Sensational Opening Session at Karaka 2018

Media Release - Sunday January 28

New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka Sale ring has tonight played host to a gun opening session of its 2018 National Yearling Sales Series.

A brand new format has seen the first 100 Lots of the new Book 1go through the ring, with heated bidding setting a positive tone for the new four-day session. A strong buying bench of both overseas and local buyers competed keenly for the selection on offer, with the clearance rate of 81% a good indicator of the strength of the demand.

"With no comparable Sale, we won't get the full measure of the sale from a statistics point of view until the end of the week, but all early indications point to a great week ahead," commented NZB's managing director Andrew Seabrook.

"This is probably the best opening session we've seen at Karaka to date, and with really good reports on the overall quality on offer this year, and great depth to the buying bench, it bodes well for the momentum to continue."

Tavistock filly from Bagalollies - Trish DunnellA total of 76 lots were sold for $11.5 million at an average of $151,382. The clearance rate was an extremely pleasing 81%, as strong as ever witnessed over Karaka's first three hours of selling.

Amongst tonight's highlights has been hot demand for local sires Tavistock, Savabeel, along with perennial star Fastnet Rock, providing the top prices of the evening. In total 11 lots sold for $300,000 or more.

Five Tavistock yearlings featured in the top 10 lots with $1.93 million outlaid by buyers at an average of $386,000. Dean Hawthorne secured thetop-equal price of the nightbidding $500,000 for the Tavistock filly (Lot 48) and full sister to Werther, while Wallace Thoroughbredspaid the same amount to purchase a More Than Readycolt (Lot 84) for their Hong Kong clients.

With Sir Patrick's last foray under the Cambridge Stud banner, they have also featured prominently at the opening session providing three of the top lots.

Fresh off the back of a quinella in the Karaka Million 2YO withAvantage(Fastnet Rock) andAl Hasa(NZ) (Exceed and Excel) respectively, Karaka's leading buyer for the last 12 years, Te Akau Racing's David Ellis, got off to a soaring start. Eight yearlings were secured by the perennial buyer for $1.03 million at an average of $128,750.

New Zealand's new minister for Racing and Deputy PM Winston Peters opened tonight's session with some welcome news for the industry, promising "change for the better." For full details of Peters' announcementclick here.

Book 1 continues tomorrow from 11am with Lots 101 to 320. To view the results and to make an offer on any passed lots at Karaka 2018click here.

2018 Book 1 Yearling Sale Statistics – Day 1

DAY 1 2018 BOOK 1
AGGREGATE $11,505,000
AVERAGE $151,382
MEDIAN $110,000
CLEARANCE 81%
CATALOGUED 100
SOLD 76
TOP LOT

$500,000 (B. F) Tavistock - Bagalollies Lot 48

$500,000 (B. C) More Than Ready - Buckling Lot 84

Top Lots

LOT TYPE BREEDING VENDOR PURCHASER PRICE
48 B.F Tavistock / Bagalollies Highden Park Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (Waikato) $500,000
84 B.C More Than Ready / Buckling Haunui Farm Wallace Thoroughbreds (Auckland) $500,000
10 B.F Tavistock / Zenella Cambridge Stud Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) (Wellington) $420,000
26 B.C Fastnet Rock / Aneto Henley Park Hong Kong Jockey Club (Hong Kong) $400,000
63 B.F Tavistock / Belongs in Lights Highden Park Mr NJ Turnbull (Victoria) $390,000
25 B.F Fastnet Rock / Amory Lane Curraghmore Mark Pilkington Management / Lindsay Park Racing (Victoria) $360,000
40 B.C Savabeel / Aspinal Little Avondale Stud DGR Thoroughbred Services/ Mick Price Racing (Victoria) $360,000
69 B.C Tavistock / Big Voices Curraghmore Gai Waterhouse / McKeever Bloodstock / Mr J Ferguson (Newmarket) $320,000
35 B.C Tavistock / Ardeche Cambridge Stud Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (Waikato) $300,000
83 B.C Savabeel / Bright Waikato Stud Ltd Kaha Syndicate / Mulcaster Bloodstock (New South Wales) $300,000
88 BR.C Per Incanto / Capital Diamond Cambridge Stud Robert Roulston Bloodstock (Victoria) $300,000

Leading Purchaser by Aggregate

PURCHASER BOUGHT AGGREGATE AVERAGE TOP PRICE TOP LOT
Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau) 8 $1,030,000 $128,750 $230,000 70
Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (Waikato) 3 $940,000 $313,333 $500,000 48
Hong Kong Jockey Club (Hong Kong) 2 $640,000 $320,000 $400,000 26
Wallace Thoroughbreds (Auckland) 1 $500,000 $500,000 $500,000 84
Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) (Wellington) 1 $420,000 $420,000 $420,000 10
Moody Racing (Victoria) 4 $415,000 $103,750 $150,000 29
Mr NJ Turnbull (Victoria) 1 $390,000 $390,000 $390,000 63
DGR Thoroughbred Services / Mick Price Racing (Victoria) 1 $360,000 $360,000 $360,000 40
Mark Pilkington Management / Lindsay Park Racing (Victoria) 1 $360,000 $360,000 $360,000 25
Mr JJ Soh (Singapore) 2 $350,000 $175,000 $270,000 92

Leading Vendors by Aggregate

VENDOR SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE TOP PRICE TOP LOT
Cambridge Stud 7 $1,400,000 $200,000 $420,000 10
Haunui Farm 5 $1,130,000 $226,000 $500,000 84
Highden Park 3 $1,050,000 $350,000 $500,000 48
Waikato Stud 5 $970,000 $194,000 $300,000 83
Curraghmore 5 $940,000 $188,000 $360,000 25

Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)

VENDOR SOLD AVERAGE AGGREGATE TOP PRICE TOP LOT
Highden Park 3 $350,000 $1,050,000 $500,000 48
Haunui Farm 5 $226,000 $1,130,000 $500,000 84
Cambridge Stud 7 $200,000 $1,400,000 $420,000 10
Waikato Stud 5 $194,000 $970,000 $300,000 83
Curraghmore 5 $188,000 $940,000 $360,000 25

Leading Sire by Average (three or more sold)

SIRE SOLD AVERAGE AGGREGATE TOP PRICE TOP LOT
Fastnet Rock 3 $283,333 $850,000 $400,000 26
Sacred Falls* 3 $201,667 $605,000 $275,000 95
Savabeel 9 $197,778 $1,780,000 $360,000 40
Tavistock 15 $192,000 $2,880,000 $500,000 48
Iffraaj 3 $146,667 $440,000 $210,000 93

*First season sire

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