Positive Conclusion to NZB Weanling Session

5 May 2009

A strong day's trading at Karaka today saw the Weanling Session of New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale conclude on a positive note.

One of the most pleasing outcomes of the day was the 88% clearance rate, just shy of last year's record for New Zealand Bloodstock of 89%. This was noticeable throughout the day with spirited bidding at all levels of the weanling market.

Lot-207

�Weanling Session sale topper - Lot 207 - a Darci Brahma colt sold on account of Esker Lodge.

The highlight of the day came when Lot 207 - having passed in yesterday for $80,000 - was sold subsequently for $100,000 making it the highest priced weanling of the sale. The colt, by first season sire Darci Brahma, is a half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Hail and was purchased by Tony and Claire Anderson's Papakura-based Ballydoyle from Tom and Shelley Murtagh's Esker Lodge.

Clare Anderson was thrilled with her purchase, which has been pinhooked for the 2010 National Yearling Sales Series. "He's a lovely colt with a great attitude already. We were also attracted to his pedigree and expect that Darci Brahma's progeny are going to be popular come yearling sales in January."

The average tracked up throughout the day to finish at $9,018, down 34% from last year's record weanling average of $13,733. Turnover for the session reached $2,407,800 while the median rounded off at $3,250.

The session provided a great start to the sales careers of the first season sires with Darci Brahma recording the highest sire average at $41,813 while progeny by Perfectly Ready and Fast n Famous were also highly sought after.

For the fourth year running Gordon Cunningham's Curraghmore Stud emerged the leading vendor of the weanling session, selling 15 youngsters for total receipts of $352,000 and an average price of $23,467.

Paul and Cushla Smithies Monovale Holdings edged in to be the leading vendor by average with a figure of $40,563 from the sale of four weanlings. Their top lot fetched second highest price of the session with $82,500 paid for Lot 312. From a three-quarter sister to Group 1 NZ Derby winner Hades - Helene Vitality (HK) (Zabeel) and fellow successful Hong Kong galloper Everbright, she is by Coolmore Stud's dual Group 1 winning son of Danehill, Holy Roman Emperor. New Zealand Bloodstock agent, John Cameron acted on behalf of clients to secure the filly and commented, "She's a strongly made, athletic filly who is built in the same mould as her promising young sire."

Meanwhile the leading purchaser of weanlings was Cambridge-based Michael Wallace Bloodstock who bought six for a total outlay of $134,500.

"I had orders for four different New Zealand-based clients with five of the six lots looking like possible pinhooks. It was encouraging to see the Sale hold up so well and have such tough competition on the quality lots."

National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale

With the weanling order concluding at lot 336, a portion of the broodmare offering went under the hammer this afternoon with Dormello Stud's Lot 366 providing the price highlight so far. The Sadler's Wells mare Incommunicado, carrying a positive pregnancy test to Savabeel, sold to the bid of South Island buyers Ballybin Farm for $60,000.

Tomorrow will see the remaining 173 broodmares plus 18 yearlings, 21 two-year-olds, nine unraced stock and 17 racehorses go under the hammer from 10am. The supplementary catalogue, without the weanlings, will follow on at the conclusion of the main catalogue.

Click here to view passed lots.

2009 National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale
Weanling Session Statistics

2009 2008
Catalogued 336 396
Sold 267 316
Clearance 88% 89%
Average $9,018 $13,733
Median $3,250 $6,000
Aggregate $2,407,800 $4,339,600
Top Price $100,000 $130,000

