The Everest winner Bella Nipotina fetches sale record
Mighty mare Bella Nipotina fetched a cool $4.2 million to set a new Inglis Chairman's Sale record at Riverside Stables on Thursday night.
Following some frenetic bidding for the reigning The Everest winner, it was co-owner Michael Christian's Longwood Thoroughbreds that ultimately secured the four-time group 1 winner of $22.8 million in prize money.
The purchase sees Christian, who bred the seven-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai, essentially buy out the remaining owners and ensure the once-in-a-lifetime galloper remains part of the Longwood Thoroughbreds family.
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'It's great to be able to bring her home to where it all started,' Christian said.
'We knew it was always going to be tough to secure her, there was some serious bidding going on, and I'm just proud that we were able to secure her and bring her home.'
The $4.2 million splurged for Bella Nipotina surpasses the previous $3.6 million record paid for Nimalee at the 2023 Inglis Chairman's Sale.
Bella Nipotina retired following a glorious 57-start career winning 11 races, four at group 1 level, with her crowning glory when becoming the first filly or mare to win The Everest in 2024.
Her stake earnings of $22.8 million sits only behind the great Winx ($26.5m) in the all-time record books.
And while Bella Nipotina was the headline horse at Thursday night's sale, she wasn't the only mare to command big dollars.
Coolmore paid $2.8 million to secure Tiz Invincible, Ciaron Maher Bloodstock parted with $2.4 million to snare Too Darn Lizzie while Coolmore were at it again when paying $2.8 million for four-year-old Estriella.
Arrowfield paid $2 million to land top flight mare I Am Me while the final lot of the night, star group 1 winning mare Amelia's Jewel, fetched an eye-watering $3.8 million from new owners Coolmore.
14 mares went for more than $1 million across the star-studded catalogue.
Originally published as The Everest winner Bella Nipotina fetches Chairman's Sale record $4.2 million
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