Cover image courtesy of Trish Dunell
At the conclusion of selling, the total turnover reached NZ$70,063,000. The average and median rose to NZ$151,980 and NZ$130,000 respectively, while the clearance rate climbed to 79 per cent.
“It was a great start to the week naming the sale auditorium after Sir Patrick Hogan, which set the scene for a strong three days,” said New Zealand Bloodstock’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook.
“All the big guns were here. It was fantastic to see the Australian spend up by NZ$11.5 million and tremendous to have them back.
“All the big guns were here. It was fantastic to see the Australian spend up by NZ$11.5 million and tremendous to have them back.” - Andrew Seabrook
“There is still work to be done and the nice horses in Book 2 will be very hard to buy. There are plenty of Kiwis who will be looking to buy and I believe Book 2 will provide some good opportunities for them.”
Lot 586 - Fastnet Rock x Test The World (Testa Rossa) filly, NZ$1,000,0000
Te Akau’s David Ellis described the Fastnet Rock filly he purchased for a sale-topping NZ$1 million on Tuesday as ‘the best filly he had seen’ in the many years he had been attending the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale and the seven-figure sum he gave for her makes her the most expensive female Ellis has ever bought at the sale.
Lot 586 - Fastnet Rock x Test The World (filly) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
David Ellis has enjoyed enormous success racing the progeny of the stallion, headlined by multiple Group 1 winner Avantage, who still remains Fastnet Rock’s most prolific winning top-flight scorer. Ellis also had success racing sons of the sire: Heroic Valour, Rock ‘N’ Pop and Age Of Fire, who all triumphed at Group 1 level.
“I had a good chat with Karyn (Fenton-Ellis, wife) this morning and I said this was the best filly since 1988 that I have seen on this ground. This complex was opened in 1988 and I have never seen a better filly,” Ellis said.
“She was just perfect. She has a beautiful pedigree and the mare had a lot of speed,” he said.
“I had a good chat with Karyn (Fenton-Ellis, wife) this morning and I said this (Lot 586) was the best filly since 1988 that I have seen on this ground. This complex was opened in 1988 and I have never seen a better filly.” - David Ellis
“I saw the mare’s foal at Coolmore Stud in December and that is a cracker. There is so much to like about this filly, and I can’t wait to get her into training.
“I think she will make a 2-year-old, she is a definite Sires’ Produce filly and is a filly we would like to take to Melbourne as a 3-year-old and have a crack at those big races. The good thing about this filly is that there are two NZ$1 million races for her that are restricted to horses that came from this sale.”
Ellis said Tuesday's headline act had similar traits to nine-time Group 1 winner Avantage, who later sold on gavelhouse.com for an online world-record of NZ$4.1 million.
“Avantage was by the same sire. They are both very fast-looking Fastnet Rocks,” Ellis said. “This one is out of a Testa Rossa mare, which reflects, in my opinion, a lot of speed. This filly’s mother was a very fast filly and I think she will be a really good broodmare.”
Karyn Fenton-Ellis and David Ellis | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Offered by Curraghmore, the filly was bred by Coolmore and she is out of Listed-placed mare Test The World (Testa Rossa) and comes from the extended family of Group 2 winner Glory Girl (Best Western) and Listed-winning duo The Travelling Man (Mossman) and Unanimously (Not A Single Doubt).
“When you buy one from Coolmore Stud you know you have got a great chance because they are reared in such a great environment.”
Ellis was crowned leading buyer for the 18th consecutive time and he said he felt the week had been a tremendous success.
“I think it has been a very successful sale,” Ellis said. “Given the fact a lot of overseas people couldn’t come because of the weather, I think New Zealand Bloodstock have done an incredible job promoting the sale.
“I think the prices overall have been strong and it has been a successful week.”
“I think the prices overall have been strong and it has been a successful week.” - David Ellis
Lot 616 - Super Seth x Valpolicella (NZ) (Red Ransom {USA}) filly, NZ$625,000
Super Seth’s first crop of yearlings had been well-received all week at Karaka and on Tuesday he was handed the best result of his short career in the sales ring when Ian Moses’ Laguna Partnership, Barry Lee Bloodstock and John Sargent Racing stretched to a massive NZ$625,000 for a filly by Waikato Stud’s first-season sire.
