Written by Bryan Littlely
Cover image courtesy of NZB
Steady trade throughout Day 2 of Book 2 at the New Zealand National Yearling Sales Series saw yearlings destined for Hong Kong and Australia, taking the Book 2 total revenue to NZ$6,667,500 as a daughter of Turn Me Loose (NZ) soared to the Book 2 high-price of NZ$220,000
The presence of international buyers remained evident throughout the middle session of Book 2, with a further 160 yearlings going under the hammer at the iconic Karaka Sales Centre, with a 63 per cent clearance rate, down from 76 per cent when compared to last year’s total Book 2 rate.
Lot 954 - Turn Me Loose (NZ) x Nightofpassion (NZ) (filly) | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
The highlight of Book 2 to date came late in the session after Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Wyborn Bloodstock secured Lot 954, a filly by Turn Me Loose out of Nightofpassion (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}) for NZ$220,000 from the Windsor Park Stud draft.
Moroney knew he had found an elite specimen when he identified the daughter of the exciting young stallion.
It seems others shared that opinion, with the astute judge having to stretch to NZ$220,000, topping the Book 2 highest price of last year, a filly by Churchill (Ire) which sold for NZ$200,000 to secure the good-moving filly and have her breeders Windsor Park Stud take the title of top lot.
Turn Me Loose (NZ) | Standing at Windsor Park Stud
The day 5 top-price has helped the Book 2 aggregate edge closer to last year’s total of NZ$8,853,000 while the average sits at NZ$38,991, a little shy of last year’s average of NZ$41,759 while the median price is steady at NZ$30,000, the same as last year.
Turn Me Loose filly top of the day
The Turn Me Loose filly topping the charts on Friday is out of the Don Eduardo (NZ) mare Nightofpassion and comes from an illustrious family including multiple Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and three-time Australian Group 1 winner Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel).
Not making her appearance in the auction ring until near the tail of the day’s bidding action, New Zealand Bloodstock’s Kane Jones lodged the successful bid on behalf of Moroney and prominent racehorse owner Mark Wyborn, for whom Moroney had strongly recommended the filly.
Lucia Valentina (NZ)
“From the time I saw her here at the complex it was pretty clear to me that she was the outstanding filly in the Sale, in both Book 1 or Book 2,” Moroney said.
“She was just an absolutely great-bodied filly, just everything I look for in a horse including big ears which is something I look for in all fillies.
"She was very correct and more importantly, she really moved.
"She (Lot 954) was just an absolutely great-bodied filly, just everything I look for in a horse including big ears which is something I look for in all fillies." - Paul Moroney
“To me she had a lot of Eight Carat about her through Diamond Lover, the dam of Don Eduardo.
“Turn Me Loose is on his way as a sire and he has already proved he can get stakes winners, so he is not kicking off but an emerging sire, so that gave me a lot of positives.
“I just fell in love with her.”
Moroney advised he had been searching for a filly of this type for quite some time for Wyborn, who had asked him to find one that was a change of strategy for him as he normally buys staying types.
Paul Moroney | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
Windsor Park Stud owner Rodney Schick was over the moon with the sale, especially to Wyborn who has been a long-term family friend.
“She is a beautiful filly and Paul is one of the best judges in the game,” he said.
“Mark Wyborn is a great friend of our family and I hope she goes on to do the job for him. She was very popular, but we weren’t sure what level she would reach.
"Mark Wyborn is a great friend of our family and I hope she (Lot 954) goes on to do the job for him. She was very popular, but we weren’t sure what level she would reach." - Rodney Schick
“It’s also great for Turn Me Loose as he is doing the job and he deserves a sale like that which is the highest price he has fetched for a yearling.”
Proisir colt a pick of the day
Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir created one of the major highlights on Day 5 at Karaka for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale on Friday when his son out of the Pins mare Knockout (NZ) was sold to the bid of Alex Oliveira for NZ$150,000.
Friday’s final day topper, an athletic Proisir colt consigned as Lot 894, comes from an extended family of international black-type performers including former Singapore star Titanium (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), Australian Group 3 winner Zanetta (NZ) (Centaine) and multiple Hong Kong winner Astimonti (NZ) (Kinjite {NZ}).
