At A Glance

>> Turnover reached NZ$67,130,000 with 21 less horses catalogued than 2019 when NZ$67,206,500 was grossed, representing an average of NZ$138,698 compared to NZ$137,437 last year.

>> Sale median was up NZ$7500 to NZ$107,500, with the clearance increasing from 77 per cent to 79 per cent.

>> Waikato Stud the leading vendor on aggregate for the seventh consecutive year with 59 Lots sold for NZ$9,902,500 while Trelawney Stud was the leading seller on average with 11 Lots sold for NZ$314,545.

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Karaka 2020 | Day Three

>> Te Akau chief David Ellis ends Book 1 as the leading buyer for the 15th year in a row with 28 Lots purchased for NZ$6.5 million.

>> Peter Moody was active and he also went to NZ$500,000 to secure a daughter of Exceed And Excel, who was offered by Trelawney Stud.

>> A well-related filly by Snitzel was presented by Pencarrow Stud and was snapped up by Cambridge bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo for NZ$450,000.

Top purchaser again

David Ellis maintained a hot pace during the three day Book 1 sale at Karaka to end the session with 28 yearlings purchased for NZ$6.5 million to retain his leading buyer crown at Karaka for a record 15th successive year.

His highest-priced yearling was a Savabeel colt, Lot 454, bought out of Windsor Park Stud’s consignment for NZ$875,000, the top lot of Book 1.

Ellis purchased the joint top lot on Tuesday when he went to NZ$500,000 for a son of Savabeel, Lot 626, from Waikato Stud’s champion draft and a family that Te Akau has enjoyed plenty of success with.

“I’ve bought him for a brand new client who wanted a quality colt. We trained his sister who won the Matamata Breeders’ S. and she was a ready 2-year-old,” Ellis said. “This is another precocious colt who will race in the tangerine.”

The youngster is out of the G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Gold Rocks (Oratorio), who produced G2 Breeders’ S. winner Gold Fever (NZ), also placed in the G1 Blue Diamond S. and half-sister Gold Rush (So You Think {NZ}) also won the Matamata juvenile feature.

“I’ve bought from NZ$20,000 to NZ$875,000 so there are horses at all prices for all owners,” Ellis said. “The sort of horses we are trying to buy are ones that can race as 2-year-olds and train on at three, four and five like Melody Belle. All our Karaka Million winners have got better with age.”

Ellis said Book 1 had been an outstanding success and enhanced by sire variety.

“There are a lot of first season sires, some will make it and some won’t, but we desperately need new sires here. The standard this year has been very high and I take my hat off to New Zealand Bloodstock. It is a company New Zealand should be very proud of.

“I’ll be buying a few in Book 2 and then that will be it for me until the Inglis Sydney Easter Sale.”

Ellis said it had been a physically demanding, but enjoyable time of racing and buying.

“After the Karaka Million on Saturday evening I only had one beer and then couldn’t sleep. It’s pretty exhausting, but I slept well on Monday night and came out here feeling fantastic.”

Filly’s future uncertain

Peter Moody has confirmed his return to the Victorian training ranks, but whether he will train the Exceed And Excel filly, Lot 614, he purchased at Karaka for NZ$500,000 has yet to be determined.

“We’ll have a chat about that later, I’m not a licensed racehorse trainer yet,” he said.

Moody plans to begin training from his own property and is hoping to move his operation to Pakenham in a few months.

The Group 1 winning trainer, most notably of the unbeaten champion Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), has no plans to increase his numbers back to the days when he won four Victorian premierships.

Training hiatus

He stepped away from training in 2016 after being handed a six month suspension due to unintentionally administering excessive levels of cobalt to the horse Lidari (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}).

Moody was active during Book 1 and purchased the daughter of Exceed And Excel out of Trelawney Stud’s behalf of prominent Queensland breeders Ron and Judy Wanless.

The filly is a daughter of the unraced Gallwitz (Bernardini {USA}) and she is a sister to the stakes winner Reparations and a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Retrieve (Rahy {USA}).

“She’s a lovely filly with great quality. She’ll have to make her own pedigree, she’s light under the first dam. Hopefully, she’ll stamp her own authority so she doesn’t have to worry about it.

“Trelawney is an unbelievable nursery and I’ve had a lot of success with them personally,” he said.

Moody said the sale had been strong and he loved the Karaka environment.

“It’s been great. Breeding is a significant part of the industry and you can’t begrudge giving the breeders a few dollars in the sale ring.”

