NZB Select Sale Holds Firm

Today saw the third and final day of New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Select Sale completed at Karaka, with session results holding firm but buyers selective in their purchasing.

The final sale median of $30,000 was unwavering throughout the past three days, with the clearance rate climbing steadily to 73%, and the final average price of the 681 horses catalogued settling at $37,366.

Total takings for the 456 yearlings sold at this session is $17,039,000 reflecting a 41% decrease from last year's record $28,839,500 for 483 horses sold.

New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Petrea Vela says the final results have reflected buyer confidence in the current climate.

"Although there's been good activity in the ring over the past three days, and the general consensus has been that it's hard to buy a nice horse, this sale has suffered from a lack of buyer confidence to buy on spec in this climate. This session has traditionally been underpinned by pinhookers selecting horses for our Ready to Run Sale in November and while the top horses have sold just as well, without the pinhookers here in force, we've seen a softening of that middle market."

"After experiencing exponential growth here over the past couple of years, the tide has turned in buyers favour and there's a lot of good buying to be had."

A new session highlight came late in the day, when yesterday's top price of $175,000 (Lot 861) was surpassed by the Tale of the Cat colt at Lot 1155 fetching $205,000. From the unraced Redoute's Choice mare Eyes Light Up, the colt offered by Hallmark Stud was secured by Perth trainer Lindsey Smith.

"I've had a great time over here, the sale was good for buyers and the good horses still sold for good money. I'm a fan of fast horses and I'm happy with the three I've purchased. The Tale of the Cat's an early running type and we'll give him a chance to settle in back home and break him in then map out a plan for him."

With three purchases in total, Smith is joined in the leading buyers tables by fellow Western Australian John Chalmers with eight purchased for $330,500. Other Australian buyers at this session include Kieran Moore, Anthony Cummings, John Foote, Patrick Payne, Danny O'Brien and Johnston Houlahan Bloodstock.

The leading buyer for the Select Sale was Paul Moroney Bloodstock with a total of 21 yearlings purchased for $1,182,000. He has been joined on the buyers' sheets at this Sale by a host of local agents and trainers including David Ellis, Dean Hawthorne, Dean Wiles, Alan Sharrock, Bruce Perry and Andrew Scott, plus international buyers Dan O'Donnell, Magus Equine, Danny Shum and Chun Hung Ngai of Hong Kong, and buyers from England, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and New Caledonia.

Heading the vendors by aggregate was Windsor Park Stud with 39 sold for total receipts of $1,528,500 and their top price coming for their Thorn Park colt at Lot 819. Leading Hong Kong buyer Magus Equine bid to $140,000 to secure the son of Group 1 Thorndon Mile winner Silver Chalice.

Bill Gleeson's Palmerston North operation, Wellfield Lodge was the highest ranking of the vendors by average with eight sold for an average of $79,000 and their Lion Heart filly at Lot 891 topping their draft at $160,000 to the bid of Mike Breslin.

The two-day Festival Sale is set to conclude New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sales Series starting at 11am on both Sunday 1 and Monday 2 February.