$1.75m Colt Rocks Karaka Premier Sale

It was a new day in every way on the second day of New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka Premier Sale today [31 January], with a renewed vigour ringside as the broad buying international bench stepped up a gear to compete for the remaining Premier Sale lots on offer.

The headline act came early in the afternoon, when the highly-anticipated colt by Fastnet Rock from Nureyev's Girl (Nureyev) at Lot 353 http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ped_search=lot&search=353&sale_id=159, a half-brother to Group 1 winner King's Rose (Redoute's Choice), was knocked down to David Ellis for $1,750,000.

With vendor Sir Patrick Hogan tipping this colt to be the star of the show before selling started at Karaka this week, there were high expectations for his salering appearance, and spectators weren't disappointed, with a heated bidding duel between underbidders Coolmore Stud and leading New Zealand buyer, David Ellis of Te Akau Stud. 

The sixth seven-figure yearling ever bought by Ellis at Karaka, he admits he paid more than he expected he would.

"I did expect a high price for this colt, and I thought I would get him for about $1.5 million, but the others went beyond that.

"I wanted to secure him for the New Zealand racing and breeding industry, it is essential that we retain horses like this in New Zealand. He is an outstanding individual and the fact that he's by such a great sire out of a Nureyev mare gives him the potential to win Group 1 races.

"He is already 90% sold with the remaining 10% to be sold this week and I don't anticipate that will be very difficult to do.

"He will be trained by Jason Bridgman with a racing campaign intended to maximise his stud potential. If he's as good as his sister we will be very happy."

David Ellis becomes the leading buyer of the Premier Sale with 27 yearlings bought for $6,262,500 at an average of $231,944. The leading New Zealand buyer at Karaka for the last seven years, Ellis increased his spend significantly on last year where he bought 25 Premier Sale yearlings for $4,433,500.

"I think it has been a very successful Sale with terrific competition on the real athletes. We found it difficult to buy the good horses and think it has been a very successful two days," commented Ellis.

"To achieve that in a recession reflects very highly on the New Zealand industry. New Zealand Bloodstock, in my opinion, can take great heart that even in very difficult economic times horses have still sold well to a huge international buying bench."

The Hong Kong Jockey Club - represented at Karaka by Mark Richards - was once again very active, buying 12 yearlings for $2,655,000 to become the second leading buyer of the Sale. The HKJC paid a top price of $350,000 for two colts, one by Encosta de Lago (Lot 66) and one by Thorn Park (Lot 432).
Their purchases are destined for the Club's International Sales next season.

Particularly active was the vast Australian buying bench, with the likes of Gai Waterhouse & James Harron, John Chalmers, Bart Cummings, Duncan Ramage, Hawkes Racing and John O'Shea all filling spots on the top 10 leading buyers' list. Not far away were fellow Australians Mark Kavanagh and
Segenhoe Thoroughbreds, adding to a total spend by the Australian buyers of $26.6m so far.

New Zealand agents Mulcaster Bloodstock, buying for Australian clients, and Michael Wallace, buying with Michael Freedman for Singapore, were amongst the few active local buyers in the top 20, and contributed to a total domestic spend of $13.6m.

With a much stronger day's trade, at the conclusion of the two-day Premier Sale 350 yearlings have sold for $54,137,000 at an average of $154,677 and clearance of 74%. The median for the two-day session is $120,000.

New Zealand Bloodstock Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela said there were some heartening results from the day.

"We were very pleased to see the market strengthen from yesterday, with a number of the better pedigreed horses coming through the ring today. We have been thrilled with the buyer turnout at Karaka and there was plenty of good competition on the appealing lots.

"It's disappointing not to have been able to get the clearance rate up a bit higher but hopefully over the course of the next couple of days there'll be more sales completed from this session."

With a $1.75m colt it is no surprise that Fastnet Rock tops the sires table for the Premier Sale with eight sold for an average of $422,500.

