Avantage

Just won G1 #8, the delightfully named El Cheapo Cars WFA Classic (nearly as good as the Colgate Optic White!).

Will she come across for the Sydney autumn? After the Bonecrusher on Auckland Cup day there won't be much for her but the mares G1s in Sydney and a couple of the Brisbane races are right up her alley.

Group 1 wins from 1200 to 2000 is pretty impressive IMO!

She's now reeled off four strait just in 2021, career best form, only a 5yo so no reason she can't have a crack at the triple crown races in the spring that her stablemate has been picking off every spring for the last few seasons.

Melody Belle showed Avantage she�s not ready to give up the mantle just yet.

But both excellent race mares, hopefully we see them both in Australia.

Odds on to win G1 #9 in NZ's mares championship today.

The talk was that she'd tackle the Hawkes Bay triple crown this spring and perhaps head over here for the Empire Rose and/or the MacKinnon but she has been nominated for the Memsie this Saturday, is she already over here?

Wonder why the change of plans?

I wonder if the Invitation has turned their heads?

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Te Akau Racing

@TeAkauRacing

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4h

Nine-time Group 1 winner Avantage will stay in NZ for now - targets Foxbridge Plate defence & Hawkes Bay Triple Crown. Through that well, Australia will again certainly be on radar. After much consideration, this is the right decision for the mare at this point of her prep.

Sold for $4.1m

Unnamed

Wootton Bassett (GB) Bay 2008	Iffraaj Bay 2001	Zafonic Bay 1990	Gone West Bay 1984	Mr Prospector Secrettame	1970 1978	13-c 2-f
		Zafonic Bay 1990	Zaizafon Chestnut 1982	The Minstrel Mofida	1974 1974	8-f 9-e
		Pastorale Chestnut 1988	Nureyev Bay 1977	Northern Dancer Special	1961 1969	2-d 5-h
		Pastorale Chestnut 1988	Park Appeal Bay or brown 1982	Ahonoora Balidaress	1975 1973	1-m 14-c
	Balladonia Bay 1996	Primo Dominie Bay 1982	Dominion Bay 1972	Derring-Do Picture Palace	1961 1961	21-a 3-e
		Primo Dominie Bay 1982	Swan Ann Chestnut 1971	My Swanee Anna Barry	1963 1964	8-j 9-e
		Susquehanna Days Bay 1990	Chief's Crown Bay 1982	Danzig Six Crowns	1977 1976	7-a 23-b
		Susquehanna Days Bay 1990	Gliding By Bay 1975	Tom Rolfe Key Bridge	1962 1959	9-h 2-n
Avantage (AUS) Bay 2015	Fastnet Rock Bay 2001	Danehill Bay 1986	Danzig Bay 1977	Northern Dancer Pas de Nom	1961 1968	2-d 7-a
		Danehill Bay 1986	Razyana Bay 1981	His Majesty Spring Adieu	1968 1974	4-d 2-d
		Piccadilly Circus Bay 1995	Royal Academy Bay 1987	Nijinsky Crimson Saint	1967 1969	8-f 8-c
		Piccadilly Circus Bay 1995	Gatana Bay 1989	Marauding Twigalae	1984 1979	4-i 2-f
	Asavant Brown 2008	Zabeel Bay 1986	Sir Tristram Bay 1971	Sir Ivor Isolt	1965 1961	8-g 6-e
		Zabeel Bay 1986	Lady Giselle Bay 1982	Nureyev Valderna	1977 1972	5-h 16-c
		Pins 'n' Needles Bay 2001	Pins Bay 1996	Snippets No Finer	1984 1979	20-a 16-g
		Pins 'n' Needles Bay 2001	Raining Bay 1989	Centaine Storm Force	1980 1977	C7 27-a

Ancestor duplications:

Northern Dancer

5m x 5m

Nureyev

4f x 5f

Danzig

5m x 4m

reductio ad absurdum

Coolmore.

reductio ad absurdum

Nine-time NZ Group 1 winner Avantage became the highest priced online sale in history after she was snapped by Coolmore for an astounding NZD$4.1m at auction on Wednesday evening.

A spirited late bidding war via Gavelhouse Plus saw the former Te Akau Racing star�s price skyrocket by close to $2.5m in the final 20 minutes of action.

Bidding had opened on Sunday at just $500 but that price surged up to $1m within 20 minutes of being online and was at $1.8m when the real action started.

Coolmore�s Tom Magnier eventually came out on top to secure the valuable daughter of Fastnet Rock out of Group 1 performer Asavant.

The massive sale price sets a new world record for a digital sale, easily surpassing the mark set by Chris Waller�s former gun mare Funstar of AU$2.7m, or around NZD$2.79m, established through the Inglis Online sale in July.

It also makes Avantage, trained by star Kiwi horseman Jamie Richards, the third highest-priced mare ever sold in the Southern Hemisphere.

It�s another big sale result for Te Akau, who had stablemate Melody Belle go under the hammer earlier this year at the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale for $2.6m (est. NZD$2.69m).

The sale comes less than a week after a tendon injury forced Avantage into premature retirement.

Avantage had been due to start favourite for the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy in New Zealand last weekend before connections made the shock decision to retire her.

She was considered a leading contender to be offered a spot in the $2m The Invitation and had been rated a $15 chance in betting before being removed from markets.

Avantage retired with an incredible record of 16 wins and eight placings from 28 starts with more than $2m in prizemoney earned.

Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!

Maybe the auctioneer?