By Alan Carasso
Per Incanto (Street Cry {Ire}) has made quite an impression in his first few years at Little Avondale Stud and his progeny have been exceptionally well received during this week's New Zealand Bloodstock sales at Karaka. A few days after a Little Avondale-consigned son of Star Guest (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) (hip 426) was hammered down for NZ$250,000 during the Select Sale, the sire's daughter of Grable (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) (hip 728) was the subject of a protracted battle between John McArdle's Redgum Racing and trainer Matt Cumani, with McArdle ultimately prevailing on a session-topping bid of NZ$300,000.
“We thought the filly that sold for $300,000 today would make around the $100,000 mark so to make $300,000 is just amazing,” enthused Little Avondale's Sam Williams. “I was actually really anxious about the Select Sale this year because of the state of our domestic racing industry, but then I firmly believed we had our best draft ever on type thanks mainly to the stock of Per Incanto.”
Little Avondale is the Select Sale's leading vendor by aggregate, with 16 horses sold for NZ$1,197,500.
He added, “You have to be bullish about your own stock otherwise who will be and with Per Incanto's results on the track, and at this year's sale, all off the back of a $5,000 service fee–that's just brilliant.”
Cumani did not leave empty-handed, as he went to NZ$175,000 for Blandford Lodge's October-foaled son of Shamexpress (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), whose first crop of yearlings have sold well this week. Hip 746 is out of a half-sister to SP Kona Breeze (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) from the further female family of G1SW Mission Critical (Aus) (Fantastic Light) and European champion Nedawi (GB) (Rainbow Quest).
The Select Sale concludes Friday with a session beginning at 11 a.m. local time. For full results, visit www.nzb.co.nz.
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