By Daithi Harvey
The second and final session of the NZB Ready To Run Sale ended on Thursday and built on the impressive opening day by posting a record aggregate for any Australasian 2-year-old sale. Also similar to Wednesday it was a Hong Kong buyer who accounted for the top lot when Upper Bloodstock purchased lot 379, a son of Reliable Man (GB) for NZ$430,000. At the end of two days of trade a record NZ$31,215,000 worth of horses had changed hands at an average of NZ$107,638 and a median of NZ$80,000. 290 of the 374 offered juveniles were sold leading to a clearance rate of 77%, up significantly on last year's figure of 60%.
NZB managing director Andrew Seabrook was extremely pleased with the level of trade and was keen to credit the buyers in attendance. “The buying bench was more like what we see at K1 and all the figures confirm that this has been the best two-year-old sale in Australasia, ever,” he said. “It's been great to see purchasers from all our main markets here in force and competition has been strong. The results achieved over the last two days truly reflects the quality of the product, and hard work by our vendors – it's wonderful to see them so handsomely rewarded,” Seabrook added.
Thursday's sale topper was offered by Phoenix Park and was continuing the significant contribution made to the sale by Hong Kong investors who accounted for 51 lots worth almost NZ$10m. Chinese interests were also represented by Zhang Yuesheng's Yulong Investments and they purchased 16 lots in total, their spending headed by lot 228, a son of O'Reilly (NZ) that cost NZ$350,000.
Trade was kind to the majority of vendors with Riversley Park ending up leading vendor by aggregate, selling 22 horses for a total of NZ$3,425,000. They began day two in style when lot 222, a son of I am Invincible (Aus) and only the second horse into the sale ring was bought by ABC Bloodstock for NZ$370,000, while just three lots later lot 225, a Lope De Vega (Ire) gelding was snapped by the duo of Justin Bahen of Orbis Bloodstock and Anthony Freedman for NZ$300,000. Trade remained strong throughout the day and lot 407, a son of New Zealand sire Tavistock (NZ) also proved popular when selling to Mr P Ho for NZ$370,000.
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