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The sights of Waikato Stud at Karaka 2020

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Positive outcome

Key indicators compared favourably to last year’s sale, with New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Andrew Seabrook pleased with the Book 1 trade.

The turnover reached NZ $67,130,000, marginally down on the $67,206,500 grossed in 2019, representing an average of NZ$138,698 compared to NZ$137,437 last year. The median was up NZ$7500 to NZ$107,500, with the clearance rate up from 77 per cent to 79 per cent.

“It was very encouraging to see the number of international and domestic buyers present over the past few days,” Seabrook said. “The aggregate spend is on par with last year’s Sale, with 21 less horses catalogued.

“We had a strong middle market generated by the Australians. We put a lot of effort into getting them here, so it’s great to see the vendors rewarded so well.”

The leading vendor on aggregate was again Waikato Stud with 59 lots sold for NZ$9,902,500 and the leading by average was Trelawney Stud with11 Lots sold at NZ$314,545, which included three Lots sold for NZ$500,000 or more.

Waikato Stud’s resident champion Savabeel provided two of the top three priced lots offered and averaged NZ$247,241 for 58 lots sold for NZ$14,340,000.

Distinguished family

Cambridge-based bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo was able to buy into one of New Zealand’s most successful families when, on behalf on an undisclosed client, he purchased a Snitzel filly, Lot 565, for NZ$450,000.

While it’s a significant amount, Cataldo considered the Pencarrow Stud-bred youngster, who will remain in New Zealand, to be good shopping.

“I thought she was a bit under the odds and would have gone a bid or two maybe more. That’s the beauty of the auction system,” he said. “She’s got a lovely pedigree, she was a lovely type, vetted well and she’s by Snitzel.”

The filly is the first foal of Echezeaux (NZ) (Encosta de Lago) and she won four races and earned black type when third in the Listed Marton Cup.

Grand producer

The dam is a daughter of the G1 Australasian Oaks winner Grand Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who has been a gem of a broodmare and produced the multiple Group 1 winner and sire Darci Brahma (NZ) and the late Burgundy (NZ), a Group 3 winner whose stud career was cut prematurely short last year.

Further back in the pedigree is the champion stayer and multiple Group 1 winner Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}) and a family that has served breeder and owner Sir Peter Vela so well through the years.

The Snitzel filly has obvious residual value and is likely to given all the time she needed, according to Cataldo who was buying for a new client.

“I got a call out of the blue. He owns a farm and she’ll go back there and have a couple of months off before she’s broken in,” he said. “I don’t think she’s an early 2-year-old type.”

Cataldo said Book 1 had provided stiff competition and a buoyant market, much needed by the sellers.

“It’s gone really well and it’s important the vendors do well, we’re going through hard times here. New Zealand Bloodstock has done a fantastic job getting this buying bench, there are a lot of heavy hitters here and all the Australians, it’s great to have them here.”

End of an era

A closing chapter in Waikato Stud’s history with Karaka was written when it sold its last yearling, Lot 657, by the late Pins.

The filly was knocked down to the final bid of NZ$90,000 from trainer Graeme Rogerson and is out of the winning Savabeel mare Hurry (NZ), a blood sister to the G2 Manawatu Challenge S. winner Splurge (NZ).

It is a family that boasts a number of black type winners, including the Group 2 winning siblings Shopaholic (NZ) (Pins) and Packing Pins (NZ).

Watch: Lot 657 parade

At the foot of the pedigree page is Sacred Falls (NZ), who retired to the Waikato Stud roster after a glittering career that netted him four elite titles and two editions of the G1 Doncaster H.

“It’s the end of an era and a bit sad to take the last crop of his yearlings to Karaka this year," Chittick said.

"He was incredible on the racetrack and as a sire, but he was great in the yearling ring as well.

“If you had the right one with the right pedigree, you could make really good money, but all of his progeny consistently sold well.

"I think that buyers knew that Pins produced horses they could rely on and buy with confidence. We’re definitely going to miss him."

Pins gave yeoman service to the farm until his passing due to complications from colic in 2018. He has produced more than 80 stakes winners.

He sired nine individual Group winners, including El Segundo, Aerovelocity, Katie Lee, Ambitious Dragon, Madison County and the stud’s own Legs.

Top Lots Book 1

Top buyers by aggregate

Top vendors by aggregate

Top vendors by average (3 or more sold)

Top sires by average (3 or more sold)

*first season sire

Thompson’s newest recruit Vadamos was a major success story of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale claiming freshman sire honours averaging NZ$125,714 for 21 Lots sold for NZ$2,640,000.

