Cover image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
At A Glance
The Sale aggregate jumped to NZ$20.55 million, up from NZ$17.6 million in 2020, and slightly down on 2019, when it was NZ$23.6 million.
The average jumped to NZ$121,580, a clear Sale record and well in advance of the NZ$95,349 of 2020.
The median also surged to an impressive NZ$80,000, having been at NZ$60,000 in the past three editions.
The clearance rate sits at 66 per cent with trade still being conducted. It ended at 77 per cent last year.
A Pierro colt topped the second of day the Sale, selling to Busuttin Racing/Ozzie Kheir and Group 1 Bloodstock for NZ$625,000.
Group 1 Bloodstock and Bjorn Baker combined to pay NZ$600,000 for the Sacred Falls (NZ) half-brother to G1 Flight S. winner Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci).
Ricky Yiu and Dean Hawthorne are set to bring another Deep Field colt to Hong Kong, after paying NZ$400,000 for Lot 238.
Riversley Park ended as the Sale's top vendor for the fifth straight year.
Kheir adds double quality
Understandably emboldened by a past 12 months which has seen him feature in the ownership of winners of the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, Ozzie Kheir struck twice in different partnerships on the final day, spending a total of NZ$1.25 million across colts by Pierro and Sacred Falls (NZ).
Lot 195 - Pierro x Mary Lou (NZ) (colt) purchased by Busuttin Racing, Group 1 Bloodstock and Ozzie Kheir | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Lot 195, a colt by Pierro out of Fastnet Rock mare Mary Lou (NZ), is headed to the stables of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young after they, Kheir and his bloodstock agent of choice, Mathew Becker of Group 1 Bloodstock, went to NZ$625,000 for him.
Offered by Riversley Park, who paid $150,000 for the colt at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in partnership with journalist Mick Guerin, he is out of stakes-placed Mary Lou, who is a sister to Group 3-placed Territorial Waters and half-sister to another stakes performer, Back Off (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
Becker told TDN AusNZ that the Pierro colt fitted the perfect mould of what the trio were looking for in a horse out of the Sale.
Mathew Becker | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"Ozzie wanted to team up, as he does a bit with the breeze-up horses, with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. We've had a bit of success with them this year and they bought Forgot You with Ozzie out of the Inglis breeze-up sale as well as a horse called Footlights, who has been a winner," he said.
"We wanted to team up with them to look for two or three prospects for next year. We both did a list and that was the horse that came up on the top of our lists.
"We wanted to team up with them to look for two or three prospects for next year. We both did a list and that was the horse that came up on the top of our lists." - Mathew Becker
"He ticked a lot of boxes in that he is by a proven sire that we like, he is by a nice mare, a Fastnet Rock mare that could run. He was also a good individual physically who vetted really well and he showed plenty of speed and natural ability."
Becker said the colt looked an ideal prospect to aim up at the better Melbourne spring 3-year-old races of 2020.
"We’d be looking at a horse like him to get him over here and educated him up through the mid part of next year, so we have got him performing in the spring of next year," he said.
Another terrific result for Riversley Park
Riversley Park's Sam Beatson said the colt had handled the build-up to the Sale very well.
Sam Beatson | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
"A horse like him, he took it all in his stride and just got better and better with work," he said.
"I knew he was going to make a bit of money but to make that sort of money was outstanding."
"I knew he (Lot 195) was going to make a bit of money but to make that sort of money was outstanding." - Sam Beatson
The result was the highlight of the star-studded draft of Riversley Park, which grossed NZ$4.66 million across its 22 sold lots for an average of NZ$211,705. It topped the averages and aggregate and was the leading vendor for the fifth straight year at this Sale.
"We are very proud, it was a bit unexpected this year, but to pull that off again was great," Beatson said.
"It’s all about selling the clients' horses but if you can get a good average and be top vendors of the Sale is a good outcome."
Never factor lures Baker and Kheir
Kheir was also keen on Lot 218, the Sacred Falls half-brother to recent G1 Flight S. winner Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci) and combined with Bjorn Baker to get him in his colours for NZ$600,000.