Offered by Haunui Farm, the filly is out of Valpolicella (NZ) (Red Ransom {USA}), the dam of Group 2 winners Vavasour (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and Vilanova (NZ) (Commands), as well as Celebrity Dream (NZ) (Thorn Park) and Group 1-placed Rondinella (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).
Lot 616 - Super Seth x Valpolicella (NZ) (filly) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Bidding alongside Sydney-based trainer John Sargent and bloodstock advisor Barry Lee, Moses said he had to break the budget for the filly.
“I am a Kiwi and I have lived in the US for the last 30 years and I now live in Byron Bay,” said Moses. “It was a mobile pet grooming franchise, and we just sold it 18 months ago and I’m now kind of retired and living in Byron Bay.
“I liked the pedigree, that was the most important thing. I am trying to put together five real quality broodmares and I had four of them and this will be the fifth.”
“I liked the (Lot 616's) pedigree, that was the most important thing. I am trying to put together five real quality broodmares and I had four of them and this will be the fifth.” - Ian Moses
Another member of Moses' future broodmare band is 3-year-old filly Byron Belle (Snitzel), who is entered to run at Canterbury Park on Wednesday for Sargent.
“She is by Snitzel out of Diademe and then the other three are broodmares at Coolmore,” Moses said.
“I go back quite a way with John Sargent. I raced a horse called Holy Moly with him. I thought she was a great type, very athletic – I loved her. I thought she was the best filly in the sale,” he said.
John Sargent | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
A total of 33 Super Seths sold for an average of NZ$160,758 which is four times his service fee, which was set at NZ$35,000 plus GST in his first year. These good results come off the back of a wonderful Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, when his seven yearlings grossed $1,620,000 at an average $231,429, with the top-seller making $450,000.
Lot 488 - Written Tycoon x Save The Date (NZ) (Savabeel) filly, NZ$460,000
Andrew Forsman, Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) and Bevan Smith made a splash on the first day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale when they purchased a filly by Savabeel for NZ$600,000 and on the final day of Book 1 that same group teamed up to purchase a daughter of Written Tycoon for NZ$460,000.
With Forsman set to open a satellite stable at Macedon Lodge in Melbourne last this year, Williams and Smith have been sourcing top-line fillies to join the facility.
Lot 488 - Written Tycoon x Save The Date (NZ) (filly) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Catalogued as Lot 488 and offered by Cambridge Stud, the daughter of Yulong Stud’s Written Tycoon is out of Group 3-placed Savabeel mare Save The Date (NZ) and Williams said they earmarked her as one of the fillies of the sale.
“She is a filly we have been waiting for, we had to wait until day three, which was a little agonising in itself,” Williams said. “We are very happy to get her. We went over budget by NZ$10,000 in order to get her, but hopefully that is a good decision in the long-term.
“We are excited to get her and she is going to get every chance with Andrew Forsman and hopefully we see her in the Melbourne spring as a 3-year-old filly.
“We are excited to get her (Lot 488) and she is going to get every chance with Andrew Forsman and hopefully we see her in the Melbourne spring as a 3-year-old filly.” - Andrew Williams
“We need to buy quality in order to compete in Melbourne. We have got to take fillies like this and put them through Andrew’s system and let’s hope they are good enough to be running in Melbourne in the spring.”
The same consortium of buyers struck last year for a filly by Snitzel, who is now known as Ethereal Star and has already banked a stakes win in the Listed Challenge S. She was most recently seen running a brave second in the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO, a race which Williams said will likely be on the cards for the Written Tycoon filly.
“She is a horse that we have looked at multiple times throughout the week and singled out her and the Savabeel filly on day one.
“We bought Ethereal Star at this sale last year with Andrew Forsman and she is a stakes winner and runner-up in the Karaka Million a fortnight ago, so let’s hope we can have similar success with this filly.
“We will point her in that direction (Karaka Million) and see if we can get her there. You need to have a lot of luck to get a runner pre-Christmas, everything needs to go right.
“We will point her (Lot 488) in that direction (Karaka Million) and see if we can get her there.” - Andrew Williams
“We thought she was forward enough physically, her demeanour and everything about her was faultless.”
Williams has been active at Karaka this week and has been pleased with the seven yearlings he has bought to date.
“I think a filly like this exemplifies the sale,” he said. “I think the cream of the crop are really rising and everyone is on them.
