After winning six Group races with Katie Lee, there was no way Graeme and Debbie Rogerson were going to leave Karaka without her first foal.

They got their wish, but it cost them $NZ800,000 ($A765,367) to get the Fastnet Rock colt, the highest price early on day one of New Zealand Bloodstock's premier sale.

The Waikato trainers outbid David Ellis and Peter Moody.

"We were umming and aahing and then driving up," Graeme Rogerson said.

"Debbie said `I'm going to buy that horse'. I don't think she was going to get beat."

Rogerson said the colt was very strong and he hoped he would be competitive at Group One level at two and three.

"The last stallion I had was Savabeel. I hope he will be the next one," Rogerson said.

"We've got a real good chance to make a stallion. Fastnet Rock out of her, what more do you want?"

The sale had been quiet up until the Katie Lee colt was sold, the best price being a $370,000 colt by O'Reilly out of Grand Echezeaux.

Like his half-brother Darci Brahma, now an exciting stallion, he was bought by Ellis and he will be trained at Te Akau Stables.

"It's still a lot of money for a horse, but with that pedigree it's probably terrific buying," Ellis said.