Abundant Pinhooking Opportunities in Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale has recently received widespread attention as an early part of the story of dual Group 1 winner Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj). But in addition to its proven record as a source of top-drawer racetrack performers, it also presents a golden opportunity for astute buyers to secure potential sale ring stars of the future.

The last few years of the sale are littered with examples of outstanding pinhooking prowess – relatively low-priced weanling purchases that have returned as yearlings or Ready to Run two-year-olds and gone to a whole new level.

The most profitable pinhook at this year’s National Yearling Sales Series was Lot 161 in the Premier Sale, a colt by Power out of Fastnet Rockette. He was offered as a weanling by Hallmark Stud, who are highly successful pinhookers in their own right with a proud roll of honour headed by Karaka Million winner Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing), but also consign high-quality drafts of weanlings and will again provide a select offering of nine horses at the upcoming 2017 Sale.

The Power colt was bought at the Weanling Sale for $60,000 by Hyde Park, the fledgling operation run by 34-year-old Ohaupo pinhooker Gareth Hawthorn. The colt returned to Karaka earlier this year as a yearling, part of Hyde Park’s second National Yearling Sales Series draft, and sold to the dual Karaka Million-winning Queensland trainer Liam Birchley for $280,000.

A half-brother to that colt features in the catalogue for the 2017 Sale, set to go through the ring as Lot 91. The colt is by high-flying Cambridge stud stallion Tavistock and is offered by Dan Myers.

Myers was one of the star vendors at last year’s sale, offering his full crop of foals from the previous year and coming away with a 100 per cent clearance rate. His 17 horses sold for a total of $629,000, placing him third among vendors at the Sale. Myers will do the same thing again this year, offering his full crop of 22 weanlings at Karaka next month.

Of all the pinhooked yearlings sold at Karaka 2017, three of the four highest-priced yearlings were sourced at the Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale. In addition to the Power colt mentioned above, Lyndhurst Farm bought a Tavistock colt out of Sentura for $170,000 as a weanling and sold him for $280,000 as a yearling, and an O’Reilly colt out of Barbara Ann, bought for $65,000 as a weanling, fetched $250,000 as a yearling from the draft of Waikato Stud.

There are also several stories of remarkable profits from very cheap weanlings. A filly by Per Incanto out of O’Stellar was purchased for $3,500 as a weanling by trainer Karen Zimmerman. Offered by Oxford Thoroughbreds at last year’s Ready to Run Sale, she sold to Richardson Racing for $150,000.

Mr AM Irwin paid $5,000 at last year’s Sale to buy another filly by Per Incanto, this one out of Malaya. That filly fetched $65,000 at the Select Sale, bought by respected bloodstock agent Bruce Perry. There are 14 Per Incanto weanlings in this year’s catalogue.

A filly by Power out of Maid Of Tralee was secured by Hallmark Stud and Suncroft Bloodstock for $30,000 as a weanling last year. She returned in the Curraghmore draft at Karaka 2017, selling to Australian buyers Ravenswood Bloodstock for $100,000.

Another noteworthy pinhook was achieved by the South Island’s Berkley Stud. A colt by rookie stallion Jakkalberry cost $20,000 as a yearling and sold for $52,000 at the Festival Sale.

Jakkalberry has made a big impression with his progeny in sale rings so far, including a star turn with his first crop of yearlings at Karaka 2017 including a $440,000 half-brother to Efficient. There are 14 Jakkalberry weanlings catalogued for next month’s Sale.

Proven Waikato Stud sire Savabeel has four weanlings catalogued, the most weanlings offered for sale by the champion sire since 2013.

No article about the Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale is complete without mentioning Gingernuts, who was purchased by Phill Cataldo for $5,000 as a weanling in 2014. He returned as a two-year-old for the Ready to Run Sale, bought by Te Akau’s David Ellis for $42,500 and the rest is history. Now the winner of five races and more than $1.1 million in prizemoney, headed by stunning victories in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas, Group 1 New Zealand Derby and Group 1 Rosehill Guineas, the chestnut gelding is taking his tangerine-capped owners on the ride of a lifetime.

Gingernuts has been part of a rich run of form for Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Iffraaj, which also includes Jon Snow (NZ) who improved on his third placing in the New Zealand Derby to win the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes and Group 1 Australian Derby. He is also the broodmare sire of the Karaka Million and Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes heroine Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands).

Iffraaj’s reputation and popularity is soaring, prompting a fee increase from $17,500 to $25,000, and there is sure to be significant demand for his progeny for some time to come. Next month’s Sale represents an early chance to get hold of some of those Iffraaj progeny, with six of his weanlings in the catalogue. There are also five Iffraaj mares and one broodmare who is in-foal to the in-form stallion.

The catalogue also includes weanlings by deceased stallions Atlante and Ferlax, along with weanlings by Jimmy Choux, Ocean Park, Pins, Proisir, Reliable Man, Rock ’N’ Pop, Shamexpress, Showcasing and Tavistock to name a few.

Selling begins at 10am each day on the 8th and 9th of May at Karaka. All supplementary Lots will be sold after the last Lot in that category to go through the ring e.g. supplementary Weanlings will be offered after the last catalogued Weanling in Lot 295. Supplementary entries close 1 May 2017.

Request a catalogue for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale or for more news visit www.nzb.co.nz.