Riversley Park Tuned In For Another Big Ready to Run Sale

After dominating the NZB Ready to Run Sale vendors’ standings for the past decade, Riversley Park is set to present another draft big on both quality and quantity at Karaka next Wednesday and Thursday.

So dominant has the Sam and Hana Beatson-led operation been over the years, next week Riversley will bid to complete an unbeaten 10-year run as leading vendor of the two-year-old breeze-up sale recognised as a global leader in its specialist field.

From a showjumping background when growing up in Hawke’s Bay, when they relocated to the Waikato, Sam and his cousin Jamie Beatson initially worked in partnership before setting up their respective Riversley and Ohukia Lodge operations.

Both have established their reputations in sales preparation, pre-training and breaking and for its part, next week Riversley Park will be responsible for 10 per cent of the Ready to Run Sale catalogue with a draft that currently numbers 44.

“The key with a draft of this size is having systems in place to manage the horses as they go through their various stages, from selecting the individuals to rearing and breaking them in, preparing them for the breeze-ups and then finishing them off ahead of the sale,” Sam Beatson said. “The way I see it, so long as all goes well through the various stages, the rest will look after itself.”

In common with the majority of individual drafts, Riversley’s 2026 offering is a combination of pinhookers – horses purchased mostly as yearlings with a view to developing and reselling – as well as those consigned by their breeders.

Pinhooking has gone hand-in-hand with the evolution of the Ready to Run Sale, which recognises the input of selling agents alongside the skills of vendors involved directly in preparation. 

“We bought about 20 this year from the various sales and the rest of our draft are horses sent to us by clients, most of them who are also their breeders,” Beatson added.  

“With our two main markets Hong Kong and Australia, you need to have a mix of speed horses and those mile to 2000-metre horses. I think that what we’ve ended up is a good selection of both as well as a draft that has plenty to offer all levels of the buying bench.”

In a catalogue that features the progeny of no less than 119 stallions, the 33 represented in the Riversley draft include leading sires Savabeel, Per Incanto, Proisir, Super Seth, Dundeel, Shamexpress, Satono Aladdin, Toronado, Rubick, Hellbent, Starspangledbanner, Gun Runner and Harry Angel. The list of emerging sires with progeny in the draft includes Sword Of State, Ole Kirk, Stay Inside, Ghaiyyath, Alabama Express, Tassort, Ardrossan, Written By, Noverre, Profondo, Brutal and Wooded.

Whether the Riversley draft contains individuals that in time will compare with past star graduates Golden Sixty or Ceolwulf or others such as current emerging Hong Kong sprinter Patch Of Stars, only time will tell.

Triple Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty was a member of the 2017 Riversley draft when he sold to trainer Francis Lui for $300,000, while in 2022 Ceolwulf was purchased by Sydney trainer Joe Pride and his Auckland part-owner Leighton Howl for $170,000.

“Golden Sixty was an absolute standout, a horse that we’ll always be able to hang our hat on,” says Beatson. “Ceolwulf didn’t pass the vetting for Hong Kong, but to his credit Joe Pride has managed him expertly to win four Group Ones and place this spring in the Epsom, King Charles and Cox Plate.

“Patch Of Stars topped our 2023 draft at $800,000, so it’s good to see him doing so well up in Hong (with seven wins including the Gr.3 Sha Tin Vase) and the promise of more to come.

“I’d like to think we’re offering horses that will add to our record, and looking at the individuals I’m confident the quality is there.

“Of those that I’ve selected myself there are horses that will appeal to the market. After all, when you’re looking for yourself and spending your own money, the aim is to select the right type of horse, and of course our clients are also well aware of the sort of horse that’s required.”

While the emphasis has traditionally been on male two-year-olds, Beatson believes there is also room for fillies, as illustrated by the progeny of Satono Aladdin, Shamexpress, In The Congo, Noverre and Profondo in this year’s draft.

“The reason I don’t normally have many fillies is because of all the colts in the draft, but this year we’ve gelded probably more than usual, which means there’s room to manage a handful of fillies,” he explains.

“Those that we’ve offered in the past have generally sold well, and as far as this year goes, I’m happy to include some because there’s a strong local and Australian market for good quality fillies.”

Taking a wider view of what to expect when selling commences at Karaka on Wednesday, Beatson is optimistic that the combination of a quality offering, an exchange rate favouring overseas buyers, the input by NZB and this sale’s excellent graduates’ record all point to a positive outcome.

“I never try to get ahead of myself, I only worry about the things I can control and take care of myself,” says Beatson. “So until the sale kicks off, you just don’t know how it will go.

“NZB have done a big job promoting the sale and getting feet on the grounds, which has been especially noticeable the past couple of years. Having the actual buyers there is so important, getting them right amongst the hype and atmosphere, things like that can make all the difference when it comes to bidding.

“From my point of view, I’m very satisfied with what we’re bringing to the sale, so come Sunday morning we’ll be on the grounds and ready to parade our draft.”  

Dennis Ryan, RaceForm