Andrew Williams | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“I think it is also strong in that NZ$150,000 to NZ$200,000 bracket, which is a credit to the buying bench and what New Zealand Bloodstock has done to get those people here. Whether they are from Australia or further afield, as well as the domestic buyers.”
Lot 505 - Per Incanto (USA) x Sharvasti (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}) colt, NZ$450,000
Kevin Walls of KBW Bloodstock has been acting on behalf of prominent owners Ron and Judy Wanless all week and he continued to stockpile on Tuesday, buying a son of Per Incanto (USA) for NZ$450,000.
The colt is out of Group 1-winning Montjeu (Ire) mare Sharvasti (NZ) and she is herself a daughter of Listed winner Veddora (NZ) (Kreisler {Ire}), the dam of Group 3-winning pair Shastri (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) and Bhandara (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Lot 505 - Per Incanto (USA) x Sharvasti (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
This is the second yearling by the sire Walls has bought under his KPW Bloodstock banner this week, having purchased a filly by Little Avondale’s sire on the first day of the auction, paying Ardsley Stud Limited NZ$275,000 for her.
“They’re good clients and he loves the game and loves racing, this is their passion. He is getting stuck into this year,” said Walls. “He is a great type and that is our main thing, we start off on type and then we go through the breeding and if we like it we try very hard to buy it.
“Per Incanto is a good sire who throws both colts and fillies and we bought a nice filly by him on day one.”
“He (Lot 505) is a great type and that is our main thing, we start off on type and then we go through the breeding and if we like it we try very hard to buy it.” - Kevin Walls
Of the price, Walls said, “He was one of the nicest Per Incanto colts here so you would expect to pay that. We went a bit above the budget we had for him, but he was such a nice horse.”
The Wanless’ were active at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January purchasing 11 yearlings for $4,815,000, using Joe Curran of Curran Bloodstock.
“Joe Curran and I do the legwork, we then get together and do the shortlist. At the end of the day the client makes the decision. It is good to have everyone back and the atmosphere has changed and the spirit around this week has been great,” said Walls.
Kevin Walls | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Lot 507 - Zoustar x Shenandoah (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) colt, NZ$400,000
Widden Stud’s Zoustar had three lots offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale and the most expensive of the trio was purchased by Te Akau’s David Ellis for NZ$400,000 on the final day of Book 1.
The colt is out of the winning Group 2-placed mare Shenandoah (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and she is in turn a daughter of Ms Seneca Rock (USA) (Seneca Jones {USA}), who is also the dam of Listed William Crockett S. winner Minaj (NZ) (Commands).
“He’s really typical of the sire (Zoustar), and an outstanding colt in every respect,” said David Ellis.
Lot 507 - Zoustar x Shenandoah (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
“He handled the preparation and paraded very well. He’s precocious, short-coupled, and looks to have plenty of speed about him.”
Zoustar’s three yearlings made an aggregate of NZ$760,000 and sold for an average of NZ$253,333.
Top lots overall
| 586 | Fastnet Rock | Test the World | F | Curraghmore | Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) | NZ$1,000,000 |
| 294 | Too Darn Hot | Lady Sayyida | C | Trelawney Stud Ltd | Cameron Cooke Bloodstock | NZ$750,000 |
| 616 | Super Seth | Valpolicella | F | Haunui Farm | Laguna Partnership / Barry Lee Bloodstock / John Sargent Racing | NZ$625,000 |
| 59 | Savabeel | Bayrock | C | Windsor Park Stud | Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) | NZ$625,000 |
| 97 | Savabeel | Chiaretta | F | Elsdon Park | Forsman Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock / Bevan Smith Bloodstock | NZ$600,000 |
| 344 | Pierro | Meleka Belle | F | Haunui Farm | Mr T Stakemire | NZ$500,000 |
| 488 | Written Tycoon | Save the Date | F | Cambridge Stud | Forsman Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock / Bevan Smith Bloodstock | NZ$460,000 |
| 621 | Deep Field | Via Veneto | C | Beaufort Downs Ltd | The Hong Kong Jockey Club | NZ$450,000 |
| 505 | Per Incanto | Sharvasti | C | Little Avondale Stud | KPW Bloodstock | NZ$450,000 |
| 196 | Pierro | Forever Loved | F | Curraghmore | Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster Bloodstock | NZ$450,000 |
