Trish Dunell
The New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka May Sale Weanling session has concluded with a pleasing increase in average and median price from last year’s edition of the Sale.
The average weanling price reached $18,121 (up 35%) and the median rose to $10,000 from $8,000 in 2018, with the aggregate closing at $1,649,000 for 91 lots sold (71% clearance).
“With the reduced quantity of horses on offer we were confident that the quality was much better than last year and that’s been reflected by the increase in average and median,” NZB Sales Representative Regan Donnison said.
The leading purchaser of the Sale by aggregate was Hallmark Stud who secured five weanlings for a combined price of $196,000.
“I thought there was great value here today,” said studmaster Mark Baker. “The one-day sale got rid of a lot of the less desirable types and I thought there were more nice horses on offer than in previous years.”
The day began on a positive note with Racing Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announcing a well-received repeal of the betting levy (racing totalisator duty) before officially opening the Sale.
Further encouragement for those in the racing industry was taken from the depth of new local sires represented at the Sale and their popularity amongst buyers.
Rich Hill Stud-based first season sire Vadamos, a Group One winning son of Monsun, was the leading sire of the Sale with his progeny selling for an average of $34,125.
The demand for progeny of first season sires was further highlighted by the two equal top priced lots of the Sale, Lot 83, the Tivaci filly out of Sitting on a Hill and Lot 135, the Divine Prophet colt out of Caramellos, both of which sold for $95,000.
Lot 83 was presented by Curraghmore on behalf of owners Chrissy Bambry and her parents’ Mangatiti Trust and purchased by emerging bloodstock agent Bevan Smith for his clients Defining Moments Racing.
“It was a nice result to top the sale with one we bred and get a good return so early on,” Bambry said.
“The majority of my horses will go through a sale at some stage and I just try to target which sale will best suit each horse.
“She just came up as a nice correct filly that I thought would suit the weanling sale market being by a first season sire in Tivaci as well.
“It was also really nice to see someone young and up-and-coming like Bevan buy a nice horse and hopefully she will be a really good start to his solo career and win lots of races.”
Smith, formerly of Mulcaster Bloodstock, was thrilled to secure the filly he considered to be the best horse in the sale.
“She is a lovely moving horse, she has got size and scope and I just think she is going to grow into a really nice horse,” he said.
“We will decide what we are going to do with her, she may come back through a sale next year or we will assess things after winter and see if we want to keep her and race her.
“She has got a great pedigree, so if she does turn out to be a good racehorse, she is going to have a lot of residual value there.”
Karaka-based Haunui Farm were the leading vendor of the Weanling session by aggregate with 12 weanlings sold for $217,500 and Te Awamutu-based Curraghmore were the Leading Vendor by Average, with 6 lots sold for an average of $35,000. -NZB
