12 Vendors on Debut at Ready to Run Sale

This year's Ready to Run Sale is not only celebrating the strongest catalogue in its 30 year history, it is also welcoming 12 new vendors to the Sale next week.

Of the 12 new vendors, Diamond Lodge has the largest draft with 12 horses entered. Based just outside Cambridge, principal Jeremy Whale hopes this year's debut draft will be the first of many for him at the Ready to Run Sale.

"Our business originally started with offering breaking services for young racehorses and we decided that sales preparation was the next step for the business.

"We've got a good range of horses in our draft which will appeal to all markets but it's great to have some top end horses in there as well. It could be a tough this year as there are a lot of horses coming to the sale but I think our draft holds a lot of appeal and hopefully they will sell well.

"We are going to continue to prep horses for the Ready to Run Sale over the coming years so this is just the beginning."

Included in the Diamond Lodge draft is Lot 411 which must be considered as one of the pin-up lots of the sale. The colt is by Flying Spur out of the two-year-old stakes winning O'Reilly mare Mary Lavelle. Also offered is Lot 361, the colt by Al Maher out of the stakes placed mare La Banca (Grosvenor), the dam of stakes winner Moreovr (Postponed).

The newly established Bradbury Park in Matamata will be offering nine horses on behalf of Casey & Michelle Dando. Previously the yearling manager for Blandford Lodge, Casey Dando's RTR draft includes colts or geldings by a selection of sires that includes O'Reilly and Keeper, plus Lot 371, the colt by Ustinov out of Lady Zara (Kingdom Bay), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Winning Wave (Crested Wave) and, Lot 419, the colt by Don Eduardo from the Generous mare Midnight Walk from the family of Group 1 winner Perlin (Carnegie).

Pukekohe-based Anna Scott Racing Stables is preparing eight colts and geldings heading for the sale.  Amongst them Keeper, Pure Theatre, Scaredee Cat, Domesday, Magic Albert, Bahhare, Rusty Spur and Sippin' Bourbon are represented. 

Andrew Burton's Cambridge-based Crusader Lodge has five entries in the sale including the Seasoned Star colt at Lot 274 from Enzed (Anziyan), the same family as Group 1 winning Ready to Run graduate Vonusti (Ustinov).

Cambridge trainer Yves Seguin has a small draft of two horses in the sale under his YMS Racing Ltd banner. These include a Karaka Million eligible Lonhro gelding at Lot 247 from the Danehill mare Danehill Princess, the same family as Danehill Dancer, and the gelding by Spartacus from Jacinta (Dernier Empereur) at Lot 337.

Jason & Kelly Price's Blue Diamond Racing has just two horses in the sale - Lot 449, the filly by Captain Rio from O'Malley's Girl (Kingdom Bay), the half-sister to the Group 2 and Group 3 winner O'Malley's Boy (Dance Floor) and Lot 365, the filly by Hawkeye from Lady Dorothy (Grosvenor), the same family as Group 1 winner Shamrock and Group 2 winner (Mr) Shannon (Three Legs).

Tauranga's Panui Lodge has two horses in the sale including Lot 480, the gelding from leading second season sire Perfectly Ready from Pheroz Gold, the dam of Group 3 placed I'm Isaac (Istidaad).

Despite the small draft of only one horse, Stephen Ralph's Central Park has another appealing lot of the sale at Lot 13, a gelding by Keeper from the Straight Strike mare Regal Flight, the dam of Group 2 and dual Group 3 winner Cog Hill (Star Way).

Other first time vendors with a single sale entry include Bleakley Bloodstock, Bydawhile Farm, Kaharoa Equestrian and Pride Stables.

Co-Managing Director of New Zealand Bloodstock Petrea Vela is pleased to see so many new people involved in the Sale.

"It's fantastic to see so many new vendors coming to the Ready to Run Sale. It demonstrates that the sale is growing in profile and stature and that it is regarded as a genuine opportunity to sell their horses and be part of the sale's success.

"It's also great to see these younger vendors who have prepped their own two-year-olds for the sale. The health of any industry depends on new blood coming through to fill the ranks and this is especially true in the thoroughbred industry.

"I hope everyone has a fantastic sale next week and I wish them every success."