The leading New Zealand-based sire was Zabeel with 21 sold for an average of $233,810 and a top price of $600,000 paid by Ger Beemsterboer of The Netherlands for the filly from La Quinta Gold at Lot 281
http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ped_search=lot&search=281&sale_id=159. Beemsterboer has already enjoyed success in New Zealand with his Group 1 winning Fastnet Rock filly Planet Rock.

With a host of freshman sires making their yearling sale debut this season, the leading first season sire is Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Sebring, with six yearlings sold at an average of $155,000. This included a top price of $260,000 for Lot 290 http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ped_search=lot&search=290&sale_id=159 bought by Hawkes Racing.

For the 31st year in a row Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud becomes the leading vendor by aggregate, with 43 yearlings sold for $10,820,000 at an average of $251, 628.

Mark and Shelley Treweek's Lyndhurst Farm, with 12 entries in the Premier Sale, was the leading vendor by average with nine sold for $2,385,000 at an average of $265,000. That included a top price of $650,000 paid yesterday by Willie Leung for the High Chaparral colt at Lot 130 http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ped_search=lot&search=130&sale_id=159.

The second top price of the day was $800,000 paid early in proceedings for the High Chaparral colt from La Souvenir at Lot 284 http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?ped_search=lot&search=284&sale_id=159, the three-quarter brother to So You Think. It was also snapped up by leading Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung, for his Hong Kong client Mr P So.

"I had two clients looking for top stayers and I think this lot and yesterday's High Chaparral that I bought were the best High Chaparrals in the Sale.

"I am very lucky to have two clients looking for that type of horse and that I was able to get them what they wanted.

"Overall the quality of the Sale was good and this year there were more horses suitable for Hong Kong which is why there are more Hong Kong buyers here at the Sale this year."

Selling continues tomorrow at Karaka with the first day of the three-day Select Sale - Lots 517 to 725 - commencing at 11am. The session will be streamed live online at http://www.nzb.co.nz/. For passed lots from the Karaka Premier Sale click here http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/sale.cfm?sale_id=159

2012 Premier Yearling Sale Statistics
2012, 2011

Aggregate $54,137,000$65,574,000
Average $154,677, $174,864
Median $120,000, $140,000
Lots Catalogued 516503
Lots Sold 350375
Clearance Rate 74%79%
Top Price $1,750,000, $875,000
2012 Top Price - Fastnet Rock x Nureyev's Girl (Lot 353) $1,750,000
2011 Top Price - Red Ransom x Nureyev's Girl (Lot 466) $875,000
 

Top Lots
LotTypeBreedingVendorPurchaserPrice
353B. CFastnet Rock / Nureyev's GirlCambridge StudMr DC Ellis$1,750,000
284B. CHigh Chaparral / La SouvenirWindsor Park StudMr P So$800,000
256Ch FStravinsky / Jesmonds GiftCambridge StudMr DC Ellis$740,000
314B. FStravinsky / MarquiseCambridge StudMichael Wallace Bloodstock$675,000

130BR. CHigh Chaparral / CreilLyndhurst FarmMr WK Lee$650,000
159B. FHigh Chaparral / Diamond LikeCambridge StudGai Waterhouse/James
Harron Bloodstock$650,000

281B. FZabeel / La Quinta GoldCambridge StudMr GC Beemsterboer$600,000
475B. FFastnet Rock / SuitelyCurraghmore StudMr A Penfold (as agent)$570,000

374B. FO'Reilly / Petit VerdotTrelawney Stud LtdMulcaster Bloodstock$550,000

279BR. CO'Reilly / LafleurPencarrow StudJohn O'Shea Racing$460,000
 

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate
Purchaser/Location/Bought/AggregateAverageTop Price
Mr DC EllisTe Akau27$6,262,500$231,944$1,750,000 (Lot 353)
The Hong Kong Jockey ClubHong Kong12$2,655,000$221,250$350,000 (Lot 432, 66)