Lot 218 - Sacred Falls (NZ) x Movie (NZ) (colt) purchased by Ozzie Kheir, Group 1 Bloodstock and Bjorn Baker Racing | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
The emergence of the Chittick-family owned Never Been Kissed, who progressed from a Hawkesbury maiden to a Group 1 victory in six weeks, before running second in the G1 Spring Champion S. was an obvious bonus for her half-brother in the Ohukia Lodge draft but there was already plenty of pedigree to bank on.
His dam, Movie (NZ) (Savabeel) is a blood-sister to Group 1 winners Savvy Coup (NZ) and Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and is a three-quarter sister to Group 2 winner Ocean Emperor (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
That pedigree, plus an impressive physical, made him the right horse for Becker and Kheir to target, in partnership with Baker.
Bjorn Baker | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"Bjorn is a guy we have been trying to get horses to go to in the last little bit and we haven't found one to line up on until today," Becker said. "He's a talented young guy, a great guy and have got a lot time for him.
"Bjorn reached out to Ozzie and said this was his number one and the only one he wanted. We liked everything about the horse as well.
"Bjorn reached out to Ozzie and said this (Lot 218) was his number one and the only one he wanted. We liked everything about the horse as well." - Mathew Becker
"We knew he'd be an expensive horse because he is the brother to Never Been Kissed and recent form is always the most valuable. He breezed particularly well. All the information as strong and positive.
"These are the colts that Ozzie wants to buy. He wants exposure to these horses because of they work out, they will be very valuable colts in the future."
Ohukia's big Sale
The result was a terrific one for both his owners Waikato Stud and Ohukia Lodge's Jamie Beatson, who had guided him through the preparation and breeze up.
"He was an outstanding horse, he breezed up well. The half has come out and won a Group 1 now," Beatson said. "He's got the attitude and everything to make a stallion, now we just need to hope he can go out and do it on the track. I've got big hopes for him and I'm pretty sure he will."
"He's (Lot 218) got the attitude and everything to make a stallion, now we just need to hope he can go out and do it on the track." - Jamie Beatson
Ohukia Lodge ended up with two of the top three lots of the Sale, having sold the Sale-topping Savabeel colt, Lot 107, for NZ$660,000 to David Ellis on Wednesday.
All in all, it grossed just short of NZ$4 million and had an average of NZ$209,737.
"All the nice horses were making us money. There seems to be plenty on them, it’s a pretty strong sale," Beatson said.
Jamie Beatson | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
Another Deep Field headed to Hong Kong
The progeny of Newgate stallion Deep Field have been in significant demand from Hong Kong and Lot 238, a colt from the Riversley Park draft, is headed to the stables of Ricky Yiu, after he and agent Dean Hawthorne parted with NZ$400,000 for him.
The colt had been picked out of the Fernrigg Farm draft by Sam Beatson at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $150,000.
Lot 238 - Deep Field x Petit Cheval (colt) purchased by Ricky Yiu and Dean Hawthorne | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
From a pedigree perspective he is out of the Denman mare Petit Cheval, a half-sister to stakes-performed Upshot (Stratum) from a family which includes several Group performers, including multiple Group 1 winner Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock).
Hawthorne has become Yiu's go-to man on the ground in New Zealand during the COVID-era and the pair spent NZ$920,000 across three purchases having bought a Capitalist colt, Lot 103, and a Shamexpress (NZ) gelding. Lot 46, on Day 1.
"I've done a fair bit of work for Ricky over the past couple of years, particular as he can't get down," Hawthorne said.
"They stay around for a while, they go through Ken Kelso, and he does all the prep work and trials them and whatnot, and when Ricky is ready for them to go up, they go up. It’s a good system which has been working well for a few years."
Dean Hawthorne | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Hawthorne said it was no surprise that Hong Kong buyers were so keen on Deep Field, who has had four winners there this season, and 13 winners in total.
"Deep Field is on a sire wave and they follow those sires. Deep Field is currently going very well up there. The permit holders are happy to get these sires," he said.
