Bloomsbury Stud Stages Unreserved Dispersal Sale

Bloomsbury Stud NZ Stages Unreserved Dispersal Sale

Following the announcement in early January that Bloomsbury Stud's New Zealand operation is to be sold, Henrietta, Duchess of Bedford has confirmed that an Unreserved Dispersal Sale of the mares, weanlings and some racehorses will be held by New Zealand Bloodstock at its Karaka sales complex in May.

New Zealand Bloodstock Marketing Manager Petrea Vela confirmed that the date set for the Sale is Monday, 7 May, following the National Weanling Sale on Sunday, 6 May. "It is a sad loss to the industry to see the Stud being sold and we wish the Duchess every success in the future. We look forward to conducting an exciting and successful sale in May, which features a high quality selection of weanlings, mares and some racehorses and gives the industry a valuable opportunity to invest in stock both European and Australasian."

The Stud itself, a property of approximately 300 acres, is also on the market - details can be obtained from the farm.

About 60 horses will be offered at the Bloomsbury Stud Unreserved Dispersal Sale including 25 weanlings by Black Minnaloushe, Cape Cross, Captain Rio, Danasinga, Deputy Governor, Handsome Ransom, Hussonet, Indian Danehill, Ishiguru, King's Chapel, No Excuse Needed, One Cool Cat, Pentire, Pins, Soviet Flash, Thorn Park, Ustinov, Viking Ruler, Volksraad and Zabeel.

The broodmares on offer include Group 1 winners Honor Lap (Honor Grades) and Zola (Volksraad); four-year-old Zabeel mare, Zephyr, from the family of Grand Lodge; Centaine mares Centenary and Lady Harriet; Group 1 placed mare, Repetition, a sister to Snap; plus 11 mares from the family of Bloomsbury Stud's great mare, Mrs Moss.

The full list of broodmare sires includes Centaine, Darshaan, Felix the Cat, Generous, Groom Dancer, Grosvenor, Honor Grades, Horse Chestnut, Irish River, Kingdom Bay, Manntari, Paris House, Quest For Fame, Rainbow Quest, Robellino, Sadlers Wells, Shadeed, Stark South, Surumu, Superlative, Tuscany Flyer and Zabeel.

Covering sires include Danehill Dancer, O'Reilly, No Excuse Needed, Bertolini, King's Chapel, Hussonet, Savabeel, Thorn Park and Postponed.

Myself, Mrs Moss' granddaughter by Nashwan, an English Group winner will not be included in the Sale as she still belongs to Bloomsbury's GB Stud and will be repatriated there, however her colt foal by Zabeel will be in the Sale. The Duchess is keeping her yearling filly by Zabeel named All By Myself who will go into training later this year.

No mares of 16 or over will be offered as the Stud's policy has been not to sell older mares. Therefore Snap will continue in the Bedford family's ownership along with also 5 other old mares. Mercury Island, the product of a gifted nomination by Garry Chittick to Robin, Henrietta's late husband, will also be retained.

Henrietta and her late husband Robin, Duke of Bedford started Bloomsbury Stud at Woburn Abbey in the late 70's and then after being involved with Snap in New Zealand who was a champion filly at 2 and 3, winning a Gr 1 race every season that she was in training, bought a stud in New Zealand and sent many mares from England. The Stud at Matamata has been in operation for 13 years. The operation in New Zealand has become far larger than the one in England.

Henrietta comments, "My husband and I have derived enormous pleasure from our Stud in New Zealand and being involved in the New Zealand bloodstock industry. It has been a very difficult decision to make however I feel that at my age, it is time to retire before it gets too much for me. I will not be leaving New Zealand or the industry as I will be keeping five yearling fillies and many of the fillies that I have in training. We will continue to sponsor the Robin, Duke of Bedford Matamata Breeders' Stakes and I will be keeping the mares that are not included in the Sale on friends' studs. Snap and Mercury Island are going to Waikato Stud.

"We have never offered so many animals from the Mrs Moss family so it will be really interesting to see them flourish in other people's hands. We have kept records of all Mrs Moss' descendants and 50% of the foals of racing age are winners and 12% stake performers to foals of racing age - a really remarkable statistic. The family tree will be available for interested parties at the same time as the catalogue."

For further information about the Bloomsbury Stud Unreserved Dispersal Sale contact New Zealand Bloodstock Marketing Manager, Petrea Vela (petrea[at]nzb.co.nz).

ENDS

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