The Treeweeks operate Lyndhurst Farm at Cambridge and are regular buyers at the main Australian sales, searching for yearlings which they believe can be improved. This invariably happens and the Treeweeks have picked up many smart buys in the past decade to sell at the main auction held in New Zealand, the Karaka Premier, each February, often for big profits.

Mark Treeweek described his Snitzel buy as: “A lovely balanced colt who has a great colour as well as a lovely head and eye.” Snitzel is leading the Australian stallions’ premiership by almost $1million. Their other buys were an Equiano colt for $80,000 and Lope De Vega colts for $50,000 and $26,000.

Dean Hawthorne and trainer Lisa Latta were other Kiwis in Adelaide and the former bought four lots – two by Husson and one each by Written Tycoon and Beneteau – for $183,000; Latta’s buy was a Lookin At Lucky colt for $51,000. Eight yearlings sold for $100,000-plus compared with just one last year – a pleasing result for the Magic Millions – and the average was a healthy $32,104 for the 207 lots sold on session one.

Magnus popular

The progeny of group1-winning sprinter Magnus were once again in demand after a filly offered as agent by Eliza Park topped the Adelaide sale on Monday night at $155,000. Magnus is well bred, being by Flying Spur from the great producing mare Scandinavia, which has Black Caviar and All Too Hard prominent on her pedigree page. At the recent Melbourne Premier sale, Magnus’ three lots in session one fetched $170,000, $120,000 and $240,000 giving him a $176,666 average. Magnus had two fillies on the first night in Adelaide and they made $115,000 (the top lot) and $110,000. Overall, he averaged $80,625 for four sold.

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