Yulong secures Legarto for $2.8 million
Five-time Group One winner Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) has been purchased by Yulong Investments for A$2.8 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.
By Proisir, out of the Towkay mare Geordie Girl, Legarto was sold as a yearling by Highline Thoroughbreds at Karaka for $90,000 and raced under the care of Ken and Bev Kelso.
Legarto has been one of New Zealand's best-performed gallopers in recent seasons, winning Group Ones on either side of the Tasman for trainers Ken and Bev Kelso, including the Australian Guineas (1600m) in 2023.
She bowed out a Group One winner in the Bonecrusher Stakes (2000m) on March 7, having won the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at her previous start. She also won the Herbie Dyke in 2025 with her other Group One coming in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in 2022.
As they have done many times at sales in Australia in the past few seasons, Yulong and Coolmore settled down to duke it out with the eerie sale-ring hush descending as bids quickly escalated to $2m before rising in $200,000 increments to $2.8m.
It was Yulong who proved strongest and Legarto will be a headline resident of that organisation's recent Hunter Valley acquisition, Segenhoe Stud, where a meeting with one of its new stallions awaits.
"She's the mare of the whole sale and we love her; we fell in love with her when we first saw her," Yulong's Jun Zhang said.
"We're going to put her to Segenhoe. We purchased Segenhoe and we need some very elite mares to support our stallions, Devil Night or Private Harry."
“Every mare is very special, so we can’t put any price tag on them. I think she was the one and we had to get her.” - Racing.com
HK winners keep flowing for Highview sire
The hot run of form from Wrote’s progeny has continued in Hong Kong with the Highview stallion represented by a winning double at Sha Tin on Sunday.
He sired the first two winners on the program with the David Hall-trained Flying Amani (NZ) (Wrote) and Jimmy Ting’s Come Fast Fay Fay (NZ) (Wrote) scoring respectively over 1600 and 1400m, with Zac Purton guiding both to victory.
“Flying Amani is a new individual winner for Wrote and that brought his tally for the month of May to six individual winners from seven runners, that’s quite phenomenal,” Highview’s Brent Gillovic said.
The four-year-old Flying Amani is a homebred who was a trial winner as Baldacci at Te Awamutu before relocating to Hong Kong and is out of the Rock Of Gibraltar mare My Rose Maree.
She is from the family of Group One winners and sires Bivouac, Sepoy and Canny Lad and made a return visit to Wrote last season while Come Fast Fay Fay is a son of the now retired Towkay mare Madrekay.
“Wrote’s total stake earnings of his progeny in Hong Kong has now surpassed HK$50 million (NZ$10.8 million),” Gillovic said.
Pedigree and temperament, combined with the obvious ability factor, have contributed to the Group One-winning son of High Chaparral prospering there.
“Over many years, Hong Kong has suited many breeds, and the High Chaparral sire line has done particularly well,” Gillovic said.
“Toronado is probably the hottest sire up there, Deep Field has done a great job over the years and so has Per Incanto of course, it’s definitely horses for courses for whatever reason.
“They are very firm tracks at Sha Tin and Happy Valley and Wrote’s now had 14 runners there for 11 individual winners and the other three that haven’t won have been placed second.”
Wrote’s leading representative has been the Gr.3 HKJC National Day Cup (1000m) winner Fast Company, who has twice finished third behind champion performer Ka Ying Rising at Group One level in the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and Centenary Cup Sprint (1200m).
Closer to home, his flagship performer has been the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Pulchritudinous while Wrote To Arataki is a multiple Group winner in Australia. - Paul Vettise LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Jess de Lautour
📻 Did you hear?
