So You Think relation kicks Premier second day action into gear Tue, 31 Jan 2012

The pedigree and physique of Windsor Park Stud’s stunning High Chaparral-La Souvenir colt ensured a high-rolling start to the opening session on the second and final day of the Premier Sale at Karaka this morning.

The three-quarter-brother to the international superstar So You Think was expected to set the ring alight and he didn’t disappoint. Bidding was spirited before the gavel fell to the final $800,000 bid of Magus Equine principal Willie Leung.

“He’s a beautiful horse and as near to perfection as you’d ever see,” Windsor Park Stud marketing manager Michael Moran said.

It was an outstanding personal result for Moran who, like So You Think before him, was the colt’s co-breeder, in this case with Cambridge identity Chris Chamberlain.

He is the first foal of the winning Nuclear Freeze-Triassic mare La Souvenir, who is a half-sister to the dual Cox Plate winner and multiple international Group One winner So You Think.

“When the filly (La Souvenir) was born my partners in Triassic didn’t want to keep her and sold 50 percent to Chris,” Moran said. “She’s since missed to Zabeel, but is in foal again to High Chaparral.”

The sale kicked off a memorable day for Chamberlain, who is a part-owner of stakes-winning sprinter-miler Run Like Al. He also had an interest in his half-brother by Thorn Park, who realised $190,000 from the Henley Park draft later in the session.

The final New Zealand-conceived crop of High Chaparral have been in popular demand throughout the sale and none more so than So You Think’s close relative.

“He’s a magnificent yearling with great scope and a great girth,” Moran said. “He’s going to be a magic three-year-old and hopefully he’ll stay in New Zealand.”

The immediate future of the colt has yet to be decided.

So You Think was bought out of the Karaka ring in 2008 for $110,000 and earned champion three-year-old honours in Australia in 2009-10 and was the champion middle-distance performer the following season.

He was subsequently transferred to the Ballydoyle Stables of Aidan O’Brien in Ireland after a controlling interest in the stallion was purchased by Coolmore Stud.

So You Think has since added to his collection of top-flight titles with wins in the Irish Champion Stakes, Eclipse Stakes and the Tattersalls Gold Cup.