Southern buyers took their hands out of their pockets on day three of the Karaka yearling sales yesterday.
Invercargill breeders Willie and Karen Calder led the charge by securing a Fastnet Rock filly from Pins 'N' Needles offered by The Oaks Stud for $550,000.
It was a case of buying back their own bloodlines for the Calders.
They raced Pins 'N' Needles, who produced her best win in the White Robe Lodge Handicap 10 years ago from John and Karen Parsons' stable.
The yearling is a close relation to Saturday's Karaka Million winner Avantage, whose dam Asavant is by Zabeel from Pins 'N' Needles.
“It was important for our breeding side of things to buy this filly,” Karen Calder said.
"This was definitely a heart over head decision although I was prepared to go a little higher as it was really a matter of securing her.''
“We’re going to take her home and just let her become a horse. Even though they go early we prefer to bring them back as three-year-olds after some education as a two-year-old.
“Hopefully if we can get some black type and win a nice race, then she can go to the breeding paddock.”
The Calders sold Avantage at last year's sale to Te Akau's David Ellis for $210,000.
“We made the commercial decision to sell Asavant last year and ten days later Pins ‘N’ Needles died,” Willie Calder said.
“Basically, within a week, we had no more mares so that was very tough.”
North Taieri trainer Steven Prince secured a Reliable Man colt from Octagonal mare Love The Limelight for $60,000 during yesterday's selling.
The yearling is a half brother to 13-race winner Spin Doctor.
Earlier in the sale a Sacret Falls colt from J'Lo was knocked down to a Dunedin bidder for $60,000.
The only southern horse offered during yesterday's session fetched $72,500.
Yarrawonga Racing, of Auckland, secured the Ghibellines filly from Notable from vendors White Robe Lodge.
Unlike Monday, Karaka did register a million-dollar sale yesterday.
The top-priced lot was a filly by Not a Single Doubt from Meleka Belle who sold for $900,000.
The yearling was offered by Haunui Farm and bought by David Ellis, of Te Akau.
Ellis attempted to blow his rival bidders away with an opening bid of $800,000 on the filly but that did not scare everyone away.
He next bid $850,000 and then $900,000 which proved the winning price for the blueblood yearling.
Top-priced lots yesterday.-
Haunui Farm; Not a Single Doubt-Meleka Belle filly; $900,000, D Ellis, Te Akau.
Waikato Stud Ltd; Savabeel-Posy filly; $875,000, Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock, Victoria
Pencarrow Stud; Exceed and Excel-Our Ella Belle colt; $750,000, D Ellis, Te Akau.
Cambridge Stud; Tavistock-Pussy O'Reilly filly; $700,000, Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock, Victoria.
The Oaks Stud; Fastnet Rock-Pins 'n' Needles filly; $550,000 W&K Calder, Southland.
