Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 88: Hanseatic x Darcibelle (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) - $50,000
Buyer: Pinhook Bloodstock International (FBAA)
Vendor: Twin Hills Stud
Dave Mee of Pinhook Bloodstock International (FBAA) made a handy purchase on day 1 of the Inglis Great Southern Sale, acquiring a well-related colt from the second-crop of Rosemont Stud’s Hanseatic. This colt is the seventh foal of Darcibelle (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), who has produced four winners from as many foals to race, including two stakes performers: Unstoppable (I Am Invincible), a 2-year-old winner who was also third in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (fillies), and Danny’s St Darci (All Too Hard), a six-time winner who is also stakes-placed.
A two-time winner herself, Darcibelle has produced four six-figure yearlings that have sold up to $340,000. Just a few months ago, the colt’s full brother was the most expensive of the 26 yearlings offered by Hanseatic at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $220,000 to Griffiths de Kock Racing / Peter Ford Thoroughbreds (FBAA).
Mee was more than pleased to acquire the colt from the Twin Hills Stud draft for $50,000, noting that he came in under budget.
Lot 88 - Hanseatic x Darcibelle (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“The mare has done an incredible job so far, and there's hopefully more to come. Hanseatic has big numbers coming through and a lot of them look fast and early like him so I think he was a good bet at the money.”
Mee was particularly impressed with the colt on type alone and believes his temperament too will take him a long way.
“He was an athlete and very correct, I think he’s the type of horse that will dress up into a really nice yearling.
“He (Lot 88) was an athlete and very correct, I think he’s the type of horse that will dress up into a really nice yearling.” - Dave Mee
“He was just a really nice, balanced horse. I’m very big on the hind end and he just used himself really well. He was clean through the hocks and he was a really sensible horse too. I saw him three times before I bid on him and he just had a great temperament, a real cruiser.
The profile of the colt was a bonus, with Mee taken by the colt on type in the first place.
“I tried something different this time around. I tried not to look at the pedigrees on first inspection and just ticked off horses on type. And then naturally you’ve got to look at the pedigrees which in this case was an added bonus.”
Ollie Tait and Dave Mee | Image courtesy of Inglis
It's a family that Mee knows well with client Doug Walker breeding the colt which gave him more reason to invest after learning more about the colt’s background.
“A client of mine, Doug Walker, owns the mare. He sells a lot of his weanlings so it worked out that I knew a little bit about the colt and there’s a lot bubbling away in the family.
“The Griffiths team are supposedly really happy with the Hanseatic yearling and Peter Moody has the Brazen Beau 2-year-old filly and likes what he’s seen so far.”
With the colt set to return to the yearling sale market, Mee is looking forward to sharing the journey with loyal clients.
“I've got some clients under him and we'll hopefully have a bit of fun in the coming new year with him.
