Steady Trade at Select Sale Opening Session

 With the Premier Sale wrapping up yesterday (Tuesday), the focus at Karaka today turned to the opening session of New Zealand Bloodstock's three-day Select Sale.

Today saw the first 227 of the 681 horses catalogued for this session go up for sale, with 145 sold for a total of $5,149,500. This represented a clearance rate of 69%, with a $35,514 average and $30,000 median.

While trade was steady, the downturn is being felt more acutely here than the Premier Sale, with the average currently down 41% from last year's final results ($59,709 in 2008), the median down 37% ($48,000 in 2008) and a decrease from last year's clearance rate of 79%. These 2008 results reflected at least a 25% increase from the 2007 Select Sale across all key indicators.

The highlight of the day came at Lot 625 with the filly by Street Cry fetching $125,000. Bought by Andrew Scott from Twin Pines, she is the first foal of Umatilla mare Lowan Behold.

Twin Pines is also currently heading the vendors list by aggregate, with nine entries sold for $554,000 at an average of $61,556.

In a repeat of last year, the leading buyer of the opening session has been Matamata trainer Paul Moroney with seven yearlings bought for $433,000. His top price so far is $105,000 paid for the Pentire colt at Lot 591 from Rich Hill Stud out of Last Tycoon mare Labyrinth. This is in addition to the eight yearlings purchased by Moroney at the Premier Sale for $600,000.

Also amongst those prominent on the buyers' sheets today have been New Zealand buyers David Ellis and Wallace Thoroughbreds, plus international buyers Johnston Houlahan Bloodstock, Troy Corstens, John Chalmers and Kieran Moore.

Day Two of the Select Sale continues with Lots 731 to 960 from 11am tomorrow at Karaka, with the sale also streamed live online.