Breeding & Racing Magazine

NZB Select Yearlings Day-3: NZ$230k Pentire Colt

In the New Zealand auction ring, Australian training trio John, Wayne & Michael Hawkes paid top price of NZ$230,000 for a colt by Rich Hill Thoroughbreds stallion Pentire (the 5th foal out of 15-year-old Zabeel mare Sunshine Gold) during the closing session at the 3-day Select Section (following last week's 2-day Premier Section) of the NZ Bloodstock National Yearling Sale series at Karaka in Auckland. The colt was consigned by Haunui Farm & his dam Sunshine Gold (whose 3 foals to race to date are all winners) is a 3/4-sister to both triple-winner & Gr2-placed Milzeel, as well as dual-winner & Gr2-placed Tully Zeal. Wayne Hawkes explained they were "initially attracted to the pedigree by a close relative" they had previously purchased at Karaka & noted: "We bought Luck Of Smiling - the half-brother by Elusive City - for NZ$40,000 as a yearling & he went up to Macau & he's about the 4th best horse up there. Dad (John Hawkes) took one look at this colt & said we had to have him. He's a better sort than Luck Of Smiling & he's by a proven sire in Pentire, so we were sold. We like the Pentires - we bought the highest-priced Pentire in New Zealand last year for NZ$520,000 out of Platinum Blonde & we really like the way he is coming along."