Highgrove snaps up Sweet-pedigreed mare Manolo Bling for $275,000

A mare from the family of Group 1 winner Sweet Idea and Group 2-winning stallion Showtime has been bought by Queensland breeder Ron Gilbert on Inglis Digital for a late February auction sale-topping price of $275,000.

The Highgrove Stud principal has added the stakes-placed rising five-year-old Grunt mare Manolo Bling, who was trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, to his broodmare band.

A winner of four of her 16 starts and almost $450,000 in prize money, Manolo Bling is out of Evening Slippers, a two-year-old winner who is a sister to Snitzel’s Sweet Ideal and Showtime.

Last season’s Golden Gift and Kindergarten Stakes-winning Farnan colt North England also sold on Wednesday, with Lofty Thoroughbreds’ Paul Lofitis buying the three-year-old for $200,000 after being offered by the Newgate Farm-China Horse Club syndicate.

Stakes-winning mare Absolute Flirt, a daughter of Stratum, also sold for $160,000 at the online sale with the rising 10-year-old’s filly foal by Anamoe also part of the package. She was bought by Jorshan Investments.