New Zealand Bloodstock LtdAuckland19$2,510,000$132,105$240,000 (Lot 372) Gai Waterhouse/James Harron BloodstockNew South Wales7$2,125,000$303,571$650,000 (Lot 159)

John Chalmers Bloodstock Services PtyLtdWestern Australia10$1,967,500$196,750$400,000 (Lot 69)
Mr JB CummingsNew South Wales7$1,395,000$199,286$360,000 (Lot 119)

DGR Thoroughbred ServicesNew South Wales8$1,392,500$174,063$320,000 (Lot 420)

Mulcaster BloodstockNew South Wales4$1,380,000$345,000$550,000 (Lot 374)
Hawkes RacingNew South Wales4$1,070,000$267,500$420,000 (Lot 152)
John O'Shea RacingNew South Wales4$1,010,000$252,500$460,000 (Lot 279)
 

Leading Vendors by Aggregate
VendorSoldAggregateAverageTop Price

Cambridge Stud43$10,820,000$251,628$1,750,000 (Lot 353)
Windsor Park Stud28$4,490,000$160,357$800,000 (Lot 284)
Curraghmore Stud22$4,321,000$196,409$570,000 (Lot 475)
Waikato Stud Ltd30$3,292,500$109,750$310,000 (Lot 512)
Pencarrow Stud20$3,085,000$154,250$460,000 (Lot 279)
Trelawney Stud Ltd15$2,480,000$165,333$550,000 (Lot 374)
Westbury Stud20$2,432,500$121,625$250,000 (Lot 450, 496)
Lyndhurst Farm9$2,385,000$265,000$650,000 (Lot 130)
Little Avondale Stud13$2,015,000$155,000$350,000 (Lot 432)
Haunui Farm16$1,880,000$117,500$230,000 (Lot 462)
 

Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)
Vendor SoldAverageAggregateTop Price

Lyndhurst Farm9$265,000$2,385,000$650,000 (Lot 130)
Cambridge Stud43$251,628$10,820,000$1,750,000 (Lot 353)
Ascot Farm4$237,500$950,000$340,000 (Lot 445)
Belvedere Farm3$215,000$645,000$325,000 (Lot 315)
Wentwood Grange6$210,833$1,265,000$420,000 (Lot 312)
Curraghmore Stud22$196,409$4,321,000$570,000 (Lot 475)
Trelawney Stud Ltd15$165,333$2,480,000$550,000 (Lot 374)
Blandford Lodge8$164,375$1,315,000$425,000 (Lot 431)
Hallmark Stud9$163,611$1,472,500$360,000 (Lot 329)
Windsor Park Stud28$160,357$4,490,000$800,000 (Lot 284)
 

Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold)
SireSoldAverageAggregateTop Price

Fastnet Rock8$422,500$3,380,000$1,750,000 (Lot 353)
Encosta de Lago11$236,364$2,600,000$350,000 (Lot 66)
Zabeel21$233,810$4,910,000$600,000 (Lot 281)
More Than Ready5$213,000$1,065,000$370,000 (Lot 245)
High Chaparral48$199,635$9,582,500$800,000 (Lot 284)
Stravinsky14$194,464$2,722,500$740,000 (Lot 256)
Commands5$192,000$960,000$280,000 (Lot 127)
Testa Rossa3$186,667$560,000$230,000 (Lot 205)
Exceed and Excel4$186,250$745,000$300,000 (Lot 68)
Sebring6$155,000$930,000$260,000 (Lot 290)

Leading First Season Sires by Average (three or more sold)
SireSoldAverageAggregateTop PriceTop Lot

Sebring6$155,000$930,000$260,000290
Henrythenavigator4$121,250$485,000$175,000406
Guillotine4$120,000$480,000$185,000489
Alamosa19$98,842$1,878,000$200,0005
Northern Meteor3$88,667$266,000$160,000183

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