All Time Record Clearance

All Time Record Clearance

Highlights NZB Weanling Session
Following a strong opening session at Karaka yesterday, the demand for weanlings intensified today with the remaining 141 lots catalogued boosting yesterday's figures, highlighted by a new all time record clearance rate.

At the close of the weanling session earlier today, a total of 316 weanlings have sold from the 396 on offer, representing a staggering 89% clearance. This is the highest clearance rate ever seen at a New Zealand Bloodstock reserved auction sale.

With this morning's selection averaging a very strong $16,203, the total weanling offering has also posted a new record average of $13,757, up 11% from $12,421 in 2007, with a median that held steady from yesterday at $6,000. Total takings for the weanlings are $4,339,600, up 88% from $2,304,000 last year with 188 sold at that Sale.

 Day two's highest priced weanling - Lot 360 by Pins from Winds of Conquest

Today's top price was a shade off the $130,000 fetched by the Stravinsky filly from Full Noise (Kaapstad) at Lot 109 yesterday, with Lot 360 bought by GTS Bloodstock for $125,000. The colt by Pins from Winds of Conquest (Quest for Fame) is a half-brother to dual Group 3 winner Coup Bloomsbury (Centaine).

GTS Bloodstock principal Janine Dunlop confirmed that she has pinhooked the colt for her Phoenix Park draft at the Karaka Premier Sale in January. "He stood out to me as one of the best colts in the Sale and being by a top performing sire like Pins, from a current family, he had the pedigree to match. Ancroft Stud has done a great job preparing the colt and he's guaranteed to develop into a lovely yearling."

GTS Bloodstock was the leading individual buyer of this session with five weanlings purchased for an aggregate of $339,500.

Garry and Mark Chittick's Waikato Stud has reaped the benefit of offering all their weanlings unreserved, topping the leading vendors tables with 28 sold for an average of $18,061.  Their top priced weanling came early in the Sale, with Lot 8 selling for $60,000. The colt by O'Reilly from Barzar Babe (Danasinga) was bought by Noble Bloodstock.

Waikato Stud's stallions have also dominated the leading sires list, with their resident sires Pins, Savabeel and O'Reilly the top three sires by average with three weanlings or more sold at this Sale.

Mark Chittick confirmed that all Waikato Stud owned broodmares catalogued today and tomorrow will now also be offered on an unreserved basis. "Buyers knew exactly where they stood with our weanling offering and that has definitely paid dividends for us. It makes sense for us to offer the broodmares on the same basis."

Marketing Manager Petrea Vela summed up the success of the weanling sessions. "We have been incredibly heartened by the market strength seen over the past couple of days. The activity of the local buyers shows just how successful the tax and depreciation changes made nearly two years ago have been for the industry, and we are very encouraged by the confidence that those buyers are showing in their domestic market." 

"It's clear to us that the weanling sale concept is gaining traction in New Zealand and vendors like Waikato Stud and Curraghmore Stud are proving it to be a viable trading option for them. We are certain there's a good foundation here for us to develop this market even more into the future."

With the first part of the day at Karaka dedicated to last of the weanlings, the afternoon saw yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced horses, racehorses and the first of the 300 broodmares offered for sale.

The mixed bloodstock sessions combined to record a clearance rate of 84%, with 47 lots sold for $350,200 at a combined average of $7,626. 

The highlight of the mixed sessions was the Pins filly at Lot 453, Lasting Legacy, a half-sister to Group 1 South Australian Oaks winner, Dowry (Bahhare). Being sold as a racing or breeding proposition, she was purchased by Queensland's Blue Sky Thoroughbreds for $100,000 from Rodmor Stud.

The first 52 of the 303 broodmares catalogued concluded selling for today, with the highlight so far the Bassenthwaite mare, Candescent, a $40,000 purchase from The Oaks Stud. The dam of Group 1 Easter Handicap winner, Rags to Riches, she is carrying a positive test to first season covering sire, Darci Brahma.

The Broodmare session will continue from 10am tomorrow (Tuesday) at Karaka.

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