Australasian Buyers Secure Commercial Quality on Day 1

7 May 2018

Dan Myers Lot 190 (Written Tycoon) provided the highlight on Day 1 selling for $170,000. Photo: Trish Dunell
Dan Myers' Lot 190 (Written Tycoon) provided the highlight on Day 1 selling for $170,000. Photo: Trish Dunell

Day 1 of the newly named Karaka May Sale provided total receipts of $2,096,250 with 141 lots selling to a predominantly domestic and Australian buying bench.

Competition for commercial stock was healthy and Australasian-based buyers were well-equipped to secure quality purchasing the top three lots who all made over $100,000 each.

Leading buyer by aggregate, BR Bloodstock acted on behalf of several local and international buyers acquiring four lots for a total spend of $201,000, including the top price of the day – Dan Myers' Written Tycoon colt (Lot 190) who went to a Victorian-based owner for $170,000. The colt will head to Hallmark Stud to be prepared for the yearling sales.

“He’s just a good, strong and correct moving horse - one of the better colts at the Sale,” commented Hallmark Stud’s Mark Baker.

“The plan is to bring him back here in January as a yearling. If you go over to Australia there will be 60 or 70 Written Tycoons whereas here there might only be one or two and he will stand right out.”

The second top lot of Day 1 went to the bid of Sydney-based Bloodstock Agent Andrew Williams who went to $140,000 for Brighthill Farm’s Lot 146.

“He’s by Pride of Dubai who is a very commercial stallion prospect for the yearling sales next year, and out of a Group Two-winning mare,” commented Williams.

“We bought some really nice stock at this Sale last year and they went on and sold particularly well, so hopefully this guy does the same thing.”

Rounding out the top three lots was Curraghmore’s Snitzel filly (Lot 64) who fetched $120,000 from another Sydney-based buyer, Jason Abrahams of Champion Thoroughbreds.

“She’s out of a young stakes-winning mare which are hard to find, and a $200,000 service fee stallion, so from our point of view it’s a good buy,” commented Abrahams.

Curraghmore provided another highlight in the yearling session with a Savabeel filly who gained the interest of Te Akau Racing. Principal David Ellis outlaid $110,000 for the strong filly who was catalogued as Lot 36. She is among the first crop of yearlings who have been nominated for the Karaka Million Series out of the Yearling session at the Karaka May Sale.

At the end of Day 1, Curraghmore is leading the vendors table both by aggregate and average. Ten lots from their draft have sold for $418,500 in receipts and at an average price of $41,850.

Selling is set to continue tomorrow with more Weanlings from Lot 251 at 10am, followed by Two-Year-Olds, Unraced Stock, Racehorses and Broodmares. Supplementary lots will follow on from the final catalogued lot for each session.

Click here for today’s highlight lots:

To make enquiries about any Passed Lots contact Regan Donnison on +64 21 512 466. View Passed Lots here.

2018 Karaka May Sale – Combined Yearling and Weanling Sessions

Combined Statistics 2018 Day 1
Aggregate $2,096,250
Average $14,867
Median $9,000
Clearance 63%
Catalogued 250
Sold 141
Top Price Lot 190 Br/B Colt Written Tycoon - Into the Groove $170,000

2018 Karaka May Sale – Weanling Statistics

Weanling Statistics 2018 Day 1 2017 Day 1
Aggregate $1,610,750 $2,930,500
Average $14,254 $19,280
Median $9,000 $6,500
Clearance 68% 78%
Catalogued 185 244
Sold 113 152
Top Price Lot 190 Br/B.C Written Tycoon - Into the Groove $170,000 Lot 217 B.C Holy Roman Emperor - Phocis $175,000

Top Lots – Combined Yearling and Weanling Sessions

Lot Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Location Price
190 B.C Written Tycoon / Into the Groove D. J. Myers BR Bloodstock Victoria $170,000
146 BR.C Pride of Dubai / Equiparada Brighthill Farm Andrew Williams Bloodstock New South Wales $140,000
64 B.F Snitzel / Tip the Wink Curraghmore Champion Thoroughbreds New South Wales $120,000
36 B.F Savabeel / Invermoray Curraghmore Mr DC Ellis Te Akau $110,000
89 B.C Press Statement / Bearish D. J. Myers Carlaw Park Waikato $85,000
205 B.C Showcasing / Lamington Vegas Curraghmore Inglewood Stud Canterbury $77,500
87 B.C Mongolian Khan / Baileys on Ice Windsor Park Stud Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry Auckland $55,000
21 B.C Showcasing / Cut Off Haunui Farm Ascot Farm Waikato $50,000
223 Ch.C Showcasing / Maid of Tralee Brighthill Farm GTS Bloodstock Waikato $46,000
211 BR.C Per Incanto / Lavochkin Little Avondale Stud Berkley Stud Canterbury $40,000

