Karaka Begins Well

Lot 48 | Trish Dunell

The opener of the reformatted New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale saw 76 yearlings find new homes during the first day of Book 1, good for an encouraging clearance rate of 81% from the 94 lots offered at the Karaka Sales Pavilion on Sunday evening after the day's racing. A filly by boom kiwi sire Tavistock (NZ) went the way of Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for NZ$500,000. That early topper's price was equaled near the end of trade, with Wallace Thoroughbreds snapping up a More Than Ready colt later in the night.

Although comparisons won't be able possible until the end of the Karaka yearling sales, international and local buyers were out in force. The aggregate was NZ$11,505,000, the average hit NZ$151,382 and the median settled at NZ$110,000. Eleven lots brought NZ$300,000 or more, with Cambridge Stud's Tavistock siring five of that number, while Waikato Stud's Savabeel (Aus) (2) and Coolmore's Fastnet Rock (Aus) (2) also featured.

“With no comparable Sale, we won't get the full measure of the sale from a statistics point of view until the end of the week, but all early indications point to a great week ahead,” said New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Andrew Seabrook. “This is probably the best opening session we've seen at Karaka to date, and with really good reports on the overall quality on offer this year, and great depth to the buying bench, it bodes well for the momentum to continue.”

Dean Hawthorne struck for lot 48, going to NZ$500,000 for the Highden Park filly, who is a full-sister to Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther (NZ) and GSW Gobstopper (NZ). The filly will stay in New Zealand for another six months before heading across the Tasman.

“She's athletic, neat, and a good Tavistock filly,” said Hawthorne, who was shopping Karaka for one reason–the pre-eminence of the New Zealand stayer. “We love the pedigree and what the mare's [offspring] do. The stayers in New Zealand are the best in the Southern Hemisphere. We have seen some nice fillies in this sale and there are some nice Tavistocks still to come.”

Hawthorne also went to NZ$300,000 for another Tavistock, this time a colt (lot 35) from Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan's Cambridge Stud. The colt is out of Ardeche (NZ), a half-sister to GSW & G1 Vinery Stud S. third Forever Loved (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), GSW Zephyron (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and G1SP Zenella (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). Rounding out Hawthorne's Sunday trio was lot 64, an Iffraaj (GB) colt from the Haunui Farm draft for NZ$140,000, whose second dam is French champion and MG1SW Bright Sky (Ire) (Wolfhound).

Just under 40 lots later, co-trainers Bruce Wallace and Allan Peard paid NZ$500,000 for an attractive bay son (lot 84) of top shuttler More Than Ready offered by Haunui Farm. A half-brother to New Zealand Group 2 winner Ego (NZ) (E Dubai), as well as the stakes-placed duo of Ready Steady (NZ) (Perfectly Ready {Aus}) and Sans Souci (NZ) (Pins {Aus}), he is the ninth foal from Buckling (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}).

“We saw him during the parades out here and really liked the look of him,” said Peard. “He is a big raw-boned type who has a lot of scope about him and a great pedigree. We've bought him for a Hong Kong client who has raced a number of horses with us. It was a tough battle and I thought we had him NZ$100,000 earlier than his final price. He looks a sprinting type, although you can never tell at this early age. He has a pedigree that could make him a stallion with the right racetrack performance, but you just never know.”

Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan's Cambridge Stud and their resident sire Tavistock were a recurring theme throughout the first day of selling. Sir Patrick is offering his final draft during the Karaka January Sales after selling the stud to Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who will take over in April. The most expensive yearling from the Cambridge draft was lot 10, a bay filly by Tavistock out of G1SP Zenella. She caught the attention of Bruce Perry Bloodstock, who stretched to NZ$420,000.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club was listed twice on the buyers sheets by the end of the first session, outlaying NZ$400,000 for a Fastnet Rock (Aus) colt (lot 26), the second foal out of the three-time winner Aneto (Aus) from Henley Park's draft and another NZ$240,000 for Trelawney Stud's bay colt (lot 80) by Savabeel (Aus). Produced by G1 New Zealand Oaks heroine Boundless (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy), the latter is from the same family as GSP Purrfection (NZ) (Tale of the Cat).

Seven yearlings from the Cambridge draft brought NZ$1,400,000, tops among vendors by aggregate. Tavistock was fourth by average (for three or more sold) at NZ$192,000 for 15 individuals, with only Fastnet Rock (Aus) (3 sold averaging NZ$283,333), first-season sire Sacred Falls (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) (3, NZ$201,667) and Savabeel (9, NZ$197,778) coming out ahead.

Fresh off capturing his second Karaka 2yo Million with Avantage (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) on Saturday, Te Akau Racing's David Ellis, leading buyer at Karaka for the last 12 years, led all buyers by gross, shelling out NZ$1,030,000 for eight head, topped by a NZ$230,000 colt (lot 70) by Savabeel {Aus} hailing from the Brighthill Farm consignment. He is out of a full-sister to GSW & MG1SP G1 Golden Slipper second Von Costa De Hero (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}).

The second day of action at Karaka kicks off at 11 a.m. local time. For the complete results, go to www.nzb.co.nz.

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