Lot 113 High Chaparral x The Opera House
Photo- Trish Dunell
The power and immense reach of the internet could not have been more graphically illustrated than on the first day of selling at Karaka on onday when Japanese businessman Hideo Takadaru beat off ferocious local competition to secure the most unique yearling on offer at the sale.
The stunning pure white filly by High Chaparral was offered as Lot 113 from the Windsor Park Stud draft and as the daughter of Zabeel mare The Opera House entered the auction ring an audible gasp from the large crowd that had assembled to witness the sale suggested something special was about to occur.
The rarity of a pure white yearling ensured there would be no shortage of publicity surrounding the filly and after beating off some fierce competition from powerhouse buyers that included New Zealand's King of Karaka, David Ellis, Takadaru acknowledged it was through viewing videos on the Internet that he became attracted to the filly.
"I am very happy to buy this filly as I travelled to New Zealand specifically to do that," he said.
"I saw several videos of her on the Internet and became interested in her. I liked what I saw and decided to see if I could buy her.
"I would like to race her in New Zealand and then take her back to Japan to become a broodmare, where she could visit a stallion like Deep Impact."
Takadaru outlaid $450,000 which equaled the highest price for a filly on the day. – NZ Racing Desk
The stunning pure white filly by High Chaparral was offered as Lot 113 from the Windsor Park Stud draft and as the daughter of Zabeel mare The Opera House entered the auction ring an audible gasp from the large crowd that had assembled to witness the sale suggested something special was about to occur.
The rarity of a pure white yearling ensured there would be no shortage of publicity surrounding the filly and after beating off some fierce competition from powerhouse buyers that included New Zealand's King of Karaka, David Ellis, Takadaru acknowledged it was through viewing videos on the Internet that he became attracted to the filly.
"I am very happy to buy this filly as I travelled to New Zealand specifically to do that," he said.
"I saw several videos of her on the Internet and became interested in her. I liked what I saw and decided to see if I could buy her.
"I would like to race her in New Zealand and then take her back to Japan to become a broodmare, where she could visit a stallion like Deep Impact."
Takadaru outlaid $450,000 which equaled the highest price for a filly on the day. – NZ Racing Desk