Cover image courtesy of Gavelhouse Plus
The third instalment of the New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) National Online Yearling Sale took place on Wednesday evening, with the 92-strong catalogue opening for bidding last Friday.
This sale originated during the COVID years in New Zealand, but with such early graduates as the stakes performers Contagious (NZ) (Proisir), Timeless (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) and Bolshoi Star (Russian Revolution), it was quickly a permanent fixture on the Gavelhouse Plus calendar.
On Wednesday, final results wrapped up with Lot 39 coming out on top. The filly was by Proisir from the New Approach (Ire) mare Khaseeb and she was offered by the Fairdale Stud operation at Longburn.
Lot 39 - Proisir x Khaseeb (filly) | Image courtesy of Gavelhouse Plus
She was purchased by Otaki trainer Johno Benner, who trains with Hollie Wynyard at Benner Racing, on behalf of prominent Kiwi owner Gary Harding, costing NZ$110,000.
Among Harding’s hits as an owner is the Per Incanto (USA) mare Bonham (NZ), who he sold for $1.6 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale some years ago. More significantly though, he had the exceptional mare Bounding (Lonhro), who he subsequently sold and whose first foal in America fetched an eye-watering US$4.1 million (AU$6.1 million) later on.
At a selling price of NZ$110,000, Lot 39 was far from those dizzy heights on Wednesday night. However, the filly is by the sire of the moment in Proisir, whose hiked service fee of NZ$70,000 (plus GST) was announced on Tuesday by Rich Hill Stud.
Proisir | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
Lot 39 was the only horse that Johno Benner signed for throughout the sale, and he said the filly was a no-brainer with such a stout sire on the page.
“She’s for a big owner over here in Gary Harding,” Benner said, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “I thought she was a really nice filly, and obviously Proisir is becoming hot property now. He’ll be NZ$70,000 this year and we just thought she was the best horse on the website.”
“I thought she (Lot 39) was a really nice filly, and obviously Proisir is becoming hot property now. He’ll be NZ$70,000 this year and we just thought she was the best horse on the website.” - Johno Benner
Lot 39 has an interesting pedigree.
Her dam is a half-sister to Alshibaa, an Australian-bred gelding by Street Cry (Ire) who was Horse of the Year in Mauritius in 2021. The third dam on this page is Rewaaya (NZ) (Singspiel {Ire}), who won the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S., G3 Let’s Elope S. and was four-times placed at Group 1 level.
This is the family of the Group 3-winning Wandabaa (Wandjina) and the G1 Doomben Cup winner Sense Of Occasion (Street Sense {USA}), and Lot 39 was the third foal from her dam with only two to the track so far.
“She was just up from the road from where we are, so I was able to go and view her,” Benner said. “Gary really liked her and I really liked her, and the rest is history.”
Benner is a buyer on the digital platforms from time to time only. He said it was difficult to gauge an expected price for Lot 39.
Hollie Wynyard and Johnno Benner | Image courtesy of Race Images
“It’s hard to assess them on these platforms,” the trainer said. “You never know really, but Proisir is standing for NZ$70,000 now so they’re not getting any cheaper.”
Benner said it was possible that Wednesday’s sale was benefitting from being at the tail end of the live auction market. Bargains were to be had because there wasn’t much money still floating around.
“Possibly a lot of people have spent their money by now,” he said. “There have been a lot of sales around Australasia and people might be out of chips, but at the end of the day if they want horses and they’ve got the money to buy them, horses are still available like this one.”
Philip Brown goes again
Lot 39 just edged out the rest of the catalogue for top honours on Wednesday night, with Lot 70 selling closely behind for NZ$105,000.
Once again it was a Proisir filly, this time offered by Curraghmore, and bought by Philip and Catherine Brown, who race the brilliant G1 Australian Guineas and G1 New Zealand Guineas winner Legarto (NZ) (Proisir).
Lot 70 - Proisir x Rose's Girl (NZ) (fillly) | Image courtesy of Gavelhouse Plus
Lot 70 was one of the talked-about options in the catalogue all week, the second foal from the Rip Van Winkle (Ire) mare Rose’s Girl (NZ). This is the family of the Australian dual Listed winner Gwendolyn (Fairy King {USA}), and from a fourth dam that provides a stack of black type, including the Derby-winning sire Starcraft (NZ).
For Curraghmore studmaster Gordon Cunningham, it was a satisfying result.
“It’s a very good home for this filly,” Cunningham said, speaking with TDN AusNZ. “She was a very good-looking filly, and she was very athletic and she’s by a great sire. It’s wonderful that Philip Brown and his team have bought another horse for themselves and I hope she will be every bit as lucky for them.”
“She (Lot 70) was a very good-looking filly, and she was very athletic and she’s by a great sire. It’s wonderful that Philip Brown and his team have bought another horse for themselves and I hope she will be every bit as lucky for them.” - Gordon Cunningham
Cunningham said it was no mistake that the top two sale-toppers on Wednesday night were Proisir fillies. It was also no surprise to him.
“Proisir is the most exciting sire to hit the ranks in a long time,” he said. “He looks like he’s in for a huge career with future success guaranteed.”
Lot 70 was put into this week’s online sale after a readjustment in January. She would ordinarily have made it into Curraghmore’s Book 2 draft at Karaka, but this year, Cunningham condensed his yearlings into a Book 1 draft.
Gordon Cunningham | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“I would have offered her in January as a Book 2 filly, but I had 27 Book 1 horses of our own and I didn’t present a Book 2 draft,” he said. “It’s worked out fine with her, and Gavelhouse has been very good to us over the years. This is proving to be a good sale and it’s great to see plenty of bidding throughout the whole week. It’s a big asset to our industry.”
For owner Philip Brown, who, along with his wife Catherine, has had so much success with Legarto under his Ancroft Stud banner, not to mention his four-time Group 1 winner Levante (NZ) (Proiser), Lot 70 was an exciting addition to the ranks.
“I’m a great fan of Proisir,” Brown said in a chat with TDN AusNZ after the sale. “Gordon sent me a text to say she was a lovely filly, and I’ve known Gordon for 50 years, so I was listening. When I watched the videos of her she just looked a lovely, lovely filly and I fell in love with her.”
“Gordon (Cunningham) sent me a text to say she was a lovely filly, and I’ve known Gordon for 50 years so I was listening. When I watched the videos of her (Lot 70) she just looked a lovely, lovely filly and I fell in love with her.” - Philip Brown
Brown has bought only one or two horses previously via digital auctions. However, he said the online process is straightforward.
“When you watch them walk, you can see everything you need to see, basically,” he said. “I probably wasn’t in the marketplace for a new horse, but once I’d seen her and watched the videos three and four times, I just fell in love. She was a delightful filly with a beautiful everything, and all my mates want to be in with me, so that’s a good start.”
Brown said that his new filly will go to training partners Ken and Bev Kelso, who have steered Levante and Legarto through so much success.
Philip Brown and wife Catherine (far right) bring Levante (NZ) back to the Trentham birdcage after winning the G1 Telegraph | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“Ken Kelso is going to be taking 10 per cent of her, so we’re going to do the same things as we’ve done before,” Brown added. “We’re going to give her some time to get on with it and we’re going to have some fun with her.”
