The season’s outstanding two-year-old filly Banchee has been sold by Sam Kelt to Peter and Philip Vela of Pencarrow Stud.
The winner of both the Ford Diamond Stakes-Gr.1 and Matamata Breeders’ Stakes-Gr.2 this season, Banchee will be wearing the Vela brothers’ famous blue and white colours when next seen on the racetrack.
Sam Kelt made this significant announcement exclusively to New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing this morning.
“Peter Vela told me that if I ever wanted to sell the filly, could I give him the opportunity to buy her,” said Sam Kelt.
“We’ve had a fantastic time racing the filly and John Sargent has done a superb job,” added Kelt.
“She couldn’t be going to a better home,” Kelt concluded.
By Oratorio from Miss Jessie Jay, Banchee is not only a Group One winner in her own right, but a half-sister to Katie Lee, Sir Patrick Hogan’s Pins filly who created history when winning the NZ 2000/NZ 1000 Guineas double at Riccarton Park this season.
“She’s a filly I’ve liked ever since I saw her as a yearling when sold by Hallmark Stud through our Karaka Premier Sale,” Peter Vela told NZTM today.
“It’s now a fantastically-commercial family, so she’s going to make a wonderful addition to our broodmare band at Pencarrow Stud at the end of her racing career.”
Banchee changes hands with a record of 6 starts for 3 wins and her placings include a second in the ARC Eclipse Stakes-Gr.3 and a third – when coming from last – in the $1m Karaka Million-RL.
Delbridge Racing recently syndicated an Oratorio colt (pictured) and already the SIRE is producing Group 1 winners and increasing the value of his stock.