New 'Horses-in-Training' Session at NZB May Sale

In a new initiative from New Zealand Bloodstock, the 2011 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale will host a new sales session dedicated to horses currently in training.

The new 'Horses in Training' session will be open to all horses that have trialled, raced, or have breezed up for the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, in the current season. There will be no age limit on entries.

The merits of a session of this kind were demonstrated this year when the two-year-old Encosta de Lago colt from Lake Alexandrina was sold by Wellfield Lodge for $240,000 to Hong Kong buyers at the 2010 May Sale.

New Zealand Bloodstock's Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela says the new session is in response to demand for a viable sales opportunity for horses currently in work.

"This new session is being introduced in response to a number of requests for an auction sales opportunity for horses currently in training, including from some leading New Zealand and Australian trainers. There are horses everywhere from trial winners to young broken in stock that do not move via the private sale market for various reasons, and for many the additional cost of going on to race or trial is prohibitive, so an opportunity exists for a viable alternative.

"The Ready to Run Sale will always be the most desirable route for two-year-olds due to the success already established at that sale. But for horses that might have missed a Ready to Run preparation, or for trainers that have older horses that don't fit their business model but may be viable propositions for others, this offers an alternative. At the same time we hope it can be a platform to offer a genuine export quality horse, such as the Encosta de Lago colt from the May Sale."

Video footage will be compulsory and will be displayed on NZB's website with the catalogue. This footage will be of a race, trial or official breeze up, as nominated by the vendor. This removes any geographical disadvantage to this session because vendors can do all the preparation at home - wherever they are based - provided the horse has the necessary video footage.

"The May Sale seems the most sensible home for a session of this nature so trainers and owners won't have to carry their stock through the winter. But if it is successful we can always consider adding it to our other Mixed Bloodstock Sales.

"We hope that it is well-supported with some good entries this year and can take hold as a viable trading opportunity for trainers and owners," commented Petrea.

The entry fee for the 'Horses in Training' section of the 2011 May Sale will be NZ$650 +GST, with the following conditions:

• Open to all horses that have trialled, raced, or breezed up for the NZB Ready to Run Sale, in the current season. No age limit will apply.
• A mandatory condition of entry is that a video of the horse racing, trialling or breezing up must be available (from Trackside or NZB). The video can be the horse's best performance as determined by the vendor and does not have to be from the current season. Details must be provided by the vendor on the Entry Form for an entry to be eligible for this session and only one clip can be provided per entry.
• There will also be no supplementary entries taken for this session.

The order of selling at the 2011 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale will be: Weanlings, Broodmares, Horses in Training and mixed sections. All entries other than for the Horses in Training session will be NZ$500 +GST.

The 2011 National Weanling, Broodmare�& Mixed Bloodstock Sale will run from 2-4 May with entries closing on 2 March 2011. Entry Forms will be out in the New Year.