Eamon Cleary paid $300,000 for a Pencarrow chestnut filly at Karaka. A price that could be considered superb value given the recent success of the chestnut’s immediate family. This filly has a direct line back to a mare that sold for the world record price of US$14 million dollars at auction in Kentucky last November. The filly is from Silver and Roses (Sadler’s Wells), a half-sister to reigning US Broodmare-Of-The-Year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister – Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom)).
Silver and Roses’ sisters have performed admirably, Better Than Honour leaving the Champion USA 3YO Filly of 2007 in Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy), while Maryinsky (Sadler’s Wells), a full sister to Silver and Roses, left the 2007 Champion European 3YO filly Peeping Fawn (Danehill).
Furthermore the sisters are from the Group 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Blush with Pride (Blushing Groom), while delving even deeper into their pedigrees you will find the likes of top sires Redoute’s Choice, El Gran Senor, and Try My Best.
Cleary spotted the filly’s classic breeding lines because he was at the Lexington sale and purchased her on his own account with the view to racing her in New Zealand in the stable of Roger James at Cambridge.
“Both sides of the filly’s family have the genetics that go to create a Blue Hen mare,” Mr Cleary says.
A Blue Hen is a brood mare that produces high-quality foals regardless of the sire’s pedigree.
It may also interest some of our Polo loving clients to hear that Eamon Cleary is considering investing in a state-of the-art thoroughbred and polo pony stud near Buenos Aires in Argentina.