Lot 894 - Proisir x Knockout (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of NZB
Oliveira, acting for Paul Chow’s Tartan Meadow Bloodstock operation, headed off a slew of online and local bidders to secure the colt that he had first earmarked after seeing him on the farm at Rich Hill Stud.
“He is a lovely walking colt and that was what first caught my eye,” Oliveira said.
“I saw him on the farm and ticked him off to have a second look and the more I saw him, the more I liked him. Some horses are like that and I just really liked him.
"I saw him (Lot 894) on the farm and ticked him off to have a second look and the more I saw him, the more I liked him. Some horses are like that and I just really liked him." - Alex Oliveira
“It was a tough buy as there were plenty on him, but I was of the mind that I wasn’t going to stop, within reason, although I am no David Ellis. We were just very keen to get him.”
Oliveira in thick of the action
Oliveira had been extremely active during the Book 1 Sale, securing 12 yearlings for Chow, while this colt represented his second purchase in Book 2 after outlaying NZ$40,000 for a Derryn colt (Lot 840) from the Grangewilliam Stud draft earlier in the day.
“Paul and I have been working together for about 11 years now,” Oliveira said.
Paul Chow and Alex Oliveira | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“Pretty much everything we buy comes back to my place for education and a trial and then they will either be sold to go up to Hong Kong or directly there for clients that we work with already.
“We have had a lot of luck with the Proisirs and I am a big fan of the stallion, so that is why we were keen on this colt. I think we have around 14 we have bought this week and may be looking for one more before we finish up.
“I have been really impressed at the stock on offer this year and I think the later Sale date has contributed to that.”
“I have been really impressed at the stock on offer this year and I think the later Sale date has contributed to that.” - Alex Oliveira
Oliveira made good on his promise as he went to NZ$130,000 to secure Lot 941, the colt by Waikato Stud’s first-season sire Ardrossan, who was consigned through the Prima Park draft.
Rich Hill Principal John Thompson was also thrilled with the result for his resident sire after another Rich Hill stallion in Vadamos (Fr) provided the biggest highlight on day one of the Book 2 Sale when a colt offered through the Haunui Farm draft fetched NZ$180,000.
“He was a very well inspected colt with good x-rays and a clean scope so we sort of expected there would be a lot of attention around him,” he said.
Lot 941 - Ardrossan x Miss Rule (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of NZB
“It is a great result for Proisir as everyone knows he started at a NZ$7000 service fee and has upgraded those mares.
“We have so much to look forward to next year as he covered 150 mares two years ago of a lot better quality and will likely have 20 horses in Book 1, whereas until now he has been surviving on five or six in Book 1.
“I think he is a real asset for breeders and one of the upcoming stars of the industry.”
Thompson had further reason to celebrate Friday’s results when his freshman sire Ace High secured a NZ$140,000 sale as Lot 937, a colt out of Miss Milliner (NZ), a half-sister to G1 VRC Derby winner Kibbutz (NZ) (Golan {Ire}), was purchased by Patrick Payne from the Archer Park draft.
Ace High | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
The Matamata farm sold 39 yearlings in the premier session for a healthy NZ$7.86 million return. TFI proving a major contributor to their success, purchasing Waikato Stud’s two highest-priced yearlings in Lot 161, the Savabeel full brother to Mo’unga, for NZ$1 million, and Lot 528, the Savabeel colt out of a half-sister to Group 1 winner Metal Bender (NZ) (Danasinga), for NZ$850,000.
High praise from Waikato
Farm Principal Mark Chittick was rapt with this year’s results, particularly in light of the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 protocols.
“Under the circumstances, it is quite incredible,” Chittick said. “We entered these horses for the Sale back in July when we thought everyone was going to be here.
Mark Chittick
“I wanted a really nice lineup of horses to put in front of everybody at our National Sale and unfortunately not everyone who was wanting to be here could be here. This whole industry, whether Australasia or worldwide, has rallied around.
“One of the most pleasing things is that international buyers that couldn’t be here still recognise the quality of the New Zealand product and the results we have been achieving, mostly in Australia. They have stumped up and bought the product and all the figures are up, including ours, which is great.’’
