A date with 2024 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner More Than Looks awaits Inglis Digital August (Early) sale topper Cleo Cat, a 5-year-old mare by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah after she sold to Yulong Aug. 13 for AU$355,000 (US$232,220, AU$1=US$0.65)
The recently retired group 3-winning mare, offered by her trainer Tom Dabernig on behalf of her ownership group, was one of three lots to realize AU$200,000 or more at the sale which grossed AU$3,207,600 (US$2,098,219).
On Cleo Cat, Yulong's Sam Fairgray said: "She's a good, fast mare from a nice family, a really good-looking mare, so she'll head to More Than Looks. She matches up nicely on pedigree and as a physical with him.
"We were thinking she'd make her AU$300,000 to AU$350,000 so we were around the mark. More Than Looks is getting his share of mares now and we can't wait to show him to the public at our stallion parade from tomorrow (Aug. 14).''
Dabernig added: "I'm happy with the price, she deserved to make good money and she's worth every penny. She's a well-performed mare and a good physical with a good page, she was very talented and her record indicates that.
"She was just curtailed by injury a little, she could have won better races had she been 100% sound but we wish Yulong all the best with her as a broodmare, I'm sure they'll look back and think she was a great addition to their broodmare band.''
The second-top lot was fellow group 3 scorer Yellow Sam, who was offered by her trainer Lindsey Smith and secured by Peter Dunn of Dodmark Thoroughbreds for AU$305,000.
The 6-year-old will continue her racing career with Smith for the time being, starting with the Aug. 16 P B Lawrence Stakes (G2) at Caulfield Racecourse.
"I liked her breeding, she hasn't had that many starts so we bought her to race her for the next month or so and then likely send her to stud but who knows, if she wins these starts we might race her on longer, we'll just decide after her next couple of starts," Dunn said.
Entries are now open for the Inglis Digital August (Late) Sale, which will run Aug. 22-27, and will remain open until midnight Aug. 20.
