Super Easy Colt Tops NZB Festival Sale

New Zealand Bloodstock's Festival Sale concluded the National Yearling Sales Series today with pleasing results in terms of clearance and the day's top price.

In total 157 horses sold for a clearance rate of 78% with the top price of $90,000 the highest price paid in the session since 2013. The total traded was $2,332,000 (down from $3,020,200 last year) for an average of $14,854 (down from $16,065 last year) and the median dropped from last year's figure of $12,000 to equal 2015's figure of $10,000.

"It was pleasing to see the Sale end up with 78% clearance and to have buyers from Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore stay on,"

"We also have some new initiatives domestically with the likes of the New Zealand Chinese Jockey Club that could grow to be quite considerable contributors to the industry" said New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Andrew Seabrook.

Purchasers of today's highest priced Lot, the New Zealand Chinese Jockey Club bid to $90,000 to secure Hallmark Stud's Super Easy colt at Lot 1132 from the winning O'Reilly mare Astrogal. Destined for the Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs stable, the group's CEO Alan Fu is pleased with how the concept has been received.

"There's been interest from the local Chinese community to invest in racehorse ownership for some time but the general perception out there was that it's a very expensive sport. We've put a lot into changing that perception, educating people and answering their questions."

"Syndication has made racing horses more accessible and our members like the idea, the lifestyle and the community we've created. When we showed the colt to investors today, he was quickly fully syndicated."

"We hope the Super Easy colt can be a Karaka Million horse and earlier in the Sale we also bought into a Power colt with David Ellis."

Paul Moroney Bloodstock outlaid the most in the Festival Sale, spending $171,500 on four Lots including colts by Redwood and Roc de Cambes and fillies by Dalghar and Showcasing with fellow local agent Phill Cataldo outlaying $131,000 for five Lots. Victorian-based trainer Paddy Payne was the most active of the internationals with five Lots bought for $113,000 and his top price paid being $55,000 for an imposing Shocking colt at Lot 1179.

The session's leading vendor was Haunui Farm who traded 12 horses in total for $193,000 including a top price of $40,000 for Lot 1241 to Hong Kong-based Tartan Meadow Bloodstock.

Off the back of some pleasing results throughout the week, Little Avondale Stud and their resident sire Per Incanto topped the vendor and sire by average tables at $40,833 and $28,500 respectively. Stuart Hale secured their leading price, purchasing Lot 1308 for $42,500 with the colt being from the speedy, stakes-placed juvenile Silk Spur.

The final result for Karaka 2017 saw $82 million traded, down 5% on the previous record breaking edition. The average remained steady at $86,973 versus last year's $88,042. The median declined to $50,000, $5,000 less than last year's record and $5,000 more than in 2015. The clearance rate was an encouraging 78%, up from 75% in 2015 and down slightly from 2016 (80%).

All horses purchased at Karaka this week are eligible for the lucrative Karaka Million Series with two $1 million races now available for graduates as two and three year olds. Nominations for this series must be received by 5pm Tuesday 7 March 2017.

2017 Festival Sale Statistics

Top Lots