A clear drop in domestic spend has had a significant impact on this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale and was the difference between matching last year’s healthy results.
After a tentative start on Wednesday, clearance strengthened throughout the sale to settle at 76 per cent today, with 437 individuals sold over the three days for total receipts of $20,679,500 and an average price of $47,363. The median price remained steady at $40,000, a 16 per cent drop however on last year’s median price of $47,500.
“Our flat domestic racing industry has had a disappointing effect on the Select Sale and the negative impact it is having is even more evident when looking at the Premier and Select sessions from this week combined,” commented New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Andrew Seabrook.
“Over the past five days over $6.5 million less has been spent by domestic buyers, who have historically underpinned the middle market.”
In the Select Sale international buyers accounted for 42 per cent of the horses bought, spending $10.8 million (52 per cent of the sale’s aggregate) while domestic buyers secured 252 horses for $9.86 million (48 per cent of the sale’s aggregate). Australian buyers accounted for a quarter of the overall spend, with activity also from Hong Kong, Singapore and Great Britain.
Today’s highest-priced lot was fittingly the last yearling by Waikato Stud’s perennial champion sire O’Reilly to go through the Karaka sale ring. After the colt had attracted feverish bidding from many parties, Cambridge-based conditioner Roger James proved too strong with a final bid of $200,000.
Musing after the sale Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick commented: “O’Reilly’s responsible for where Waikato Stud stands in the market now and it’s a sad moment because he was part of the family.
“However, his legacy will continue on through his young stock, broodmares and his sire-sons with the likes of Shamexpress being leading first season sire at Premier this year and our own Sacred Falls, whose first yearlings will be sold next year.”
Waikato Bloodstock and Kangyu International Racing were strong throughout the Select Sale and were the eventual leading purchaser with nine bought for a combined price of $880,000.
Westbury Stud took top honours as the leading vendor by aggregate after selling 40 Lots for $2,079,500. Their top price was $135,000 for Lot 1024, the Swiss Ace half-brother to four winner bought by Singapore-based trainer Stephen Gray.
Stud manager Russell Warwick was pleased with Westbury’s standing at the end of the sale. “We were quite concerned after day one but were able to sell plenty out of their boxes and then during the course of the sale it gained momentum and we got some healthy prices.”
Marc and Sarah Devcich’s Henley Park emerged as Select Sale leaders by average, selling four lots for an average of $80,250. Their top priced lot, a Denman colt, sold for $140,000 to Australian syndicators Champion Thoroughbreds.
Novara Park’s first season sire Jakkalberry topped the leading sire table by average with three youngsters selling for an average of $92,500. Off the back of a $6,000 service fee the young sire also made headlines in the Premier Sale when his colt from Refused the Dance, a half-brother to Victorian Derby and Melbourne Cup winner Efficient, fetched $440,000.
