Big bucks for ‘hobby’ horse

Singapore's Jayven See yesterday outlayed a cool $1 million on his ''hobby'' on the opening day of the National Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka yesterday.

See, a retired businessman, paid the day's high price for a Fastnet Rock colt out of Popsy from the draft of Cambridge's Esker Lodge.

A relative newcomer who only bought his first horse five years ago, See owns more than 40 horses but had never spent more than $350,000 on a horse before yesterday.

He did not set himself a price limit for the horse but afterwards admitted the colt had cost him ''a little bit more than I expected''.

The underbidders included Cambridge bloodstock agent Michael Wallace and Matamata trainer John Sargent.

''He was outstanding - one of the best colts I've seen in the sale and with a pretty good pedigree,'' See said.

Immediately after the sale, vendor Esker Lodge's Tom Murtagh approached See, saying there were clients of Sargent's stable keen to be involved in the ownership.

See said the colt would return to Esker Lodge and would probably remain in New Zealand to be trained.

''I leave all my horses with Esker. I've bought good horses from them and I've been happy with the results,'' he said.

See has horses trained in New Zealand with Matamata's Mark Walker and Pukekohe's Don Dwyer, while he has other horses trained in Singapore, Japan, Ireland and Australia.

He rated his best horse as Revolte, the winner of the Singapore Guineas and Stewards Cup, having bought the horse at the 2007 Ready To Run Sale of two-year-olds at Karaka for $140,000 out of the Esker Lodge draft.

Esker Lodge's Shelly Murtagh revealed the colt's reserve was $800,000 and she was delighted for owner Sam Kelt that he had sold so well.

''I thought he was worth that but some people were saying he might not make it so it's very exciting,'' she said.

It was the third time Esker Lodge had sold a million dollar yearling, having sold a Zabeel-Foreign Copy colt for $1.5 million in 2000 and a Redoute's Choice-Popsy colt for $1.45 million to Sargent in 2008.
That colt is now Maciano, a race-winning three-year-old regarded as a New Zealand Derby prospect.

Sargent said Maciano would continue his Derby buildup in the Gr III HS Dyke Waikato Guineas at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Sir Tristram mare Popsy won the Gr I New Zealand Derby and Gr I Championship Stakes among her six wins and has left eight foals to race for seven winners, including Listed winner Lilakyn.

Wallace would not reveal who he was bidding on behalf of but said it was the highest price he had ever gone to.

''Horses like him don't come around too often,'' he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News