Fastnet Rocks Karaka Day One

FASTNET ROCKS KARAKA DAY ONE 
Australia’s former Champion Sire Fastnet Rock (Aus) was all the rage during the opening session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Premier Yearling Sale at the Karaka sales complex near Auckland yesterday. The Coolmore sire was responsible for the three top-priced lots, headed by a colt out of dual Classic winner Katie Lee (Aus) (Pins {Aus}), hammered down to Graeme and Debbie Rogerson for NZ$800,000. 
The key figures experienced marginal changes. The average, which was last year fueled by an NZ$1,975,000 session-topper, was down 6% to NZ$151,346, while the median rose 2% to NZ$120,000. The gross was down about NZ$1.7 million to NZ$23,761,500 with 12 more horses through the ring. The buyback rate climbed about 5% to 27.6% RNAs. 

Katie Lee Colt Keeps It In The Family… 
The husband-and-wife training team of Graeme and Debbie Rogerson crafted the career of Katie Lee–the only filly to have won New Zealand’s G1 2000 Guineas and G1 1000 Guineas–in the silks of Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan of Cambridge Stud, and the Rogersons will be responsible for the mare’s first foal, lot 73 after going to NZ$800,000 to secure him early in the session yesterday. 
“Katie Lee was a great mare, and Debbie’s got a close affinity with her,” commented Graeme Rogerson. “What she did for us, there’s no other filly like her.” 
“On type, this colt is very strong,” he added. “We debated when driving up today, but in the end Debbie said ‘I want that horse’. I valued him higher than what we got him for, and there are a lot of people that want to go in on him already. Who knows, he might end up standing back at Cambridge Stud. We need those sorts of horses in New Zealand–look at Savabeel (Aus) and what he’s achieved already.” 
The second-highest price–and top price for a filly–of the day came when Coolmore’s Tom Magnier lodged the winning bid of NZ$700,000 for lot 139, a daughter of listed winner and G1 Crown Oaks runner-up Miss Scarlatti (NZ) (Stravinsky {Aus}) from the Pencarrow Stud consignment. Magnier went to the same sum for a Fastnet Rock filly at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier in the month. Coolmore has had luck with fillies by its resident stallion, having campaigned standouts Atlantic Jewel (Aus) and Sea Siren (Aus). 
“The Fastnet Rock fillies have been very popular, and she’s a lovely type so all we need now is a little bit of luck,” said Magnier. “We’ll take her home and then decide what we’ll do with her and who will train her.” 
“She is a credit to the team at Pencarrow,” he added. “They have had all of their horses looking fantastic again this year.” 

Ellis On Top… 
David Ellis of Te Akau Stud topped the buyers list for the day, signing for 25 yearlings for NZ$4,095,000–and an average of NZ$163,380–headed by lot 207, a Fastnet Rock colt, for NZ$680,000. The youngster hails from Curraghmore Stud, which last year ended Cambridge Stud’s 31-year run as the leading vendor at the Premier sale. He is out of Randaroo (Gold Case), a six-time graded stakes winner in New York, Florida and Maryland for Joe Allen and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin who was three-times Grade I-placed. He is the seventh foal from Randaroo, who has already produced GII La Canada-second Gripsholm Castle (Dynaformer). At the conclusion of day one, Ellis is on track to become the leading buyer at Karaka for the ninth consecutive year. 

Where The Money Was… 
New Zealand buyers were responsible for 43% of the day’s total spend, up 28% from last year. Trainer Graham Richardson, who bought six yesterday, said: “There are a lot of nice horses here this year, especially quality fillies with strong pedigrees. I’ve purchased an O’Reilly filly, a Keeper filly and three Darci Brahma fillies, supporting New Zealand sires that are particularly strong currently.” 
He added: “This is the right year to be buying here at Karaka for New Zealanders. With the increasing prize money and expanding bonus schemes such as the Karaka Million and Pearl Series, there is plenty of upside to being based in New Zealand.” 
As per usual, Hong Kong made its presence felt as well, with 16 yearlings purchased for NZ$3,410,000 headed for that nation. The Hong Kong Jockey Club ended the first session as the second-leading buyer after signing for eight lots for NZ$1,985,000, headed by an NZ$400,000 Fastnet Rock colt. 
Australian buyers were responsible for 35% of the day’s total turnover, with Duncan Ramage of DGR Thoroughbred Services, Gai Waterhouse Racing/James Harron Bloodstock, and Moody Racing amongst those signing for multiple lots. 
“In a similar vein to the first day’s trade last year, the market heated up steadily as the day progressed,” commented NZB Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela. “There is an extremely broad international buying bench on site and active, and there were also some very encouraging signs from our local market with significantly increased activity from the same day last year. Overall, there’s pleasing strength to the middle market as reflected in the increased median, and by all accounts tomorrow’s line-up should attract some great competition.” 

Sire Trends… 
While Fastnet Rock dominated the action on the whole, a few other sires made a strong impact yesterday. Rip Van Winkle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who stands in the Southern Hemisphere at New Zealand’s Windsor Park Stud, was the leading first season sire by aggregate and average on the session, with 16 selling for a total of NZ$2,085,000 and an average of NZ$130,313. Makfi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) followed hot on his heels, with an aggregate of NZ$885,000 and an average of NZ$126,429 for seven lots sold. David Redvers, Racing Manager to Sheikh Fahad al Thani, signed for three lots for NZ$170,000, NZ$150,000 and NZ$200,000, including one each with leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller and Bruce Slade’s Round Table Racing, which syndicates horses for Gai Waterhouse. Makfi stands the Northern Hemisphere season at Redvers’ Tweenhills Stud. 
“We cannot emphasize enough how excited we are about this horse at home, and these are three outstanding individuals by him, all with decent pages,” Redvers said told Breednet.com.au. “These three will go to Sydney for either Gai Waterhouse or Chris Waller, I haven’t decided who will get what.” 
Redvers told the site he thought his purchases were good value. 
“They’re certainly very good value here compared to what they would make in Europe,” he said. “Dubawi is such a phenomenon at home, he and Galileo are on a level pegging, so they are not cheap horses to buy, but these New Zealand yearlings are certainly very good value.” 
High Chaparral (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), sire of standout New Zealand-breds It’s a Dundeel (NZ) and So You Think (NZ), proved ever-popular, with six of nine through the ring sold at an average of NZ$210,000. Last year’s ill-fated Australian Champion First Season Sire Northern Meteor (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) had just one go through the ring yesterday, which sold for NZ$410,000 to Hong Kong interests. Waikato Stud stalwarts O’Reilly (NZ) (Last Tycoon) and Savabeel (Aus) (Zabeel {Aus}) recorded strong strike rates. The former had 16 of 23 through the ring sell for an average of NZ$143,438, while the latter produced an average of NZ$164,706 for 17 of 21 through the ring sold. Zabeel (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), pensioned from stud duties late last year, is represented by his second to last crop at Karaka this week. The 11 that went through the ring yesterday resulted in seven sales and four buybacks. Top price of NZ$320,000 was paid by New Zealand Bloodstock as agent for a colt out of a daughter of G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Dantelah (NZ) (Volksraad {NZ}). His seven sold averaged NZ$188,571. 
The second and final session of the Premier Sale will take place tomorrow, beginning at 10:30 a.m. local time, with the Select Sale following on from there. Full results, catalogues, and live streaming of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Sales Series are available at www.nzb.co.nz.