Steady trade on Day 2 at NZ Bloodstock’s National Sale closed a weanling session that made solid increases on last year.  A total of 248 lots were sold for $2.97 million at an average of $11,977.  The clearance rate rose to 77%.

Stealing the spotlight was the High Chaparral colt at Lot 311 fetching the top price of $150,000.  From the Group 3 placed Stravinsky mare Soelin, the colt was catalogued by Northfields Stud.  He will head to Lyndhurst Farm with plans for him to feature at the 2013 Karaka Yearling Sales.

“We thought this colt was very much like the High Chaparral colt out of Creil that we sold for $650,000 in the Premier Sale here this year,” Lyndhurst’s Mark Treweek said.  “We are very pleased to have ended up with him.”

Lyndhurst is building a solid draft for next year’s Karaka Yearling Sales.  The Farm purchased the Day 1 top lot by Duporth for $105,000 and second top lot on Day 2 with an the O’Reilly colt secured for $125,000.

“We have always liked O’Reilly and we thought this colt was a real sprinter-miler type being out of a Volksraad mare,” Treweek added.  “He is a good type with a great walk and markings and we thought that he would look good in our draft.

“The Sale has gone well, there is a lot of competition for nice horses and they have been hard to buy.  We have paid more than we intended to for one or two but in the end a nice horse is a nice horse and they hold their value.”

Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud continued its reign as the top vendor by aggregate for the seventh year in a row with 26 weanlings sold for $932,250.  First season sire Mastercraftsman held top spot as the leading sire by average with eight of his weanlings selling for an average of $60,250.

Day 2 also saw the Horses-in-Training session headlined by five-year-old mare Repenting.  A sister to Group 1 winning mare Shez Sinsational, she was offered by Curraghmore Stud and was purchased by Marcus Corban Bloodstock for $50,000.

With yearlings, two-year-olds and unraced stock also sold later in the day, Day 2 closed with 157 lots sold and a clearance rate of 84%, with an aggregate of $1,691,150 and an average of $10,772.

Selling will continue on Wednesday with the broodmare offering from Lot 424.