Segenhoe sold a lovely filly by I Am Invincible from Eloping at the 2021 Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $900,000 to Godolphin and she went on to be dual Group I winning $5million earner In Secret, so when her sister walked into the sale ring at the Gold Coast on Wednesday fiscal fireworks were always expected.
The sixth foal of Group III winning Choisir mare Eloping, whose current two year-old I Am Invincible filly Kerber made $1.15million at this sale last year, the superstar filly was purchased by Laguna Partnership/John Sargent Racing for $2.3million.
John Sargent will train the filly for her new owner Ian Moses.
“I’ve been training for Ian - a fellow Kiwi for a long time and he’s now building a broodmare band. You’ve got to buy the best and I think this was the best filly in the sale today,” Sargent said, who will be looking to get Black Type for the star filly to enhance the investment further.
“She was the dominant filly. Great temperament. I realised that if you want to be in this business at the top end, you’ve got to put in the investment,” Moses said.
“The long term strategy is to have at least ten high quality broodmares stationed at Coolmore and I’m almost up to ten now on the track and at the stud farm.”
The
glamour filly was bred by Segenhoe in partnership with Longwood Thoroughbred Farm and they have continued the association with champion sire I Am Invincible, who covered Eloping again in 2024 and he is also the sire of her colt foal born last spring.
Segenhoe Stud Manager, Peter O’Brien was pleasantly surprised by the final figure of $2.3million.
“I thought she’d make between $700,000 and $1 million, in and around there, so it was an incredible surprise,” he said.
“Ian Moses actually grew up 200 metres from our farm. Lovely man who has been looking at her every day and I’m just delighted for him because he was obviously very keen to buy her.”
Kerber, the unraced two year-old from Eloping, had her first barrier trial in Sydney last week finishing a quiet fourth for the Ciaron Maher stable and runs in the colours of B2B Thoroughbreds, so there is more in the pipeline for this family.
“The mare’s thrown a champion by ‘Vinnie’ with In Secret, the two-year-old Kerber is with Ciaron Maher, who thinks she’s his best two-year-old and she’s heading for the Slipper,” said Peter O’Brien.
“I think everybody saw her trial last week, so we know the mare is not a one-hit wonder.
“We’ve got a beautiful brother to sell next year and unfortunately she missed to Vinnie, but she’ll be going to back to him. She’s married to him.”
Michael Christian of Longwood Thoroughbred Farm co-bred the filly and has high hopes for her future.
“She’s a beautiful filly. When you’re selling - and full credit to Segenhoe - and once you get around that million mark you’ve got to get lucky because there’s only one player, but when you get to that stratosphere and you’ve got two players, then you can get that sort of money,” he said.
In Secret was retired last year by Godolphin and is now in foal on an early service to champion sire Zoustar.
