Lion Heart Stars at Karaka Select Opening
30th January 2008
Young first season sire Lion Heart garnered a great response from New Zealand buyers at the opening session of the 2008 NZB Select Yearling Sale where he ended the session as the leading sire by average.His three youngsters averaged $183,333 led by a classy filly from Guinness that was offered by Lyndhurst Farm as Lot 700 fetching $230,000 to be the equal highest priced filly of the session.
Knocked down to Mr M Breslin, the filly is from a mare by King of Kings, whose extended family includes champion gallopers Elvstroem and Haradasun.
Also popular was Lot 585, a Lion Heart colt from the Zeditave mare Crisp that made $200,000 for Little Avondale Stud to the bid of Magus Equine of Hong Kong.
Shuttling to Coolmore Australia for two seasons and then prematurely recalled to Ashford Stud in Kentucky following the outbreak in Australia of EI last spring, Lion Heart will have the bulk of his Southern Hemisphere yearlings being offered in Australia in coming months.
A dual Group One winning son of Tale of the Cat, Lion Heart’s first Northern Hemisphere bred yearlings were well received at North American sales last year and his first runners are due out in 2008.
