Day 1 of the NZ Bloodstock’s Ready to Run 2YO Sale saw some hot competition lift the average 13% to a record $82,126.
Top price came late in proceedings when Fraternity Thoroughbreds paid $320,000 for a Holy Roman Emperor – Rule the Waves (King’s Best) colt offered by Lyndhurst Farm.
Sydney-based Anton Koolman and wife Margaret were back buying at Karaka for the first time in several years with Fraternity Thoroughbreds. The couple purchased two horses for a total of $560,000. Earlier in the day, they secured an Exceed and Excel colt for $240,000 from Mana Park.
“I’m not a committed breeze up sale guy and I haven’t bought here for a while but we have found a few we like,” commented Anton. “I liked the Holy Roman Emperor on type and the sire is going well in Hong Kong and Singapore.
“It was a lot of money but we wanted him and were prepared for that. He will go to Australia and then on to Hong Kong to be trained by Paul O’Sullivan.”
Also returning to Karaka after a lengthy absence was Macau’s seven-time champion trainer Gary Moore. He secured a Northern Meteor colt for $270,000 from Diamond Lodge. The youngster provided one of the eye-catching breezes in 10.30 seconds.
“Northern Meteor has been well publicised as a fantastic sire and I liked this horse from the moment I saw him,” Moore said. “I’m very pleased to have got him as I bought him for a very good client of mine in Macau.
“I have looked at the statistics from this Sale over the past few years and I think the quality of horses here is very high and they have been beautifully prepared by the consignors.”
“I’ve been to a number of Horses-in-Training sales looking for the right horse and it is this Sale that has come out on top. I’m delighted to be back here in New Zealand and I’m sure I’ll be back in the future, hopefully with my brother John.”
An early highlight on Day 1 was the Bernardini gelding from the Danehill mare Miguelita bought for $300,000 by Willie Leung’s Magus Equine for Hong Kong from Lyndhurst Farm.
“I paid a bit more than expected but Bernardini is doing very well in Australia and America at the moment,” Leung explained. “This horse is a big, strong mover and I know he will take a little bit more time to strengthen up so I will leave him in New Zealand for more education before sending him up to Hong Kong.
“The New Zealand Ready to Run Sale always brings me a bit of luck so I always enjoy coming here to buy.”
Mark & Shelley Treweek’s Lyndhurst Farm lead the vendors with 7 of their 21 entries making $1.38 million at an average of $197,286. They have 11 lots catalogued for Wednesday.
New Zealand’s David Ellis of Te Akau Racing was next best after Fraternity Thoroughbreds among buyers with 5 horses bought for $360,000. Top of the Te Akau list was a $150,000 Murtajil colt from Bradbury Park.
Ellis was the only local buyer in today’s top ten, with Australia, Singapore, Macau, China, and Hong Kong also represented, showing the diversity of the buying bench.
“We are very pleased with the strong and diverse international buying bench we’ve got here at Karaka, as strong as we’ve ever seen,” NZB Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela commented. “There’s been very good competition on a number of the horses on offer which has been reflected in the average and median far exceeding last year’s records.
“This is the second biggest Ready to Run catalogue we’ve had here in over 10 years and, with the increased numbers, matching last year’s clearance rate was always going to be a challenge and that has proven the case.”
Tuesday’s clearance rate dropped 10 points from last year to 57%.
Selling will continue at Karaka with Lots 221 to 437 from 11am on Wednesday.
The Sale will also be streamed live online at: www.nzb.co.nz