Strong Start to NZB Ready To Run Sale

New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale got off to a fast start Wednesday with growth across all figures. With four fewer horses sold than at last year’s opening session (112 in total), the aggregate rose by more than NZ$1.5 million to NZ$10,196,000, putting the sale on track to break the NZ$20 million barrier for the first time. While this year’s opening day had 20 more withdrawals than last year’s, the buyback rate dropped nearly seven points to 25.8%. The average, up 21.9% to NZ$91,036, was a record for an Australasian 2-year-old sale, breaking the record set at this sale last year. The median rose 8.3% to NZ$65,000.

“It has been a really encouraging start with the best day of selling in the sale’s history recorded,” said NZB’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook. “We have had a strong international buying bench and the bidding in the ring has been very competitive. There is plenty of depth to the catalogue and there is still some really good buying to be found in the middle market. Traditionally day two is stronger so we hope to build on today’s results with another good day of selling [Thursday].”

Top billing for the session went to lot 184, Prima Park’s son of leading Australian sire Sebring (Aus), who was picked up by the Sydney-based Poletti Corporation for NZ$340,000. NZB’s Danny Rolston handled the bidding for the colt, who will be trained by Mauro Poletti and Amanda Turner.

“He was Mauro and Mandy’s top pick from the breeze-up videos,” said Rolston. “They love the stallion and he inspected super. They are great supporters of the sale and have had success of late.”

Prima Park earlier in the session sold a Not A Single Doubt (Aus) colt (lot 13) to Hong Kong trainer David Ferraris for NZ$270,000. Prima Park wrapped up the opening session as leading vendor by average (five sold for an average of NZ$209,000) and third-leading vendor by aggregate at NZ$1,045,000.

Proven sires dominated the top of the leaderboard, with a son of New Zealand champion sire Savabeel (Aus) (lot 23) selling for NZ$300,000 to NZB as agent early in the session. The dark bay is out of Quatro (Aus) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), a daughter of G1 Australian Oaks winner My Brilliant Star (Aus) (Copper Kingdom) and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Shot Of Thunder (Aus) (Thunder Gulch). He was offered by Mana Park as agent.

Arrowfield’s son of Fastnet Rock (Aus), Smart Missile (Aus), had his first 2-year-olds hit the track this season, and Hong Kong connections have clearly liked what they’ve seen, as a pair of colts by that sire will be headed overseas after being purchased by different connections for NZ$260,000. The first to strike was Manfred Man, who purchased lot 115. That colt is out of the French stakes performer Venetian Lady (Woodman), a half-sister to Group 2 winners Vetheuil (Riverman) and Verveine (Lear Fan), the latter the dam of GI EP Taylor S. winner Volga (Ire) (Caerleon). Venetian Lady is also a half-sister to the dams of G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Vespone (Ire) (Llandaff) and G1 Coronation S. winner Maids Causeway (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway).

A short time later Ricky Yiu–who was Hong Kong’s leading buyer of the day with three bought for NZ$500,000–secured lot 129, a Smart Missile son of the winning Zabeel (NZ) mare Zabelka (Aus) from Prima Park. Hong Kong buyers purchased a total of 21 horses for NZ$3,197,500.

The day’s leading individual buyer was Mr. Lang of the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group, who bought 14 juveniles–destined for both China and New Zealand–for NZ$744,000. The Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group is best known as the campaigner of this year’s G1 Australian Derby and G1 Caulfield Cup winner Mongolian Khan (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who was an NZ$140,000 purchase at NZB’s Premier Yearling Sale in 2013. Lang’s most expensive purchase of the day was an NZ$180,000 colt by first-season sire Sepoy (Aus) (lot 89), who smashed records with his first yearlings sold earlier this year. The colt is out of California stakes winner Ten Churros (High Brite).

“Mongolian Khan has had such a successful year and we wanted to come back here to buy another Mongolian Khan,” said Lang. “I have attended the sale a number of times; I trust the quality of horses here and I would like to buy more. Joining me at the sale are 20 associates from China, as I have told them the Kiwi horses are really good quality and they have also bought horses today.”

The session’s second-leading buyer was Singapore trainer Shane Baertschiger, who shelled out NZ$590,000 for four youngsters.

“The quality of the catalogue is very good with lots of depth and I have missed out on a few nice horses as well,” said Baertschiger. “This is one of the best sales I have been to in terms of quality and I will be back tomorrow with a few more on my shortlist.”

The sale continues Thursday with its final session at 12 pm. local time.