Image courtesy of Carlaw Park
Nicholas Fairweather and Nicole Brown are still coming to terms with the events of the past week in Auckland. The couple, who founded the Ohaupo-based Carlaw Park in 2016 in partnership with Brown’s parents, Peter and Roslyn, shot the lights out at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, finishing as the fifth-leading vendor on aggregate, after grossing NZ$3,510,000.
Carlaw Park had 24 of its 26 yearlings sell, with eight fetching NZ$200,000 or more, including Lot 632 – a Deep Field colt, which made NZ$400,000 and was knocked down to Jamie Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA).
Speaking to TDN AusNZ on Thursday, Fairweather said the results well and truly exceeded expectations and couldn’t have come at a better time, given they have a baby due in May.
“We went into the sale pretty happy with the quality of the draft we had and although it wasn’t easy at times, we rallied, particularly on Day 2 and Day 3, and it really picked up for us and we came through the other side quite strong, so, yeah, overall we are really happy,” said Fairweather.
“We set ourselves goals in terms of clearance rate and aggregate… or goal was to break NZ$2 million and we well-surpassed that, and our clearance rate, we were hoping to hit between 80-90 per cent; we sold 24 from 26, so once you reach those goals you can’t help but be happy.
“The support from clients like Marcus Corban, Gene Tsoi, Sir Patrick Hogan and the great group of owners in the horses we pinhooked have helped us become a quality yearling preparation facility.”
Pinhook prowess
Carlaw Park has enjoyed great success pinhooking horses. At the 2019 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, they paid $50,000 for a Press Statement colt from Convene (Zizou), before Tony Pike paid NZ$160,000 for him at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale. That horse was known as Scribe and won his first two starts in New Zealand, before being exported to Hong Kong, where he races under the name Naboo Legend.
Their results from Book 1 in 2023 are littered with outstanding pinhooking success. Fairweather said pinhooking is an integral part of the business, adding they have teamed up with a list of good clients that support them in this space.
“We have several clients that come in with us each year, so instead of buying two or three horses, we try and buy a handful, or maybe six to seven, and we spread the risk with each other,” Fairweather explained.
“We have several clients that come in with us each year, so instead of buying two or three horses, we try and buy a handful, or maybe six to seven, and we spread the risk with each other.” - Nicholas Fairweather
“Obviously, some don’t work out, but you can usually make that up with others.
“We’re really fortunate to have some really good clients that back us in that respect and they’ve certainly reaped the rewards this year.”
Lot 632 in Book 1 – the Deep Field colt from Waruna (All Too Hard) - was bought for $150,000 (NZ$165,000) from the draft of Kia Ora Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
“We loved him as a weanling at the Sydney Weanling Sale and for him to fetch NZ$400,000, we were absolutely over the moon,” said Fairweather.
“We loved him (Lot 632) as a weanling at the Sydney Weanling Sale and for him to fetch NZ$400,000, we were absolutely over the moon.” - Nicholas Fairweather
Carlaw Park paid $160,000 (NZ$175,000) for a colt by Pierro out of Iiex Excelsa (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}) from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, before selling him as Lot 245 (to Forsman Racing) for NZ$280,000 at Karaka.
“We bought him at Magics and he’s gone to a great home in Andrew Forsman,” Fairweather said.
“He made good money in the ring, so that was terrific.”
Another savvy pinhook was Lot 184 – a Written By filly out of the Manhattan Rain mare Financial District. He was initially purchased for $50,000 (NZ$55,000) by Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Catheryne Bruggeman / CJG Racing at the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, before Mick Wallace / Stephen Marsh Racing / Dylan Johnson / Bourbon Lane / Gandharvi Racing paid NZ$240,000 for her at Karaka.
Lot 184 - Written by x Financial District (filly) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
“Paul Moroney bought that filly for a client and she was bought to be a racehorse, not a pinhook. She come to us after the (weanling) sale and she really developed and strengthened up over a couple of months after feeding on the New Zealand grass, so I spoke to the owner and said, ‘I’d love this filly in my draft’, and he was happy to be directed that way and it really paid off, he got a great result,” said Fairweather.
And Lot 228 in Book 1 – a Churchill (Ire) colt from Heat Of The Fire (Strategic) – realised NZ$220,000, with Bryan Kwan buying. He was a $60,000 (NZ$66,000) buy for Carlaw Park from the draft of Bell River Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale
“We loved this colt when we saw him at the Weanling Sale. He was probably a bit bigger and more forward than what we normally buy, but we had heard good things about Churchill and we loved the family,” Fairweather remarked.
Lot 228 - Churchill (Ire) x Heat Of The Fire (colt) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
“I thought $60,000 was great buying.
“We thought he might suit the Asian market and it turns we were right.
“It was a great result.”
Icing on the cake
Making the week all the more memorable, Carlaw Park had the great pleasure to offer several yearlings bred by the late, great Sir Patrick Hogan. Among them was Lot 566 – a colt by So You Think (NZ) from Sunny Rose (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), who will go down in history as the final Hogan-bred yearling to go through the ring at the sale.
Fairweather explained that his parents live next door to Cambridge Stud and from the age of 12, he would work for Hogan during the school holidays and at sales time.
“We sold six for Sir Patrick and to be fair, probably the highlight of the sale for me was offering Lot 566, the very last Sir Patrick-bred horse to be offered through the Book 1 Sale,” he said.
“It was a really special moment and we had Mark Forbes, who had led some of Sir Patrick’s horses through over the last few years, he led it through and he wore the old Cambridge Stud uniform and it was good to have our good neighbour and good friend, Adrian Stanley, from Woburn Farm, there, because Sir Patrick sent him some horses, as well.
“It was a really special moment and we had Mark Forbes, who had led some of Sir Patrick’s horses through over the last few years, he led it through and he wore the old Cambridge Stud uniform...” - Nicholas Fairweather
“It was a nice moment for us, we both worked for Patrick and it was great to see him go out of the Book 1 Sale on a good note and it was so fitting that Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud purchased the colt, which was really unexpected.
“It would be a great story if that horse one day wins a Group 1 or stands at Cambridge Stud.”
