Trish Dunell
South Island nursery Berkley Stud garnered bragging rights from the second day of the Book 2 session of the National Yearling Sale when they sold the day’s top-priced youngster.
A colt by the stud’s promising young sire Highly Recommended set the benchmark when Ascot Farm’s Bruce and Maureen Harvey outlaid $175,000 to secure him.
The well-related individual is a full brother to stakes winner Waldorf and a half-brother to Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) winner Timy Tyler.
Renowned for their pin-hooking abilities, the Harvey’s are no stranger to the colt’s extended family having bid on his two-year-old full-brother at last year’s Ready to Run Sale.
“That was a couple of bids more than we had anticipated,” Bruce Harvey said.
“He is a nice mover and only had a short prep for this so there is plenty of improvement in him yet.
“He’s a sharp-looking horse and when he started to move we liked what we saw.
“The mare is doing the job and Highly Recommended clearly crosses well. Waldorf is pretty sharp.”
Harvey admitted they were keen on the progeny of Highly Recommended having purchased another youngster earlier in the sale.
“We bought another Highly Recommended yesterday for $40,000, so it has averaged out not too badly,” he said.
“He is a young sire that’s doing a good job. We’ve had a few horses by him and like what we have seen – they have been nice horses to work with, they are good types and there is good word out there on them.” – NZ Racing Desk