Attunga Stud owner Brian Nutt is bringing down 11 yearlings from Scone for the Inglis Easter Sale and 6 of them are from the penultimate crop of champion sire Northern Meteor.

Nutt has been a leading Easter vendor since 2001 and the sister to Zoustar is the jewel among this year’s draft.

Catalogued as Lot 292, the Northern Meteor – Zouzou filly will continue to grow in value as Zoustar heads towards his main autumn goal in the Gr.1 T J Smith at Randwick on April 12.  All going well, he will then head to Royal Ascot.

“She’s a lovely type, correct and a real good mover,” Nutt said.  “It was pleasing to see the fillies sell as well as the colts at the Gold Coast Magic Millions.  It was as good a sale as I’ve seen in a long, long time.

“Having a half-dozen by Northern Meteor for Easter has worked out really well.  I guess you’re either a genius or a dunce in this game although I always thought he would make the grade as a stallion.”

Nutt also nominated the Northern Meteor fillies from Jewel Vault (Lot 56) and Ubiquity (Lot 264) as other highlights from the Attunga consignment.

Jewel Vault (Secret Savings) is a winning half-sister to the dam of Gr.1 Victoria and South Australian Derby winner Rebel Raider.  Ubiquity (Hurricane Sky) has already foaled Listed Widden Stakes winner Horizons and Sydney / Singapore winner Flying Zero.

Northern Meteor died at Widden Stud a few days before claiming the 2012-13 Australian first-season sires’ premiership.  Zoustar was an obvious replacement and he was purchased by Widden between his Group 1 victories in the Golden Rose and Coolmore Stud Stakes earlier this season.

Attunga has a tremendous record with its Easter graduates and among them have been Australasian stakes winners the calibre of Lucky Secret, Royal Discretion, Combat Kitty and Platinum Zana.

Internationally, Attunga graduates include Hong Kong star Able Prince, South African Group 1 winners Jam Alley & Fighting Warrior and War Artist who was a Group winner on four continents!

Kiwi mare Sacred Star added more updates earlier this year when she was runner-up in the Group 1 Thornden Mile and Group 1 NRM Sprint.

Apart from its Northern Meteors, Attunga has a Testa Rossa colt (Lot 233) from five-time Sydney winner Super Smudge.  The dam is a sister to Jet Spur.

The Al Maher – Dance Hit colt (Lot 391) also comes highly recommended.  He is a brother to Dance With Her who won stakes races in Victoria and South Australia and was also Gr.2 placed in a Brisbane Cup.

Attunga Stud finished 2013 with a 100% clearance-rate from its yearling and foal sales and Nutt is confident of another good year in 2014.  “The Easter Sale has a special atmosphere,” he said.  “All the signs are positive and there are some promising young stallions like Hinchinbrook and Star Witness with their first yearlings for sale.”

Nutt is also looking forward to seeing star filly Bounding in Australia.  She grabbed a Group 1 in the Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day and trainer Ken Kelso is setting the Lonhro filly for a Sydney campaign.

Bounding’s dam Believe’n’succeed (Exceed And Excel) is a new resident at Attunga and she foaled a stunning Street Cry colt in September and is back in foal to him.

Attunga Stud’s Easter draft can be inspected in Stable 3, Row F at the Newmarket sales complex.