Table: Leading first season sires at Karaka [NB: *denotes NZ-based]

Vadamos’ highest-priced yearling was Lot 331, a colt from Pivotal (GB) mare Surooh (USA) presented by Valachi Downs purchased by Paul Moroney for NZ$330,000, while another Vadamos colt from the same farm sold to Michael Hickmott for $300,000.

Rich Hill’s finest was a filly, Lot 169, who went to agent Phill Cataldo for NZ$240,000 on behalf of Victorian interests.

She was a daughter of the Pentire (GB) mare Penthouse Princess (NZ), a sister to the G1 Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance (NZ) and a grand-daughter of the dual G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Only Royale (Ire) (Caerleon {USA}).

Thompson said the pre-sale feedback on the stock of Vadamos had been highly encouraging and he was cautiously optimistic, but money talks and buyers followed through in the ring for the progeny of the G1 Prix du Moulin winner.

“Domestically, from all the parades we had there was a really good vibe about him. The TDN did a piece speaking to agents and buyers on the first season sires and they singled Vadamos out.

“Then we had to hope the Australian market felt the same and they were extremely positive and bought accordingly.

“He’s leaving lovely line of horses and that’s been reflected in the way they have sold. We were quietly hopeful, but the sale has exceeded our expectations.”

A significant number of Vadamos youngsters will be heading to Melbourne stables with buyers including Ciaron Maher, Mick Price, Danny O’Brien, Henry Dwyer and Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra.

“He’s a horse with a race record and a pedigree and obviously the Monsun factor was a big thing. He’s sired three Melbourne Cup winners and perhaps they are just the style of horses the Melbourne trainers like,” Thompson said.

“A number of the leading trainers and syndicators have bought them and off a NZ$15,000 service fee we’ve enjoyed excellent results.”

Thompson said Vadamos had the added quality of instilling quality in both his colts and fillies and the farm had done its homework when securing mares for Vadamos and in the selection of its own breeding plans.

One example is the mare Seonia (Sebring), a $130,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Broodmare Sale purchase.

“We bought her for Vadamos because her third dam is by Mill Reef and he’s clicked well with Monsun in the Northern Hemisphere. We got a really nice filly from that and Ciaron Maher bought for NZ$230,000,” Thompson said.

“A couple of Monsun’s best horses were out of Be My Guest mares so Pentire mares were always going to be a good fit, as he was by Be My Guest.”

Thompson can now look forward to the first crop representatives of Vadamos in action on the race courses around Australasia and beyond.

“With their physicality, you’d expect he would have autumn trialists and perhaps later 2-year-old winners,” he said. “We do really expect that they will be developing into quality spring 3-year-olds.”

Tivaci performs well

Runner-up to Vadamos in the freshman title race was Tivaci, whose 28 lots sold for NZ$3,495,000 at an average of NZ$124,821.

“We knew we had very good types, he’s stamped them just like himself,” Mark Chittick said. “We were very proud to purchase him and stand him at stud and everybody recognised the quality he has and is passing on.

“The parades were strong and buyers have been really active on the, not just ours and other studs as well so it’s great to see everybody doing good business.”

While the G1 All Aged Stakes winner wasn’t seen out as a juvenile, Chittick is predicting Tivaci’s sons and daughters will make an early impact.

”He was a big, strong and mature horse and he didn’t race as a 2-year-old, but only missed out by a day,” he said.

“He was really effective up to a mile and we’d like to think his youngsters will show up early and carry on with it.

“They’re good types and a lot of good judges have bought them. They have got all the attributes that you would be looking for.”

Masterton bloodstock agent Bruce Perry certainly thought so and he went to NZ$500,000 to purchase Lot 241 out of Trelawney Stud’s draft. He is a half-brother to the dual Group 1 winner Grunt (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) with the dam a half-sister to Waikato Stud resident Ocean Park (NZ).

“I love the Tivacis and this is just a beautiful horse. We’ll get him broken in here and he’ll eventually go to Australia,” Perry said.

Trainers Danny O’Brien, Ciaron Maher, Joseph Pride, Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra were among the Tivaci purchasers as well as agents John Foote, Guy Mulcaster and Dalziel Bloodstock with Peter Moody.

Cover image courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club

When the Group 2 winning Gaudeamus (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) was offered through the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Element Hill's Josh Hutchins was suitably smitten to be prepared to go up to a quarter of a million for the imported mare.

