous, whose eight yearlings today sold for the highest average of $59,438, and Woodlands Stud’s Sweet Lou.

“You can’t be frightened to take a punt on new sires. If you try to go with the same old mares and sires you end up being left behind.

“The breed is still evolving and we were looking for first, second and third foals today from nice families.’’

Green says he’s happy with every one of his buys today and it rewarded a very tiring day checking out 60 horses yesterday.

“Debbie and I were buggered yesterday. Our feet were aching. But these are the most important few days of the year and you can’t afford to mess up. If you don’t do it right you pay for it over the next two or three years.’’

The seven yearlings bought by Lincoln Farms today, with comments by Green and pedigree summaries, are:

Lot 231. $55,000
Bettor’s Delight - Lady Dancer colt

“I thought he was cheap,” says trainer Ray Green. “He’s quite a big horse, but he’s powerful and has a very kind nature and is very willing to please. I couldn’t fault him on conformation.”

Brodie Lindenny is the fifth foal of a seven race winner in Lady Dancer. She has had three foals to the races including the eight-race winner Come Dance With Me, who is racing in Western Australia, and Dancing Dixie.

It is the family of crack pacer Surprise Package who won 13 races in New Zealand and another 14 in the United States.

Lot 253. $23,000
American Ideal - Maddison’s Delight colt

“We absolutely stole him at $23,000. He was cheap as chips. He’s a gorgeous little horse.”

From a family rich in black type, this colt named American Dealer is the second foal of a Bettor’s Delight mare who is a half sister to headliners Amazing Art, All U Need Is Faith, Pacing Major and Grace Way, the dam of Lincoln Farms’ smart colt Make Way.

Crack Group I filly Linda Lovegrave also appears in the pedigree.

Lot 277. $140,000
Mach Three - Nicaea Franco colt

“He’s a big, powerful colt and if he doesn’t go at two I don’t think any of them will. He’s nuggety and muscular. All horse. I didn’t think we’d have to pay that much for him.”

Franco Nandor is from the Spreydon Lodge family of the big winner Nearea Franco, the winner of 11 races and four-year-old mare of the year in 2007-08, and dam of Nike Franco (30 wins).

He is the first foal of the one-race winner Nicaea Franco.

Lot 306. $28,000
Somebeachsomewhere - Seven Point One colt

“We stole him too. He was one of my favourites and is about the only Somebeachsomewhere I’ve ever liked. Most of them look more like Alpacas than horses but he took my eye immediately when I saw him on a southern bus trip. He’s a strong bugger with the best conformation.”

Bondi Shake is the first colt out of six-race winner Seven Point One who is a half sister to the good winners Courtney John and Bobbie McArdle.

Her third dam Port Medley won the 2005-06 Broodmare excellence award, leaving 15 foals who all raced, for 12 winners, including Falcon’s Medley (16 wins) and Lively Medley (20 wins).

Lot 334. $22,000
American Ideal - Themightykendall filly

“She’s very small but is a gorgeous filly. I loved her and she was a must buy. We paid virtually nothing for her.”

Themightyserina is the second foal of Themightykendall who is a sister to champion pacer and multiple Horse of the Year Themightyquinn (58 wins, A$4.5million).

Second dam Love Sign also left Themightynadal (7 wins).

Lot 360. $110,000
Captaintreacherous - Arden Caviar colt

“He’s a typical Captain Treacherous, athletic looking with a beautiful long body. He was also a must buy. I thought we might have to pay up to $150,000 for him. I think Tony Herlihy was the underbidder on him because he was glaring at me (nicely) afterwards.”

Captain Nemo, by a much touted son of the ill-fated Somebeachsomewhere, is from a prolific winning family. His dam Arden Caviar is a half sister to Bettor’s Strike (16 wins), Arden’s Choice (6 wins), Southwind Arden (9 wins) and Rocknroll Arden (6 wins).

Third dam Bella Chip, who paced 1:52.6 in the United States, left the Group I winner Bella’s Boy (16 wins).

Lot 365. $85,000
Sweet Lou - Wantapieceofme colt

“We only locked on to him later in the day when Andrew Grierson pointed out what a good American pedigree he has. He’s out of a half sister to a 1:47 winner. He’s a big, rangy Sweet Lou.”

Apieceoflou boasts a string of big race winners in the States in his family including Hop Sing (27 wins), world champion Shebestingin (18 wins, 1:47) and Bono Bests (25 wins).

He is out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Wantapieceofme, whose only foal Betterpiece won his second race in Western Australia just five days ago.

* Lincoln Farms actually bought seven yearlings for $463,000, the sale of lot 274 for $130,000 cancelled after a scope showed she had an epiglottis issue.