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate – Combined Yearling and Weanling Sessions

Purchaser Bought Aggregate Average Top Price Top Lot
BR Bloodstock (Auckland) 4 $201,000 $50,250 $170,000 190
Andrew Williams Bloodstock (NSW) 1 $140,000 $140,000 $140,000 146
Champion Thoroughbreds (NSW) 1 $120,000 $120,000 $120,000 64
Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau) 1 $110,000 $110,000 $110,000 36
Carlaw Park (Waikato) 1 $85,000 $85,000 $85,000 89
Inglewood Stud (Canterbury) 1 $77,500 $77,500 $77,500 205
Ascot Farm (Waikato) 2 $65,000 $32,500 $50,000 21
GTS Bloodstock (Waikato) 2 $61,000 $30,500 $46,000 223
Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry (Auckland) 2 $57,500 $28,750 $55,000 87
Phill Cataldo Bloodstock (BAFNZ) (Waikato) 6 $55,000 $9,167 $20,000 130

Leading Vendors by Aggregate – Combined Yearling and Weanling Sessions

Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
Curraghmore 10 $418,500 $41,850 $120,000 (Lot 64)
D. J. Myers 13 $328,000 $25,231 $170,000 (Lot 190)
Haunui Farm 18 $244,250 $13,569 $50,000 (Lot 21)
Brighthill Farm 8 $229,000 $28,625 $140,000 (Lot 146)
Mapperley Stud 6 $88,500 $14,750 $30,000 (Lot 243)
Windsor Park Stud 3 $87,000 $29,000 $55,000 (Lot 87)
Waikato Stud 6 $63,000 $10,500 $20,000 (Lot 120)
Little Avondale Stud 4 $60,500 $15,125 $40,000 (Lot 211)
Westbury Stud 5 $59,000 $11,800 $15,000 (Lot 137)
Ardsley Stud 4 $56,000 $14,000 $21,000 (Lot 37)

Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold) – Combined Yearling and Weanling Sessions

Vendor Name
Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Curraghmore 10 $41,850 $418,500 $120,000 (Lot 64)
Windsor Park Stud 3 $29,000 $87,000 $55,000 (Lot 87)
Brighthill Farm 8 $28,625 $229,000 $140,000 (Lot 146)
D. J. Myers 13 $25,231 $328,000 $170,000 (Lot 190)
Little Avondale Stud 4 $15,125 $60,500 $40,000 (Lot 211)
Mapperley Stud 6 $14,750 $88,500 $30,000 (Lot 243)
Ardsley Stud 4 $14,000 $56,000 $21,000 (Lot 37)
Monovale Farm 3 $13,667 $41,000 $22,000 (Lot 221)
Haunui Farm 18 $13,569 $244,250 $50,000 (Lot 21)
Westbury Stud 5 $11,800 $59,000 $15,000 (Lot 137)


Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold) – Combined Yearling and Weanling Sessions

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Showcasing 8 $27,938 $223,500 $77,500 (Lot 205)
Mongolian Khan* 4 $20,625 $82,500 $55,000 (Lot 87)
Iffraaj 3 $19,333 $58,000 $31,000 (Lot 7)
Reliable Man 4 $17,000 $68,000 $35,000 (Lot 207)
Per Incanto 5 $16,800 $84,000 $40,000 (Lot 211)
Ocean Park 6 $13,000 $78,000 $22,000 (Lot 230)
Pour Moi 4 $11,688 $46,750 $28,000 (Lot 240)
Sacred Falls 7 $11,286 $79,000 $20,000 (Lot 130)
Pins 4 $11,125 $44,500 $20,000 (Lot 191)
Sweynesse* 6 $10,250 $61,500 $25,000 (Lot 143)

*First season sire