Countless Pinhooking Opportunities at NZB's May Sale

With a catalogue of 370 weanlings on offer, the selection available to buyers at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2011 National Weanling & Broodmare Sale is packed with potential.

And with last year's Weanling Session averaging just $11,388, there is a wealth of opportunity on offer for those astute buyers looking to pinhook youngsters for next year's Yearling Sales.

Weanlings sold through the Karaka sale ring are proving that they can be very profitable investments. On analysis of this year's Karaka Yearling Sales, the most successful pinhooks were those purchased from the NZB Weanling Session the previous year.

While only 22% of the pinhooked yearlings at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale were sourced from the 2010 May Sale, six of the top nine results were NZB Weanling Session graduates, including the top two.

This positive trend also continued at the Select and Festival Sales. Only 37% of the pinhooked yearlings in the Karaka Select Sale were NZB May Sale graduates, yet six of the top ten most successful pinhooks were purchased from the 2010 May Sale.

At the Festival Sale NZB sold weanlings also filled four of the top six best-selling pinhooks including the most profitable lot of the session, the Don Eduardo colt from Hallmark Stud.

The pinhooking record for the progeny of New Zealand based sires also makes good reading with a total of nine pinhooked yearlings in the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale. With a combined cost of $870,600 as weanlings, their total sales at the Karaka Premier Sale was $1,540,000, an average profit just shy of $50,000 per yearling. In addition, New Zealand based sires and NZB sold weanlings were the two most successful pinhooked lots at the 2011 Karaka Yearling Sales.

Amongst the pinhooking highlights at Karaka 2011 was the Iffraaj colt at Lot 367 which was bought for $40,000 by Anistay Lodge from the 2010 May Sale. The colt was then purchased at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale by the Melbourne Cup winning trainer Mark Kavanagh for $300,000.

Europe's 2009/10 Champion First Season Sire Iffraaj has a strong draft of 12 weanlings in the forthcoming Sale including Lot 366, the half-brother to the stakes placed The Lucky Steed (Fantastic Light) from Princess Alea (Prince Ferdinand), a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Russian Pearl (Soviet Star).

Gordon Cunningham's Curraghmore Stud has had great success at the Karaka Weanling Session, topping the leading vendors table for the past two years in a row, including providing last year's top two prices and extremely successful pinhooks.

The top price of the 2010 May Sale, the Encosta de Lago colt that fetched $220,000 (Lot 300), was later purchased as a yearling at Karaka for $350,000. Following suit, the second top price of last year was amongst the Sale's most astute pinhooks. The Zabeel filly from Primera Dama was knocked down to Marcus Corban Bloodstock for $200,000 and later doubled her money when purchased by Duncan Ramage's DGR Thoroughbreds for $400,000 at the Karaka Premier Sale.

With a strong draft of 13 weanlings in the 2011 May Sale, amongst them Curraghmore Stud will offer Lot 219, the filly by Pentire, a three-quarter-sister to the Group 1 winner Zarita (Pentire). Her dam Gin City is also a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Run Like The Wind (Pins) and Group 3 winner Joy and Fun (Cullen).

It is important to note that the spoils are not all reserved for the colts. The 2011 Karaka Premier Sale saw two fillies in the top four most successful pinhooked lots, a healthy reminder that weanling fillies with strong pedigrees can make very profitable returns come the yearling sales.

Amongst other successful pinhooks in 2010 was the Esker Lodge colt by Pentire (ex Powergame) which sold for $70,000. The colt was later bought by Mulcaster Bloodstock for $160,000 from Ascot Farm.

The 2011 May Sale will see Esker Lodge offer one of the six entries by super-sire High Chaparral at Lot 135 from the Peintre Celebre mare Bois de Boulogne. Esker Lodge also has weanlings by such sires as Keeper, Elusive City, and Pentire amongst its 13 weanling entries.

Other weanling highlights at the forthcoming May Sale include:

� Lot 33 from Dormello Stud out of the Danzig mare Shynzi, the colt is by the Cox Plate winning son of Zabeel in Savabeel and is a three-quarter-brother to the Cox Plate winner Maldivian.

� Lot 127 from Rich Hill Stud, the colt by the Epsom Derby winning first season sire Sir Percy from the Royal Academy mare Beinnale, a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Des's Dream (Dahar) and from the Family of Natural Blitz (Dehere).

� Lot 190 from Westbury Stud, the colt by Bernardini from the Storm Cat mare Dontstealmyroses, a half-brother to the Group 3 placed Whirlwind Charlott (Real Quiet), his dam is a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Hot Novel (Mari's Book), dam of the Group 1 winner and sire Behrens (Pleasant Colony).

� Lot 222 from Curraghmore Stud, the colt by Stravinsky from the English mare Glitterati (Observatory), a three-quarter-sister to the stakes winner Star Cluster (Observatory) and a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Trick of Light (Dansili).

� Lot 315 from Monovale Farm, the colt by Encosta de Lago from Miss Opera (Paris Opera), a half-brother to the multiple Group 1 winner Sir Slick (Volksraad).

With progeny by other leading sires including Canny Lad, Captain Rio, Darci Brahma, Don Eduardo, Elusive City, Keeper, Pentire, Perfectly Ready, Pins, Postponed, Stravinsky, Towkay and Volksraad, the May Sale promises great value to buyers.

The 2011 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale will be held at the Karaka Sale Complex from 2-4 May. For a catalogue please contact NZB on 09 298 0055 or reception@nzb.co.nz.