NZ Sale Wraps With Records

The New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale wrapped up its two-day stand Thursday with record-breaking results. The NZ$525,000 sale-topping son of O’Reilly (NZ) marked a new record price for the sale, and new marks were also set for average and aggregate. A total of 254 juveniles changed hands for NZ$23,368,500–breaking the NZ$20 million barrier for the first time–compared to the NZ$19,297,500 raked in by 241 sold last year. The average was NZ$92,002–up 14.9% on last year’s record of NZ$80,073–and the median remained unchanged from last year’s record at NZ$60,000. The buyback rate dropped almost eight points to 19.1%.

“The sale has been going from strength to strength recently and this year’s results are phenomenal,” said NZB Managing Director Andrew Seabrook. “To break through the NZ$20 million mark for aggregate is a huge accomplishment. To see both the aggregate and average increase is extremely pleasing and we did it with a very strong clearance rate. We also saw a record price today, which just adds to what has already been a great sale.”

The sale saw strong participation by overseas buyers, particularly from the East, and it was the Hong Kong-based Jacky Chun Shing who paid the record sum for the gelded lot 362, who also posted the fastest breeze of the sale, going 200 meters in :9.91. The bay is by New Zealand’s champion sire O’Reilly out of the stakes-placed Miraculous Miss (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), also the dam of the stakes-winning Avisto (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and Celtic Tiger (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), a stakes winner since the catalogue was published. Chun Shing, on his first visit to New Zealand, remarked, “I wanted to come to Karaka to see the horses and I have found it very interesting. The money was a little higher than we expected but we still got what we wanted.”

The leading buyer of the sale was Lang Lin’s Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group, the campaigner of this year’s G1 Australian Derby and G1 Caulfield Cup winner Mongolian Khan (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). Lin purchased 25 juveniles–destined for Australasia and China–for NZ$1,837,000, including Thursday’s second most expensive lot, 358, a colt by champion sire Fastnet Rock (Aus). Lin revealed he purchased the colt on behalf of An Jun, who joined Lin at the sale, and his brother in China.

“Mr. Yue Sheng Zhang from the Yulong Group, who is one of the biggest buyers from China, attended the sale and also Mr. An Jun, from Inner Mongolia,” said Lin. “Both race horses in Australia and the Fastnet Rock colt purchased by Mr. An Jun is also going to Australia.”

The colt is out of Memories Of You (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-sister to GI Ramona H. winner Matiara (Bering {GB}), G2 Richmond S. winner Pyrus (Mr. Prospector), and multiple French group winner Marathon (Diesis {GB}). The colt is bred on the same cross as G1 Queensland Derby winner Magicool (Aus) and this year G1 Investec Oaks winner Qualify (Ire).

The China Horse Club bought five for NZ$587,500, the Macau Jockey Club spent NZ$1,003,500 on 21 and Hong Kong was the leading buying nation with 43 bought for NZ$6,783,000.

“There has been a large international buying bench here this week and this shows that the success of the sale is being recognized around the world,” said Seabrook. “Particular mention has to go to our Hong Kong and Chinese buyers, who have been influential at this year’s sale.”

The next greatest outlay came from Australia, whose buyers bought 61 for NZ$6,693,000. Local New Zealanders spent NZ$3,950,000 on 61-head.