White Robe Lodge's first yearling through the ring at the New Zealand Bloodstock sales at Karaka this year sold for $55,000 at the second day of the select sale yesterday.
The Raise The Flag colt out of the five-win Danzighill mare Turn The Page was the subject of spirited bidding as the price climbed from $35,000 before he was secured by New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock on behalf of Ron and Noel Stanley.
The Stanley brothers owned Wahid, who won the 2006 New Zealand Derby out of Sharrock's stable.
''They're hoping it'll be another derby type,'' White Robe Lodge stud manager Wayne Stewart said.
Sharrock now trains the Raise The Flag-Stage Flash colt bought at last year's festival sale by Marcus Corban.
Two more White Robe Lodge-prepared yearlings will go through the sale today with another three entered in the festival sale on Sunday.
Cambridge-based bloodstock agent Michael Wallace backed his initial assessment of the brown Alamosa colt he had seen at Highden Park late last year when he went to $130,000 to secure him during yesterday's session at Karaka, NZ Racing Desk reports.
The first foal of four-race winner Pinot Grieve had caught Wallace's eye again during his pre-sale inspections and he was keen to get among the action when the colt went through the auction ring.
''I really like the sire and once I saw what a good mover he was and what a great temperament he has I was keen to get him if I could.''
Wallace bought the colt for Singapore-based trainer Michael Freedman although the son of Alamosa would do his early education in New Zealand before heading to his final destination.
