Records Smashed at Red Hot Ready to Run - NZ Bloodstock

The Karaka sale ring was running red hot at New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs today, with a staggering day's trade providing a new record turnover, average, median and clearance rate.

With 228 lots sold over the two-day Sale, turnover was $16,216,500, up almost exactly $2 million on last year's $14,215,250, reflecting an increase of 14% with 29 fewer horses sold, and an increase on the previous record of $16,069,250 set in 2000 when 528 horses were catalogued.

The Sale average and median have both posted whopping increases, and new records. The average of $71,125 is up 29% on last year's $55,312, and up 16% on the previous record of $61,134 (in 2007). The all-important sale median was $45,000 today, up 40% on last year's $32,000, and up 12.5% on
the previous record of $40,000 (2006 & 2009).

The clearance rate of 77% is also a new record (previously 73% in 2006), and up significantly on last year's 59%.

Six lots were sold this week for $300,000 or more, and 18 for $200,000 or more, compared with two and 10 respectively last year.

NZB Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela says the results have totally surpassed expectations.

"It's been an incredibly strong Sale and we're overwhelmed by the results. Yesterday was an encouraging start but today it stepped up another gear altogether. The buying bench is probably the largest we've ever seen at this Sale, and while it took some time to warm up yesterday, today we felt the full force of its strength and depth.

"The representation of buyers from Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia in particular has been fantastic, but there has also been great participation by buyers from Malaysia, Macau, Korea, Japan and South Africa in addition to New Zealand.

"The racetrack results from this Sale have been excellent in recent years, and the timely VRC Derby victory by Sangster, a Ready to Run graduate, certainly helped, but we never anticipated that demand could be quite as strong as it was. We're thrilled vendors have been well rewarded for their efforts and hope that buyers have great success with their purchases. We're very grateful to all for their support."

The highlight of the day came at Lot 310
http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ped_search=lot&search=310&sale_id=158&go.x=17&go.y=6
with the filly by Fastnet Rock setting a new record price for a filly purchased at the Sale when knocked down to Justin Bahen Bloodstock for $450,000. From the Centaine mare Shimo Star, the filly was offered by Tom & Shelley Murtagh's Esker Lodge.

Sly couldn't speak highly enough of his new purchase. "She's a stunner. She literally ticks all the boxes - there are 11 boxes to tick on my list and she ticks all of them. She breezed up beautifully andwas very relaxed, she's a real lady.

"She is the reason I am at the Sale however I have made another purchase from Esker Lodge as well, they have done a great job of the preparation."

The next top price of the Sale came at Lot 185
http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ped_search=lot&search=185&sale_id=158 with the Pins colt from Zabeel mare Laebeel fetching $390,000 to the bid of Hong Kong trainer David Hall. The half-brother to dual Group 3 winner Larry's Never Late (Pentire) was offered by Mark & Shelley Treweek's Lyndhurst Farm.

"As soon as I saw him I thought he looked like the ideal Derby horse which is what everyone in Hong Kong aspires to," commented Hall on his purchase.

"Pins is successful in Hong Kong and this is a popular pedigree with that cross, plus he was relaxed in his breeze up but he still managed it in agood time.

"He will go to Dean Hawthorne's Anzac Lodge first while it is decided when he will head up to Hong Kong."

Waikato Stud sire Pins (Snippets) was the leading sire in Hong Kong last season, headed by Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon.

David Hall was one of a large number of Hong Kong buyers in action at Karaka. The leading individual buyer of the Sale was Willie Leung's Magus Equine representing a large contingent of Hong Kong owners and trainers who purchased seven horses yesterday and another six today for a total of
$1,428,000 at an average of $109,846. Magus Equine's top price of the Sale was $280,000 paid today for the gelding by Bernardini at Lot 319 http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ped_search=lot&search=319&sale_id=158&go.x=18&go.y=6 also offered by Lyndhurst Farm. Mark & Shelley Treweek's Lyndhurst Farm have firmly stamped their mark on
this Sale in recent years, ending the day as the leading vendor for the fifth year in a row. Lyndhurst offered five of the top ten lots of the Sale, with a total of 18 entries sold for $3,041,000 at an average of $168,944.

A delighted Mark Treweek says all their expectations have been thoroughly exceeded.

"We are just over the moon. It has been our goal for a couple of years now to crack the $2 million mark which we've never done, and we smashed that. We knew we had a really good draft but the parades never stopped for three days.

"We're thrilled for our clients as well. This sort of result is really needed to keep people in the game, and we want to thank all the buyers for helping us to achieve that.

"It's also been great to see some of the newer vendors getting better and better. As long as the standard keeps improving as it is, this Sale is just going to keep going from strength to strength."

The Sale had a broad representation of New Zealand and Australian sires sharing the limelight over the past two days. At the top of the table by average was Exceed and Excel with three sold for an average of $250,000 and a top price of $360,000 (Lot 278). Seven NZ sires featured in the top 10 with three or more lots sold including Pins, Darci Brahma, Thorn Park, Falkirk, Savabeel, Bachelor Duke and Keeper.