In the end, he picked up Gaudeamus, in foal to Medaglia d'Oro (USA), for a relative bargain of $160,000, and as a result, Queensland-based Element Hill is now the breeder of one of the leading chances for the G1 Hong Kong Derby in Golden Sixty, who was the resultant foal.

"She was a stakes winning mare, who was probably underperforming as a broodmare at that stage. She had a few foals that hadn't really done a great deal," Hutchins told TDN AusNZ.

"The fact that she was a Group 2 winning Distorted Humor mare, in foal to Medaglia d'Oro, who was standing for $100,000, and was a hot commodity, buying her for $160,000 was cheap in my book. I would have spent a lot more on her."

The Medaglia d'Oro colt was sold through the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $120,000 to New Zealand-based Riversley Park/Enigma Farm, who then pinhooked him through the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale to Hong Kong trainer Francis Lui for NZ$300,000.

Golden Sixty has built an imposing winning record since his debut in March last year, winning eight of his first nine starts, and having won the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup on New Year's Day, backed that up with an impressive victory in the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, the Hong Kong Classic Mile, on Monday.

He now looks one of the top chances for the Hong Kong Derby in March and will now contest the Hong Kong Classic Cup on February 17.

Watch: Golden Sixty breeze-up (rail, navy/spot cap)

"He was always a good looking horse, a bit light. She was a fantastic racemare with a good, deep pedigree and he has now gone out and his record speaks for itself," Hutchins said.

"If he continues to go on and looking towards the Derby, I'd imagine he'd be close to favourite for that, if he could win all three of the 4-year-old series, that'd be great."

Double play a boost for Hutchins

But Gaudeamus is not just playing with one card when it comes to the prosperity of her breeding future.

On Monday at Warwick Farm, her Bjorn Baker-trained 3-year-old Fastnet Rock colt Quiet Riot debuted with an impressive and tough maiden win, which with Element Hill as a part owner, arguably means even more for the Hutchins family.

Watch: Quiet Riot break his maiden

"We sold him through Magics as well and we kept a leg in him. Bjorn has always had a big impression of him, we have just had some setbacks along the way, otherwise he would have started as a 2-year-old," he said.

"He was always a magnificent looking colt at Magic Millions and he's just sort of grown and furnished into that lovely big Fastnet Rock horse that he is today."

Quiet Riot fetched $200,000 as a yearling, a price which Hutchins feels was impacted by the fact that at that stage he was a rig, which scared off interest from any colts' syndicates.

"He has since dropped the second testicle, which rarely happens, but in his case he has and that may be a reason why he undersold," he said.

"He has always had ability and that was proven by the fact that Bjorn never wanted to geld him, because he thought he was a really serious horse. We’ve kept him a bull and hopefully now he can go on and get the job done."

The aim is to try and secure some black type with Quiet Riot, but he will be stepped through his classes first and will next contest a benchmark race at Canterbury. From that point, a decision will be made whether he spells or goes on and contests some of the autumn 3-year-old features.

A filly worth keeping

The next colt from Gaudeamus, by Choisir, was sold for $150,000 to Matt Dunn and Neil Jenkinson at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale and is yet to be named, while the imported mare missed to Astern the following year, meaning she doesn't have a yearling.

She does, however, have a Capitalist foal filly who has quickly become the apple of Hutchins' eye.

"She's probably one of the best types on our farm. He keeps producing them and we sold a couple of Capitalists at the Gold Coast for $600,000, so we know what a good looking one looks like, she is up there with one of the best looking foals we have had," he said.

"We just don't know if we are going to get another filly out of this mare, so she won't see a sales ring. We will retain her to keep and race and hopefully breed from in future years."

Having missed to Trapeze Artist last year, the options are wide open for Gaudeamus as to where she heads to in 2020.

"If she is suddenly a dam of a Hong Kong Derby winner then she could go anywhere, I Am Invincible and any of those horses. There are a lot of options for her being a Distorted Humor mare," he said.

Hutchins feels she has delivered, and more, on her $160,000 purchase price and the ongoing success of her progeny is particularly satisfying .

"It gives you a lot of confidence when you are breeding winners from the mare. Not just any winners, we are talking about Sydney city winners and winning Group 3 and Listed races in Hong Kong," he said.

"It gives the farm credibility that we are selling winners. We are only a small farm and we only sell 15-16 every year. To get those horses up on people's radars, it’s a huge achievement."