Danehill mare, MILANOVA, sets new Australasian record

Milanova

Yesterday was an astonishing day’s trading in Sydney at the Inglis Australian Weanling and Breeding Stock Sale. Never before has an Australian sales ring seen so much quality in one session, and when good mares are around so to is the big money. Hence, there was a new Australasian record price set for a thoroughbred at A$5 million, and a quintet of mares who made more than A$1 million.

Thoroughbred Daily News reports that there was one mare that caught the eye when the catalogue came out, and she didn’t disappoint. When Milanova, the Gr3 winning Australian-bred sister to Holy Roman Emperor, entered the ring it seemed everyone who had a farm wanted to take her home. The truth was realistically only Coolmore Australia and Darley Australia had the seemingly unlimited resources to close the deal. In the end it was Coolmore who went the distance, the A$5 million price obliterating the previous record of A$3.4 million set last year in this ring for the out of training filly Virage De Fortune.

If the price was a surprise to the Coolmore team who weren’t letting on after the sale. Michael Kirwan, General Manager of the Jerry’s Plains stud said “Genuine good horses like her that come on the market always attract genuine money. She’s got a world class pedigree and Coolmore has enjoyed a lot of success with the family, with not only Holy Roman Emperor, but Encosta De Lago, who will be Champion Sire this year.”

Milanova is by Danehill out of the Secretariat mare L’On Vite, who has been a small goldmine for her owners. L’On Vite is the dam of four black-type winners, Holy Roman Emperor, Milanova, the Japanese Gr3 winner Big Viking and the German Listed winner Heart Of Oak. Her dam is the great Fanfreluche, whose family has given the world horses such as La Voyageuse, L’Enjoleur, Medaille D’Oro, Flying Spur, Encosta De Lago, French Braids, Musidora and the ill-fated Bint Allayl to name a few.