"Deep Field is on a sire wave and they follow those sires. Deep Field is currently going very well up there (Hong Kong)." - Dean Hawthorne
"You have to have a quality horse as the standard of horse in Hong Kong is very high, because they pay good money to get them there in the first place."
It was a similar story for Hong Kong's leading sire Per Incanto (USA), with the Little Avondale Stud resident having two colts sell on Thursday for NZ$280,000 a piece. Lot 205 from the draft of Ohukia Lodge sold to BQ Sun, while Lot 292 from Cheltenham Stables went to Bruce Perry on behalf of a Hong Kong buyer.
Gallery: Some of the Per Incanto (NZ) progeny sold on Day 2
Bryce Tankard of Waikato Bloodstock was another buying for Hong Kong, paying NZ$350,000 for Lot 229, a Savabeel gelding from the draft of Woburn Farm.
"It’s a very strong market (Hong Kong), they love the New Zealand horses, they are great, sound horses with good temperaments and they punch well above their weight, so they are always keen to come down," he said.
"It’s a very strong market (Hong Kong), they love the New Zealand horses." - Bryce Tankard
The Savabeel gelding is out of G2 South Australian Fillies Classic winner Okahu Bay (Flying Spur) and had been purchased by Upper Bloodstock and Phill Cataldo Bloodstock at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$220,000.
Aussie bench goes deep
Australian buyers were also very busy with New South Wales-based Trilogy Racing paying NZ$305,000 for Lot 291, a colt by Vadamos (Fr) from Riversley Park, while at the very start of the day, Lot 161, a colt by Safeguard from Woburn Farm, was secured by Warwick Farm trainer Amanda Turner for NZ$300,000.
"Safeguard stands in WA and we got this guy as a good pinhook from over there," Woburn Farm's Adrian Stanley said.
"Clients of mine got Peter O'Brien to buy him over in Western Australia and brought him over here. Ben Foote did a good bit of prep work on him and did a good job."
Gallery: Some of the Australian buyers' purchases
The Safeguard colt, a three-quarter brother to Listed winner Cathay Lady (Exceed And Excel) had been purchased for $75,000 at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale earlier in the year.
"We were expecting NZ$180,000-NZ$200,000 with a NZ$150,000 reserve on him as he has been busy. He's a nice, proper horse and good luck to Amanda Turner with him," Stanley said.
NZB hails adaptable market
The conduct of a virtual Sale at Te Rapa racecourse in an environment which did not permit the presence of horses was always going to be a stern test of both the market appetite and New Zealand Bloodstock's capabilities but both seem to come through with flying colours.
Danny Rolston | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
"This is a culmination of huge effort from our team and so many moving parts go in behind the scenes," NZB's Bloodstock Sales Manager Danny Rolston said.
"We couldn't be prouder of what has been achieved in the past two days. I can't help but think that Andrew Seabrook back there at headquarters (Karaka) and Sir Peter Vela are really proud of our team."
"We couldn't be prouder of what has been achieved in the past two days." - Danny Rolston
The strength at the top end and the demand for specific stallions was a hallmark of the Sale in what Rolston described as a 'polarised' market.
He said the overseas market has shown tremendous faith in the Sale, despite the fact that border closures had restricted any of them from attending,
"Particularly, our Australian customers are treating this almost like a yearling sale with a bit of extra information and certainly paying good prices for these colts that could go on to make stallions if they are stakes performers," he said.
"Our Australian customers are treating this almost like a yearling sale with a bit of extra information and certainly paying good prices for these colts that could go on to make stallions." - Danny Rolston
The traditional 2-year-old sales season is now complete in Australasia, with attention turning to the 2022 yearling sales season. In New Zealand Bloodstock's case, it’s a different looking schedule with the National Yearling Sale now moving to March from its traditional January date in a move meant to hopefully facilitate international buyers being present at the Sale. Action at Karaka is scheduled to kick off on March 7.
"It’s an experiment for the New Zealand breed to be offered to the yearling market at a different time of year and it could be a great advantage for them and we are going to learn a lot from it," Rolston said.
