Highview Stud Deplenishing Sale 2009

Leading Hamilton-based thoroughbred farm Highview Stud will stage a Deplenishing Sale at its Hamilton property on Sunday 29 March.

New Zealand Bloodstock will again conduct the Sale that will see weanlings, yearlings, two-year-olds, and broodmares offered at the auction.

Highview Stud's Brent Gillovic believes the Sale will provide a plethora of opportunities for astute buyers.

"To be honest I think the Sale will be a bargain-hunter's dream. We are presenting some lovely young thoroughbreds, and many well credentialed mares carrying services to our exciting young stallions in a depressed economy."

"There will be some outstanding value to be had, and like our 2008 deplenish, there will be people that do extremely well out of our Sale."

The Highview Stud Deplenishing Sale 2009 will see a total of 45 thoroughbreds go under the hammer with a minimum upset price of $1,000, as in 2008.

Highview sires Danroad and Align, two of New Zealand's brightest young stallions, will be well represented throughout the Highview Sale.

Danroad, a young son of Danehill is performing remarkably at stud thus far from limited opportunities, producing an Australian Group 1 winning two-year-old, Rockdale (ex Komplete Kaos, by Desert Sun), in his very first crop. Also from his first crop has emerged the exciting three-year-old Down the Road (ex Dixie's Girl, by Stark South) who's amongst the favourites for the $2.2 million Telecom NZ Derby on February 28 after his dominant win in the Group 2 ARC Championship Stakes just last weekend.

Gillovic commented, "Danroad has done such an outstanding job considering the support he received, and he is in greater demand now than ever before, with his 2009 service fee sure to rise from the $6,000 he stood at in 2008."

Four weanling colts and three fillies by Danroad will be offered at the 2009 Highview Stud Sale, together with a yearling filly. In addition, eight mares will be sold in-foal to the outstanding six-time winning sprinter.

Barn mate Align has been equally as busy leaving star performers on the racetrack. Two Group 1 winning two-year-olds in Nightlign and Fully Fledged, who has headed to Australia in search of more Group 1 sprint glory, a New Zealand Cup winner in Everswindell, and now the most exciting young sprinter in New Zealand, the Ray Coupland owned three-year-old Coup Align, a winner of six in a row including the Listed Gore Guineas.

He is represented by one weanling filly in the Highview Sale, while ten mares will be sold in-foal to the Group 1 AJC Produce Stakes winning stallion.

The weanling and yearlings sold at the 2008 Highview Sale rewarded many pinhookers with the most notable including:

· Stellar Lodge purchased a Kashani - Regal Rita yearling colt for $4,000, later re-selling him at the 2008 Ready to Run Sale for $27,000, eight months after purchase.

· Charisse Lodge purchased a Danroad - Woodman Dancer yearling colt for $10,000 and eight months later re-sold him at the 2008 Ready to Run Sale for $33,000.

· NZB as agent purchased a weanling Danroad - Our Aspiration filly for $10,000, and she was later sold at Karaka 2009 for $25,000.

Others to be rewarded at the Sale already include Denis Oberg who purchased Shady Prospect (Peintre Celebre) for $22,000 as a racehorse. He has started five times in Australia from the Lawrie Mayfield-Smith stable, resulting in two wins and two second placings.

Highlights of the 25 broodmares to go under the hammer at Highview include:

 

· Ahava (Semipalatinsk), winner of the Listed WATC Jungle Dawn Classic, and the dam of outstanding Singapore galloper Casablanca, winner of the Listed Lion City Cup twice. She is sold with a positive test to Danroad-LSD 28/09/2008.

· Dopff (Tights), a Group 3 winner herself, and the dam of outstanding Group 1 placed Octapussy.

· Hacienda (Bletchingly), a half sister to Group 1 racehorse and sire Snippets. This is also the family of Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Forensics, and the colt she defeated that day in Zizou. She is sold with a positive test to Danroad-LSD 1/12/2008.

· Miss Rumba (Citidancer) won four races and is the dam of stakes-winning two-year-old La Rumba (Centaine). She is sold with a positive test to Align-LSD 1/10/2008.

· Rondstat (Kaapstad), a young mare by an outstanding broodmare sire, Rondstat won seven races on the track, and is the dam of two to race for two winners.

· Star Of Grosvenor (Last Tycoon), a half sister to European Group 1 winner Carmine Lake, while her second dam is Champion USA turf mare Royal Heroine (Lypheor), winner of the 1984 Group 1 Breeder's Cup Mile amongst two other Group 1 wins. Star of Grosvenor is sold with a positive test to Align - LSD 25/11/2008.

· Volcanello (Royal Academy), a two time winner, is a half sister to Group 1 Melbourne Cup place-getter Lahar, their dam Volcanic (Pompeii Court) was a superior racemare herself, winning on five occasions including the Listed Ansett Australia Stakes. She is sold in-foal to Align - LSD 25/10/2008.

Broodmares by outstanding sires like General Nediym, Marauding, Marscay, Montjeu, More Than Ready (2), Peintre Celebre (2), Rory's Jester, Sir Tristram, and Zabeel are also represented.

The Highview Stud Deplenishing Sale 2009 will be conducted at Highview Stud on Sunday 29 March from 2pm. Gates open at 10am.