Six Figures For NZB Top Lot

New Zealand Bloodstock held their single session South Island Sale in Christchurch on Friday when 103 yearlings came under the hammer. It was a low key day of trade and the main figures took a drop on the previous two years, however the standout lot still commanded a premium when selling for NZ$100,000. At the end of the day a total of 63 horses sold (61%) for receipts totaling NZ$873,750, which was down just under NZ$200,000 from 2017 despite a couple more lots selling. This brought an average of NZ$13,869 and a median of NZ$10,000, both also down 20 and 23 per cent on last year. NZB's Regan Donnison was obviously hoping for a better day at the office and commented, “We were disappointed with the result and you can't hide the fact – despite selling our first six-figure colt for some time, it was a tough day's trading.”

 The sale topper was offered by the Dennis family's Ravelston Stud as lot 109 and the son of Per Incanto was knocked down to Garry Carvell's Hiwi Bloodstock for NZ$100,000. The colt is out of the four time winner The Dewdrop (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), from the family of the New Zealand champion The Jewel (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) and the successful purchaser said, “I sorted him out on pedigree to have a look at. It is a cross that works well, by Per Incanto out of an O'Reilly mare, and we've had a bit of luck with that before. I bought Baba Mama, who is bred on that cross and he has won four races in Hong Kong for trainer Peter Ho.”

Carvell continued, “He's a quality colt and out of a three-quarter sister to the Jewel, so he's probably one of the better-bred horses in the sale and his x-rays were very clean. John Foote was under-bidder on him, everyone was on the horse, but at the end of the day in today's market he wasn't expensive.” Carvell also purchased the only other offering in the sale by Little Avondale Stud stallion Per Incanto when buying lot 25 for NZ$16,000 and revealed that the pair were for a Singaporean client of his but where they will race has yet to be decided. “Per Incanto is a good sire and he leaves runners. They are going well in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Everyone we have had so far can run. We'll trial them up as late two-year-olds and make a decision then,” he added. One lot before the sale topper Ravelston Stud also enjoyed a good result when selling their Charm Spirit (Ire) filly (lot 108) for NZ$50,000 to Chris Rutten while White Robe Lodge's position as the leading vendor by aggregate was aided by lot 98, a colt by their resident stallion Ghibellines (Aus) who sold to Robert Dawe for NZ$55,000. “We like to think we bring a nice draft to the sale,” White Robe Lodge manager Wayne Stewart said. “The market today wasn't very strong, but all the horses have gone to very good homes.”