Peter Corbett has come to the end of a special journey with his multiple stakes-winning stayer Dee And Gee (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who played a starring role with a sale-topping price of $105,000 in the 2022 National Broodmare and Stallion Share Sale on Gavelhouse Plus on Wednesday night.
The talented and durable eight-year-old was retired from the racetrack this month after a successful career, and was purchased by John Cordina who raced the Rich Hill Stud-based Ace High and retains a number of shares in the dual Group One winning son of High Chaparral.
“I have been seeking some well credentialed New Zealand mares to send to Ace High this coming season so Dee and Gee will visit him along with Honfleur who I purchased from the Valachi Downs Dispersal,” Cordina said.
Dee And Gee was a $16,000 yearling purchase at Karaka 2015 by Shaune Ritchie, and she began her career with four starts from his Cambridge stable. But that was only the beginning for Dee And Gee, who went to another level after travelling south to join the Timaru stable of Corbett and his late partner Terrill Charles.
From 61 career starts, Dee And Gee won eight races, along with nine placings and a total of $449,385 in stakes.
Her biggest triumphs came in the Group Three New Zealand Cup (3200m) and Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2500m), and she also placed in the Group Three Wellington Cup (3200m) and three other stakes races, along with a fourth in the Group One Auckland Cup (3200m) in 2019.
But that only scratches the surface of the story of Dee And Gee, who meant an enormous amount to both Corbett and Charles while the latter fought a brave battle with brain cancer.
“She’s been such a lovely mare to us,” Corbett said on Wednesday evening.
“When my partner was alive, she gave us so many amazing thrills and great moments. I think, in some ways, this horse actually kept her alive, and she always told me to sell her when we came to the end of her racing career. That’s what we’ve been able to do tonight, so it’s very special.
“She’s finished her racing career perfectly sound, and she was easily sound enough to have another season of racing. I put a reserve of $100,000 on her tonight, and if I didn’t get that, I would have held on to her and kept racing her for another year. But I’m really happy with the result, and I’m sure she’s going to make a lovely broodmare for someone.
“I never really wanted to keep her and breed from her myself – I’ve been down that road often enough with other horses before. I wanted to give someone else the opportunity to take over and hopefully enjoy some more of the great success with her that I’ve had.”
The National Broodmare and Stallion Share Sale concluded with an aggregate of $875,701, an average price of $17,171 and a median of $10,500.
"This is just the second year we have held this sale and it is cementing its' place in the calendar while vendors work out what mares are best suited to this format and where they sit in the market," said gavelhouse.com General Manager Haylie Martin.
"With almost $10 million traded on stock in the recent Valachi Downs Dispersal Sales, it was always going to be interesting to see what was left to go around and it was pleasing there was good competition on many lots and especially the younger mares tonight."
Other notable sales included:
- Floria (NZ) (Savabeel), who was bought for $68,000. Floria earned over $600,000 in a 37-start racing career that featured five wins and 13 placings. She won the Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m), the Group Three Summoned Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield and the Group Three Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham. Her 10 stakes placings included the Group One Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) and four Australian Group Two races. She traces back to the exceptional Solveig (NZ) (Imposing) and Soliloquy (NZ) (Sobig) and is a half-sister to the Australian Group Two performer Caped Crusader (NZ) (O’Reilly).
- Kathies Choice (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice), who fetched $60,000. She is a half-sister to stakes performers A La Victory (NZ) (Alamosa) and Quintette (NZ) (Alamosa) and is out of the Group Two winner and Group One-placed Everswindell (NZ) (Align).
- Patrimonium (Green Desert), who was a $57,500 purchase. She won three races and is the dam of Group placegetters Live And Free (NZ) (Savabeel) and Clementina (NZ) (Savabeel).
- Abit Iffey (NZ) (Iffraaj), who cost $52,500. She is half-sister to Australian Group Three winner Tarvarnelle (Zabeel).
Focus now turns to a 57 Lot mixed auction currently live which is set to close from 7pm on Monday.
