The Per Incanto filly consigned as Lot 728 from the Little Avondale Stud draft attracted plenty of interest as she strode purposefully around the auction ring, with a flurry of bids quickly upping the ante on the filly past the $200,000 mark. McArdle and Ballarat conditioner Matt Cumani went head to head over the last few minutes of the heated bidding duel which eventually fell in favour of McArdle with a final offer of $300,000 under his Redgum Racing banner.
From the extended family of multiple Australian stakes winner Marquardt along
with former champion New Zealand two-year-old Ballroom Babe, the filly
attracted McArdle's eye when he first saw her at the Karaka complex earlier in the
week."We saw her about four days ago and I thought right then she was a quality filly and probably the best we'd seen," he explained.
"I've got a couple of Per Incanto's in the stable who go really well including Bob Of The Head who has won four to date so I'm familiar with the sire.
"She looks like a real athlete so we set about having a crack at getting her. I didn't think I'd have to go quite that high but there were plenty who were keen on her as well."
McArdle will send the filly back to Little Avondale Stud to be broken in before she heads to her new home in Australia later in the year.
Three lots later, Per Incanto was to the fore again when his handsome grey son was knocked down to Cambridge trainer Frank Ritchie for $130,000.
He purchased the Wentwood Grange-offered colt on behalf of Hong Kong interests.
"They've bought him with the idea of racing him up there," Ritchie said.
"He'll be educated here in New Zealand and he'll be trialled here as well."
The youngster is a half-brother to the Listed Dunedin Gold Cup winner and Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup placegetter Sureasyouwereborn.
Their dam is the Pentire mare Grey Swallow, a half-sister to the Australian stakes winner New Kid In Town. – NZ Racing Desk
