Knotts corners market for Barely A Moment

Sunspeed breeder Tracey Knotts cashed in when Moment of Change won the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield last week.

Knotts operates Sovereign Thoroughbreds at Capel and she sold Moment of Change (Barely A Moment) for $50,000 at the 2010 Perth Magic Millions.  He won a Murtoa maiden by 10 lengths as an early-season three year-old and hasn’t stopped improving in the last twelve months.

So has the value of his dam Europium and Knotts sold her for an undisclosed price this week as part of a package deal to Cornerstone Stud.  Also heading to the South Australian nursery are her Blackfriars yearling filly and Barely A Moment filly foal.

Cornerstone stands Barely A Moment but Europium will be mated with champion sire Hussonet later this month. He stands there under the auspices of Arrowfield Stud.

Europium retired a maiden after 10 starts in Perth for Oakland Park owner Neville Duncan but she has been a money-spinner at stud for Knotts.  The mare hails from a family developed by Heytesbury Stud.  Her second dam Kosmos Libra (Palace Gold) was imported to Australia by the late Robert Holmes a Court after winning the 1988 Swedish Oaks.

Knotts hit the jackpot twice with Barely A Moment at the 2010 Perth Magic Millions.  Her youngster from Ask No Questions (Regal Classic) made $57,000 and he looks another likely type racing as Khalifa.

The Mark Kavanagh trained gelding won on debut at Geelong in July 2011 before being sidelined for 65 weeks.  He resumed at Bendigo on Thursday and maintain his unbeaten record as a short-priced favourite.

Khalifa also descends from a Heytesbury family.  His dam Ask No Questions goes back to Group 1 miler Chanteclair (Haulpak).

Knotts had catalogued Ask No Questions for the 2010 Perth Magic Millions Winter Sale but took her back home when bidding failed to reach a $4,000 reserve.  The mare’s value will keep increasing when Kav brings Khalifa to town during the spring carnival.

– Karl Patterson