Maltese horse racing owner Steve Farrugia has paid a record €740,000 for a yearling trotter in France.
The horse, Nodessa Josselyn, a daughter of two Prix D’Amerique winners Ready Cash and Bellina Josselyn, was bought on Wednesday.
It is the highest amount paid for a yearling trotter in the history of horse racing in Europe.
The record deal was completed during the Argana Yearling Sales at the Deuville ring on Wednesday by French trainers Christophe and Vincent Martens as representatives of the Maltese stable headed by Farrugia.
The previous record on the Deuville ring was held in this yearling category by Hunter Valley who had posted €400,000 in 2018.
Trainer Vincent Martens was left speechless at the successful bid.
“I didn’t expect that. We had set a price and Christophe managed it over the phone with the client,” he said.
“It’s a great honour to take part in this adventure. She’s a unique being, we had to pay the price. I hope she’ll do well in the race... That’ll be my job, by the way (laughs).”
'He wanted the top'
Christophe Martens said Farrugia was determined to secure Nodessa Joselyn who he described its pedigree as "the stuff of dreams".
“It’s a crazy price. We’re feeling a bit nervous right now,” Christophe Martens said.
“We have a client who owns a big company in Malta, with whom we’ve had a recent success, and he wanted the top. We had talked about a limit of €600,000 but he also wanted me to call him during the auction and he didn’t stop. It’s his decision.
“We’re proud and happy while realizing the responsibility that now falls on us. The pressure is going to be there, but we’re going to have to go to sleep, it’s not going to be easy.
“She’s magnificent. Her pedigree is the stuff of dreams. We’ll see if we can go to the Prix d'Amerique with her or her products in the future. It’s a big investment. But the priority, right now, is to insure her!”
It is understood that Nodessa Joselyn will not be racing in Malta but its owners are planning to compete in the French scene, and the deal is a further confirmation that Maltese horse racing owners are keen to invest huge sums on horses in countries like France and the Scandinavian countries.
A €4 million pedigree
Nodessa Josselyn is the daughter of two legendary horses in Ready Cash and Bellina Josselyn.
Trained by owner Philippe Allaire and Thierry Duvaldestin during his racing career, Ready Cash won 40 of 70 races and had a lifetime earning of €4,282,300.
He was the richest French trotter in history at the time of his retirement.
The son of Indy De Vive-Kidea won the prestigious Prix d'Amérique in 2011 and 2012 and was also a two-time winner of the Group I Prix De France and champion of the Prix de Paris along with numerous other graded stakes.
On the other hand, Bellina Josselyn is a also Prix D’Amerique winner and boasts a lifetime earning of €2,686,170.