Breeders who booked to Master of Design first-up in 2012 were rewarded with record-breaking results at this week’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Swettenham Stud’s Group 1 sprinter was the leader among Victorian first-season stallions with an average well ahead of Helmet, Canford Cliffs and Toorak Toff.

Master of Design stood his initial season at Swettenham for a $12,500 service fee and that proved a profitable choice when his Premier I yearlings returned an average of $106,786.  That’s 8.5 times his fee and it was the best result of any first-season sire at Oaklands finishing above Hunter Valley stars Sepoy (7.27), Smart Missile (5.38) & Foxwedge (4.89) and well ahead of Victorian freshmen Canford Cliffs (4.00) and Helmet (2.82).

Master of Design also topped the Melbourne Premier freshman sires for service fee / median (6.40).  Next best was Sepoy (6.06).

Topping the Master Of Design draft was Swettenham Stud’s half-brother Group 1 winner Trust In A Gust.  Trainer Lee Freedman paid $300,000 for what he called ‘a great physical specimen’.

Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes set the tone early on Day 1 at the Melbourne Premier when he outlaid $120,000 for a Master of Design half-brother to Fontein Ruby.  “He’s a strong, good-looking type,” Hayes said.  “And Master Of Design is a very promising young sire.”

Other six-figure returns by Master Of Design were paid by the Hong Kong Jockey Club ($210,00), leading agent James Bester ($200,000) and Group 1 winning owner Barrie Griffiths ($160,000).

Master of Design also topped Premier II on Wednesday with all 4 lots sold for an average of $53,875.  Most expensive was the $85,000 colt from Lady Of Dormello (General Nediym) purchased by NSW based Proven Thoroughbreds.

L-R: Ozzie Kheir, Lee Freedman and the $300k Master Of Design colt
with strapper Adam Rumsby and Adam Sangster

Photo / Sharon Chapman