Leading Lots

Lot� Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Price
207 B.C Darci Brahma / Valley Court ESKER LODGE BALLYDOYLE (Papakura) $100,000
312 B.F Holy Roman Emperor / Elusive Quarry MONOVALE HOLDINGS� NZB as agent (Auckland) $82,500
242 B.C Perfectly Ready / Axislass CURRAGHMORE STUD� WELLFIELD THOROUGHBREDS (Palmerston Nth) $56,000
66 B.C Fast 'n' Famous / Libourne CURRAGHMORE STUD� NZB as agent (Auckland) $52,000
180 BR.C Pentire / Stretto ESKER LODGE� MR J MORRISEY (QLD) $50,000
133 B.C St Reims / Quintessence TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS� NZB as agent (Cambridge) $45,000
218 C.C Volksraad / Worship BRIGHTHILL FARM JC & MA MORELL (Ngaruawahia) $45,000
301 B.C Perfectly Ready / Deune CURRAGHMORE STUD� MAARA GRANGE (Cambridge) $41,000
233 B.F Darci Brahma / Anakela Bay CURRAGHMORE STUD� NZB as agent (Auckland) $40,000
290 B.F Dehere / Crocodile MONOVALE HOLDINGS� MR PJ WALKER (Auckland) $40,000

Leading purchasers by aggregate

Purchaser Location Bought Aggregate Top Price
NZB as agent 40 $589,550 $82,500
MICHAEL WALLACE BLOODSTOCK� Cambridge 6 $134,500 $33,000
BALLYDOYLE Auckland 1 $100,000 $100,000
LYNDHURST FARM Cambridge 3 $96,500 $37,500
MR J MORRISEY Queensland 2 $87,000 $50,000
JC & MA MORELL Ngaruawahia 2 $77,000 $45,000
MAARA GRANGE Cambridge 2 $71,000 $41,000
WELLFIELD THOROUGHBREDS Palmerston Nth 1 $56,000 $56,000
MR PA WILLETTS Auckland 7 $54,250 $21,000
GTS BLOODSTOCK LTD Te Awamutu 2 $51,500 $27,500

Leading sires by Average (3 or more sold)

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Darci Brahma 4 $41,813 $167,250 $100,000
Volksraad 3 $30,667 $92,000 $45,000
Pentire 4 $27,375 $109,500 $50,000
Perfectly Ready 15 $25,117 $376,750 $56,000
Dubai Destination 3 $23,000 $69,000 $37,000
Don Eduardo 5 $19,760 $98,800 $30,000
Fast 'n' Famous 5 $17,560 $87,800 $52,000
O'Reilly 4 $16,250 $65,000 $27,500
Elusive City 6 $14,583 $87,500 $30,000
St Reims 10 $9,850 $98,500 $45,000

Leading Vendors by Aggregate

Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
CURRAGHMORE STUD LTD 15 $352,000 $23,467 $56,000
ESKER LODGE LTD 10 $279,800 $27,980 $100,000
BRIGHTHILL FARM 14 $230,450 $16,461 $45,000
WAIKATO STUD 29 $207,300 $7,148 $27,500
MONOVALE HOLDINGS LTD 4 $162,250 $40,563 $82,500
HAUNUI FARM LTD 10 $140,700 $14,070 $30,000
TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS LTD 25 $113,750 $4,550 $45,000
WINDSOR PARK STUD LTD 4 $101,000 $25,250 $33,000
BLUE GABLES FARM 7 $66,250 $9,464 $34,000
WOODBINE FARM PARTNERSHIP 6 $60,500 $10,083 $17,000

Leading Vendors by Average (3 or more sold)

Vendor Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
MONOVALE HOLDINGS LTD 4 $40,563 $162,250 $82,500
ESKER LODGE LTD 10 $27,980 $279,800 $100,000
WINDSOR PARK STUD LTD 4 $25,250 $101,000 $33,000
CURRAGHMORE STUD LTD 15 $23,467 $352,000 $56,000
BRIGHTHILL FARM 14 $16,461 $230,450 $45,000
SALISBURY PARK LTD 3 $16,000 $48,000 $24,000
HAUNUI FARM LTD 10 $14,070 $140,700 $30,000
SOLILOQUY LODGE LTD 4 $10,825 $43,300 $28,000
SEATON PARK LTD 5 $10,100 $50,500 $27,000
WOODBINE FARM PARTNERSHIP 6 $10,083 $60,500 $17,000