By Daithi Harvey
A colt by Hinchinbrook (Aus) topped the opening day of a record breaking NZB Ready To Run Sale at Karaka on Wednesday when selling to David Lui and Karl Chan of Hong Kong-based Sweetbriar Equine for NZ$460,000. Both Hinchinbrook and the Ready To Run Sale got a boost this past weekend when Beat The Clock (Aus) (ex Flion Fenena {Aus}, by Lion Hunter {Aus}), purchased for NZ$200,000 at this sale two years ago, won for the fifth time in 10 starts in Hong Kong and is bound for stakes company. Wednesday's sale recorded the highest ever average at a 2-year-old sale in Australasia of NZ$108,210 and the aggregate after the opening session amounted to NZ$15,690,500. 145 of the 193 offered juveniles were sold for a clearance rate of 75% and the median finished up at NZ$65,000.
NZB's Bloodstock Sales Manager Danny Rolston is pleased with proceedings so far and commented, “The buying bench at Karaka has reinforced how important the sale is on the international sale calendar. A reduction in the number of horses catalogued contributed to a healthy clearance rate on par with 2015. With key indicators better than last year, the vendors have been well rewarded for their hard work.”
The sale topper, a A$5,000 in utero purchase at the Inglis Australian Broodmare and Weanling Sale before bringing A$65,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2016, was offered by Regal Farm as lot 106 and will remain in New Zealand for the time being though a racing career elsewhere will also be considered. “New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong are all possibilities. We will be guided by our pre-trainer,” David Lui said. “I think he will be an early runner. He breezed well and we like the pedigree. Hinchinbrook is going very well in Hong Kong and we think his popularity will continue to grow.”
Both Hinchinbrook and the Ready To Run Sale got a boost this past weekend when Beat The Clock (Aus) (ex Flion Fenena {Aus}, by Lion Hunter {Aus}), purchased for NZ$200,000 at this sale two years ago, won for the fifth time in 10 starts in Hong Kong Nov. 19 and is bound for stakes company.
Hong Kong buyers contributed significantly to the success of the sale accounting for six of the top ten lots and among the more prolific buyers was Ricky Yiu who purchased three juveniles for a total of NZ$560,000, the highest being lot 61 who was knocked down for NZ$280,000. Giving his views on the Hong Kong influence was agent Willie Leung who commented, “I think that is one of the major selling points from this sale in that it always seems to produce horses that go to Hong Kong and perform extremely well.”
Australian purchasers also played their part and the second highest priced 2-year-old was a son of Fastnet Rock (Aus) who made NZ$400,000 to Mark Pilkington Management and Lindsay Park Racing. Lot 174 was prepared by Curraghmore and stopped the clock in his breeze at 10:43.
It would be rare for David Ellis not to make his mark at a New Zealand Sale and the Te Akau agent was the session's leading buyer with nine horses purchased for NZ$1,510,000. His spending included lot 192 a Savabeel (Aus) colt offered by Lyndhurst Farm which made NZ$350,000. The sale will continue on Thursday from 11 a.m. and will be streamed live at www.nzb.co.nz.
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