The ongoing popularity of Scenic in the Australian breeding
scene took another step this week when one of his star racetrack performers was sold for a
huge price at the Australian Broodmare Sale in Sydney.
Piavonic, the mare who gunned down the champion Sunline in
the Group One Manikato Stakes last year, was sold for a near sale topping price of
$660,000 to one of the world’s richest men.
In foal to the Kentucky Derby champion Fusaichi Pegasus,
Piavonic was purchased by Tim Boland, a New South Wales bloodstock buyer for Sheikh
Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum.
Boland said that the Sheikh, who has a number of horses in
leading stables around the country, virtually fell in love with Piavonic when she beat
Sunline at her favourite track.
“The Sheikh just fell in love with her,” Boland
said shortly after the hammer fell.
“She’ll (Piavonic) stay in Australia, but we’re
not sure just yet what stallion she’ll go to in the spring,” he added.
Piavonic is just one of a large number of Group One winners
sired by the evergreen siring sensation, Scenic.
He is also the sire of Australia’s globetrotting
international star Universal Prince, a gelding who is chasing glory in Singapore this
weekend.
Collingrove Victoria scored the coup of the season when
they announced they would be standing Scenic at their Nagambie base in the 2002 season.
Standing alongside Bianconi, Danehill Dancer, Favorite
Trick, Marju, Perugino and Rory’s Jester, Scenic will be standing at a service fee of
$22,000 (inc. GST).
PIC - Quentin
Lang. |