Top lots
| 954 | Turn Me Loose | Nightofpassion | F | Windsor Park Stud | Paul Moroney Bloodstock/ Wyborn Bloodstock | $220,000 |
| 894 | Proisir | Knockout | C | Rich Hill Stud | Tartan Meadow Bloodstock | $150,000 |
| 937 | Ace High | Miss Milliner | C | Archer Park | Mr PB Payne | $140,000 |
| 941 | Ardrossan | Miss Rule | C | Prima Park | Tartan Meadow Bloodstock | $130,000 |
| 812 | Time Test | Endeavour | F | Little Avondale Stud | Mr SA Sharrock | $120,000 |
Top buyers
| Tartan Meadow Bloodstock | 4 | $340,000 | $85,000 |
| Wexford Stables | 3 | $260,000 | $86,667 |
| Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Ballymore Stables | 3 | $230,000 | $76,667 |
| Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Wyborn Bloodstock | 1 | $220,000 | $220,000 |
| Mr SA Sharrock | 2 | $153,000 | $76,500 |
| Mr PB Payne | 1 | $140,000 | $140,000 |
| Vandyke Racing / Hughes Bloodstock | 1 | $115,000 | $115,000 |
| Mr MJ & Mrs TT Stratford | 1 | $102,500 | $102,500 |
| Mrs W Kwan | 1 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| SA Sharrock Syndications | 2 | $90,000 | $45,000 |
Vendors by aggregate
| Haunui Farm | 9 | $410,000 | $45,556 |
| Little Avondale Stud | 4 | $319,000 | $79,750 |
| Windsor Park Stud | 4 | $300,000 | $75,000 |
| Rich Hill Stud | 4 | $231,000 | $57,750 |
| Valachi Downs | 4 | $214,000 | $53,500 |
| Prima Park | 3 | $210,000 | $70,000 |
| Seaton Park Ltd | 3 | $183,500 | $61,167 |
| Milan Park | 2 | $172,000 | $86,000 |
| Archer Park | 3 | $162,000 | $54,000 |
| Ralph Thoroughbreds | 3 | $130,000 | $43,333 |
Vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Little Avondale Stud | 4 | $319,000 | $79,750 |
| Windsor Park Stud | 4 | $300,000 | $75,000 |
| Prima Park | 3 | $210,000 | $70,000 |
| Seaton Park Ltd | 3 | $183,500 | $61,167 |
| Rich Hill Stud | 4 | $231,000 | $57,750 |
| Archer Park | 3 | $162,000 | $54,000 |
| Valachi Downs | 4 | $214,000 | $53,500 |
| Haunui Farm | 9 | $410,000 | $45,556 |
| Ralph Thoroughbreds | 3 | $130,000 | $43,333 |
| Kiltannon Stables Ltd | 3 | $126,000 | $42,000 |
Sires by aggregate
| Turn Me Loose | 6 | $334,000 | $55,667 |
| Belardo | 7 | $330,000 | $47,143 |
| Ace High | 7 | $316,000 | $45,143 |
| Ardrossan | 3 | $292,000 | $97,333 |
| Proisir | 4 | $280,000 | $70,000 |
| Staphanos | 5 | $263,000 | $52,600 |
| U S Navy Flag | 4 | $212,000 | $53,000 |
| Time Test | 3 | $185,000 | $61,667 |
| Embellish | 3 | $116,000 | $38,667 |
| Shooting to Win | 3 | $115,000 | $38,333 |
Sires by average (3 or more sold)
| Ardrossan | 3 | $292,000 | $97,333 |
| Proisir | 4 | $280,000 | $70,000 |
| Time Test | 3 | $185,000 | $61,667 |
| Turn Me Loose | 6 | $334,000 | $55,667 |
| U S Navy Flag | 4 | $212,000 | $53,000 |
| Staphanos | 5 | $263,000 | $52,600 |
| Belardo | 7 | $330,000 | $47,143 |
| Ace High | 7 | $316,000 | $45,143 |
| Embellish | 3 | $116,000 | $38,667 |
| Shooting to Win | 3 | $115,000 | $38,333 |
