The first yearling to be auctioned in the Southern Hemisphere by Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) lit up the sale ring on the final day of a robust edition of the Karaka 2016 Premier Sale when knocked down for NZ$1.3m to Adrian Nicoll of BBA Ireland. On a day that saw significant gains in all key figures, the colt out of Our Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), catalogued as lot 445, stole the show with Nicoll landing the final blow after a bidding duel with Peter Moody. A syndicate of high-profile international identities combined to purchase the colt from Pencarrow Stud, including Nicoll, Tom Magnier of Coolmore Stud, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum from Dubai, the Niarchos family from France and Apollo Ng from Hong Kong.
“The two best Frankels I have seen have been this horse here and the filly [out of Alexander Goldrun {Ire}] at Goffs that sold for €1.7 million,” commented Nicoll. “He's a lovely horse, he's got immense presence and we started trying to make this happen about three days ago.”
The NZ$1.3m colt helped drive significant increases to the aggregate, average, median and clearance rate from last year's sale. With 316 horses sold, 18 more than last year, the aggregate for the two-day sale finished at NZ$55,687,500, a significant increase of 24% from last year and the highest figure for the Premier Sale since 2011. The average price for the sale finished up at NZ$176,226 representing another big increase of 17% and the highest average since 2010. Also increasing by 17% was the median price as it reached NZ$140,000, up from last year's figure of NZ$120,000. All of these milestones were achieved at a clearance rate of 78%, again higher than the 2015 figure of 75%. Another sign of strength was the number of horses sold for over NZ$500,000 with 10 horses reaching or surpassing that mark, compared with just three last year. Further to that, there were 45 horses sold for NZ$300,000 or more, up from 29 last year.
“We are delighted with the results that have been achieved over the past two days,” commented NZB's Managing Director Andrew Seabrook. “An extremely diverse buying bench was active leading to some great bidding spectacles in the ring. We achieved the best average since 2010 and the best aggregate and median since 2011 which shows the depth of the catalogue. Credit must go to our vendors for putting together a catalogue of great strength and for presenting their horses in immaculate condition.”
Also creating headlines was David Ellis of Te Akau Racing, as he became the leading buyer for a record 11th consecutive year at the Karaka Premier Sale. Ellis purchased 17 horses for a total of NZ$4,775,000. The diverse buying bench was evidenced by representatives of 12 countries purchasing horses at the sale including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ireland, Japan, Macau, Netherlands, United Kingdom, U.S., South Africa and Malaysia.
Featuring in the top 10 individual buyers were China Horse Club and the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group (both China), Chris Waller and Ultra Thoroughbreds (Australia), the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the international syndicate that purchased the top lot, along with Kiwis David Ellis, Team Rogerson, Go Racing and Bruce Perry. Australia was the leading country by spend, purchasing 135 horses for NZ$22,870,000, an increase of 12% from last year's NZ$20,412,500.
Just before missing out on the top lot of the day, trainer Peter Moody struck by purchasing the second highest-priced lot of the sale. In partnership with First Light Racing and Paul Willets, Moody went to NZ$825,000 for a Savabeel (Aus) colt out of O'Reilly Rose (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) catalogued as lot 442. Offered by Beltana, the colt is the highest-priced Savabeel to ever be sold at auction.
In total Savabeel grossed NZ$11,545,000, over 20% of the sale aggregate. He provided the second and third-equal highest prices of the sale with lot 301 purchased for NZ$775,000 by Ultra Thoroughbreds the same price outlaid by David Ellis for lot 200 on Monday. The home of Savabeel, Waikato Stud, was the leading vendor by aggregate for the third consecutive year, selling 45 horses for NZ$8,257,500.
“We came here with a lovely draft and there was a great buying bench present, they really accepted the Savabeels along with the first crops of Ocean Park (NZ) (Thorn Park {Aus}) and the Rock 'N' Pops (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}),” commented Waikato Stud's Mark Chittick. “We had 50 horses in the Premier Sale and to get through with the result that we did, we're extremely happy.”
The leading vendor by average was Curraghmore with 18 horses sold at an average NZ$268,333, with their highest-priced horse also purchased by Ellis, who paid NZ$510,000 for the Fastnet Rock (Aus) (Danehill) colt out of Myrrh (NZ) (Nassipour) catalogued as lot 432.
Selling continues at Karaka on Wednesday with the first session of the three-day Select Sale, the source of five individual Group 1 winners last season. Selling commences at Lot 448 from 11 a.m., with the sale streamed live online at www.nzb.co.nz.
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