Bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster secured the $850,000 highest-priced lot on Sunday’s opening day of Karaka 2026, and he followed it up on Monday with something even bigger.
Mulcaster Bloodstock and Chris Waller Racing went to $950,000 to secure Lot 471 – the highest-priced yearling ever sold by Landsdowne Park.
The colt is by one of the world’s most in-demand stallions, Justify, out of the winning mare Heart To Heart. That daughter of Zoffany is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Prix du Jockey Club (2100m) and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1400m) winner Camille Pissarro.
“He’s a lovely colt – a real ‘get up and run’ sort of Justify,” Mulcaster said. “The dam is a half to a current stallion and champion two-year-old in France. Fingers crossed, he can be another Learning To Fly or Storm Boy.
“We thought he was a beautiful horse. We stretched a little bit to get him. We’ve bought him for a lot of good clients, and fingers crossed it turns out to be a good one for us.
“There’s a real international flavour to his pedigree. Justify is an international sensation. It’s only a matter of time before we get another Storm Boy or something like that. He looks like the type to get up and run for us. He’s going to be trained by a great trainer (Chris Waller) for a lovely group of owners.”
The Justify colt was a landmark result for Landsdowne Park’s Dave Duley.
“We’re over the moon, we’re just so happy,” he said. “Obviously it’s the highest-priced horse that we’ve sold.
“He hasn’t put a foot wrong all week. As the week went on, we were thinking, ‘Jeez, he’s going to make more.’ He just got more and more popular.
“I’m so proud of the horse, because he’s just such a wonderful specimen, and obviously his nature – he’s just kept getting better all week. And I’m proud of the team for everything they’re doing. This result just means a lot to everyone here.
“All of our clients have been great. I started off 20 years ago with two horses. To now be selling this calibre of horse is amazing. It means a lot that people trust us, and it’s great.
“Landsdowne Park will be having a couple of gins tonight. It’s going to be good fun and we’ll be enjoying it.” – NZ Racing Desk
