In terms of graduate performance, the Ready to Run Sale is unrivalled with 19 Group 1 winners to come out of the ring in the last six seasons alone and more than 140 stakes winners amassing five Derby titles and 13 Guineas winners.
Indeed, in the lead-up to this Wednesday and Thursday’s sale there has been further success with Mr Clint (NZ) (Power {GB}), sold by leading vendor Riversley Park in 2016, winning the recent Singapore Gold Cup.
“Ticket To Ride, who won the G3 Canterbury Breeders’ S. at Riccarton last week was another graduate,” said NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Danny Rolston, who believes all the key indicators promise a strong two days of trading.
“I was up in Hong Kong two weeks ago and the feedback was really good, although the troubles up there have escalated since then,” he said. “Our existing markets are all strong and we’re obviously always active in Australia, Malaysia, Macau and Korea.
“It’s been a popular sale with south-east Asia buyers for so long and highlighted by Beat The Clock. Our graduates have also enjoyed elite Australian successes in the Caulfield Cup, the Rosehill Guineas, the ATC Derby and the VRC Derby.
“Our graduates have also enjoyed elite Australian successes in the Caulfield Cup, the Rosehill Guineas, the ATC Derby and the VRC Derby.” – Danny Rolston
“I’m sure there will be a formidable international buying bench. It is a far more international than domestic sale, although Te Akau has enjoyed major success and a horse like Te Akau Shark is a pin-up boy for the sale.”
Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) was bought out of Lyndhurst Farm’s draft by David Ellis in 2016 for NZ$230,000 and scaled new heights in Australia in the spring with Group 1 placings in the Cox Plate and Epsom H.
Te Akau Shark (NZ), when sold as a 2-year-old through the Ready to Race Sale
“We’ve been around all the farms here and looked at all the horses and between that and the breeze-ups at Te Rapa we are really confident in the quality on offer,” Rolston said.
“We couldn’t be happier with the way the sale has gone from strength to strength. The sire power is there with Savabeel, Pierro and Dundeel, all represented.
“Darci Brahma, Charm Spirit and Per Incanto are going well and Ocean Park is flying at the moment. There’s some big names in the sire index.”
Strong trading expected
Major buyer David Ellis, of Te Akau, is expecting a competitive sale given the auction’s glowing history.
“The statistics of the horses that come out of this sale are the best of any Ready to Run Sale in the Southern Hemisphere, no contest,” he said. “It’s a very strong catalogue, both on pedigree and a host of very nice athletes.
David Ellis and Jamie Richards have purchased Group 1 horses like Gingernuts, Te Akau Shark and Hall Of Fame from the sale
“For the Ready to Run Sale, we don’t start our inspections until after the breeze-ups and we’ve seen plenty of them.
“It’s those by the more proven sires that have taken my eye. There’s some really nice ones by Savabeel, Darci Brahma, Tavistock and I’ve seen a really nice Burgundy.
“Our main sale is the yearling sale but we’ll certainly be buying here. It’s a sale that Mark (Walker) and I and Jamie (Richards) have had a lot of luck buying at. Horses like Gingernuts, Te Akau Shark and Hall Of Fame have all been Group 1 horses we’ve bought in the last three years.”
Agent impressed
Cambridge-based bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo has been impressed by the variety and quality on offer.
“There’s a very good range of sires from New Zealand and Australian stallions and it’s obviously helped that we’ve had such a good Melbourne spring carnival,” he said.
“Ocean Park and Reliable Man have been flying and Tavistock continues to win his share of Saturday races over there. Savabeel as always is going strong as well.”
Phill Cataldo has been taken by the progeny of Windsor Park Stud’s multiple Group 1 winner Mongolian Khan
Among the newcomers to the domestic stallion ranks, Cataldo has been taken by the progeny of Windsor Park Stud’s multiple Group 1 winner Mongolian Khan.
“He’s leaving classic types of horses in my opinion. Proisir is going as well as any younger stallion and he’s a real up and comer, he’s leaving a really high percentage of horses that are showing good ability.
“Even Shocking has had a resurgence recently and there’s a few nice ones in the sale. Showcasing is obviously a popular sire and I’ll be interested in some of the Rip Van Winkles with Te Akau Shark going so well.
Per Incanto's (NZ) progeny are going well in Hong Kong
“Per Incanto is another going really well, especially in Hong Kong and his stock are always in demand and I expect him to have another good sale.
“El Roca is another one and obviously Darci Brahma. There’s a really good cross section of stallions on show and the Contributers and Charm Spirits warrant respect.
“All the vendors are hoping the Hong Kong buyers turn up. With the unrest up there it’s probably put a bit of a dampener on it and hopefully that doesn’t reflect in their spending power.
"The sale speaks for itself with the quality of horses that have come out of it in recent years.” - Phill Cataldo
“The fact that we’ve had such a really good spring carnival should see the Australians there in force. The sale speaks for itself with the quality of horses that have come out of it in recent years.”
