Offered in foal to exciting young sire Home Affairs, Butter Blonde topped the Australian Broodmare Sale Session of the Inglis Digital Australia May (Early) Online Sale when selling to Twin Hills Stud for AU$350,000 (US$250,546, AU$1=US$0.72).
The result highlighted a strong day's trade that saw 12 mares or fillies realize six-figure prices and helped drive turnover for the overall sale to a record AU$5,604,750 (US$4,012,132), making it the most lucrative May (Early) auction in Inglis Digital history.
Consigned by Merricks Station, Butter Blonde was secured by Twin Hills after significant competition for the mare, whose appeal was boosted by her timely mating to Home Affairs.
Merricks Station's Ben Cooper described the result as his best ever on the Inglis Digital platform.
"She was a timely mating with Home Affairs being red hot at the moment and presented us with a good trade opportunity with Inglis Digital, but if we didn't get what we wanted for her, we were more than happy to keep her with us,'' Cooper said.
Twin Hills principal Olly Tait said Butter Blonde had been identified as an ideal broodmare prospect for the operation.
"We thought we'd reinvest and this mare came up on our radar, with a nice covering to Home Affairs, who looks very exciting, and she comes from a fantastic family," Tait said. "We were prepared to pay the AU$350,000 because she's a lovely package and one we really wanted."
The second-highest price of the session came when Bubba's Bay sold to CB Racing, acting in consultation with Portia Baronian, for AU$185,000. The 6-year-old mare is likely to be retired to visit Coolmore's new sire Super Seth.
