$1.3m Frankel Adds Flourish to Superb Karaka Premier Sale

26 January 2016

The first yearling to be auctioned in the Southern Hemisphere by the world’s highest rated racehorse of all time, Frankel, lit up the sale ring on the final day of a superb Karaka 2016 Premier Sale, knocked down for $1.3m.

To view the Karaka Premier Sale Highlights Video, click here.
Frankel colt
Lot 445 was knocked down for $1.3m.

On a day that saw significant gains to all key figures, the colt out of Our Echezeaux (Zabeel), catalogued at Lot 445, stole the show with Adrian Nicoll of BBA Ireland landing the final blow after a bidding duel with Peter Moody.

A syndicate of high profile international identities combined to purchase the colt from Pencarrow Stud, including Nicoll, Tom Magnier of Coolmore Stud, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum from Dubai, the Niarchos family from France and Apollo Ng from Hong Kong.

“The two best Frankels I have seen have been this horse here and the filly at Goffs that sold for $1.7m Euro,” commented Nicoll.

“He’s a lovely horse, he’s got immense presence and we started trying to make this happen about three days ago.”

The $1.3m colt helped drive significant increases to the aggregate, average, median and clearance rate from last year’s Sale.

With 316 horses sold, 18 more than last year, the aggregate for the two-day Sale finished at $55,687,500, a whopping increase of 24% from last year and the highest figure for the Premier Sale since 2011.

The average price for the Sale was $176,226 compared with $150,881 last year, another big increase of 17% and the highest average price since 2010. Also increasing by 17% was the median price as it reached $140,000, up from last year’s figure of $120,000. All of these milestones were achieved at a clearance rate of 78%, better than last year’s 75%.

Another sign of strength was the number of horses sold for over $500,000 with 10 horses reaching or surpassing that mark, compared with just three last year. Further to that, there were 45 horses sold for $300,000 or more, up from 29 last year.

“We are delighted with the results that have been achieved over the past two days,” commented NZB's Managing Director Andrew Seabrook. “An extremely diverse buying bench was active leading to some great bidding spectacles in the ring.

“We achieved the best average since 2010 and the best aggregate and median since 2011 which shows the depth of the catalogue. Credit must go to our vendors for putting together a catalogue of great strength and for presenting their horses in immaculate condition.”

Also creating headlines was David Ellis of Te Akau Racing as he became the leading buyer for a record 11th consecutive year at the Karaka Premier Sale. Ellis purchased 17 horses for a total of $4,775,000 with his highest priced purchase coming at Lot 200 for $775,000, the top lot on Day One of the Sale.

The diverse buying bench was underpinned by 12 countries purchasing horses at the Sale including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ireland, Japan, Macau, Netherlands, United Kingdom, USA, South Africa and Malaysia.

Featuring in the top 10 individual buyers were China Horse Club and the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group (both China), Chris Waller and Ultra Thoroughbreds (Australia), the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the international syndicate that purchased the top lot, along with kiwis David Ellis, Team Rogerson, Go Racing and Bruce Perry.

Australia was the leading country by spend, purchasing 135 horses for $22,870,000, an increase of 12% from last year’s spend of $20,412,500. The resurgent Australian market increased its spend for the second consecutive year.

Just before missing out on the top lot of the day, Peter Moody struck by purchasing the second highest price of the Sale in partnership with First Light Racing and Paul Willetts for $825,000, a Savabeel colt out of O’Reilly Rose (O’Reilly) catalogued at Lot 442. Offered by Beltana, the colt is the highest priced Savabeel to ever be sold at auction.

Savabeel grossed $11,545,000 which is over 20% of the Sale aggregate. He provided the second and third-equal highest prices of the Sale with Lot 301 purchased for $775,000 by Ultra Thoroughbreds today, the same price outlaid by David Ellis for Lot 200 yesterday.

The home of Savabeel, Waikato Stud, was the leading vendor by aggregate for the third consecutive year, selling 45 horses for $8,257,500. The top price of $775,000 achieved for Lot 200 was a record price for Waikato Stud.  

“We came here with a lovely draft and there was a great buying bench present, they really accepted the Savabeels along with the first crops of Ocean Park and the Rock ’n’ Pops,” commented Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick.

“We had 50 horses in the Premier Sale and to get through with the result that we did, we’re extremely happy."

The leading vendor by average was Curraghmore with 18 horses sold at an average $268,333, with their highest priced horse also purchased by Ellis who paid $510,000 for the Fastnet Rock colt out of Myrrh (Nassipour) catalogued at Lot 432.

Selling continues at Karaka tomorrow with the first session of the three-day Select Sale, the source of five individual Group 1 winners last season.  Selling commences at Lot 448 from 11am, with the Sale streamed live online at www.nzb.co.nz. To view the passed in Lots from the Premier Sale, click here.

2016 Premier Sale Statistics
  2016 PREMIER SALE 2015 PREMIER SALE
AGGREGATE $55,687,500 $44,962,500
AVERAGE $176,226 $150,881
MEDIAN $140,000 $120,000
CLEARANCE 78% 75%
CATALOGUED 447 443
SOLD 316 298
TOP LOT Frankel x Our Echezeaux (Lot 445) - $1,300,000 Fastnet Rock x Il Quello Veloce (Lot 429) - $800,000
Top Lots
LOT TYPE BREEDING VENDOR Purchaser PRICE
445 B.C Frankel / Our Echezeaux Pencarrow Stud BBA Ireland/Mr T Magnier/Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum/Niarchos Family/Mr A Ng (Ireland) $1,300,000
442 BL.C Savabeel / O'Reilly Rose Beltana First Light Racing/Mr P Willetts/Moody Racing (VIC) $825,000
200 BR.C Savabeel / Bling Waikato Stud Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau) $775,000
301 B.C Savabeel / Generous Nature Little Avondale Stud Ultra Thoroughbred Racing (VIC)  $775,000
438 B.F Power / Octapussy Cambridge Stud China Horse Club (China) $600,000
29 BR.C Savabeel / Queen of Avalon Windsor Park Stud Shadwell/De Burgh Equine (Ireland) $550,000
338 B.C All Too Hard / Kalamata Lyndhurst Farm Little Kwok Hing Hung/Bahen Bloodstock (Hong Kong) $525,000
432 B.C Fastnet Rock / Myrrh Curraghmore Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau) $510,000
387 B.C Snitzel / Malibu Road Curraghmore Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau) $500,000
424 B.F Fastnet Rock / Most Striking Haunui Farm Astute Bloodstock/Hawkes Racing (NSW) $500,000
Leading Purchasers by Aggregate
PURCHASER BOUGHT AGGREGATE AVERAGE TOP PRICE
Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau) 17  $4,775,000  $280,882  $775,000 (Lot 200) 
NZB as agent 29  $3,655,000  $126,034  $375,000 (Lot 10) 
China Horse Club (China) 6  $1,780,000  $296,667  $600,000 (Lot 438) 
Chris Waller Racing (NSW) 7  $1,645,000  $235,000  $360,000 (Lot 396) 
Team Rogerson (Hamilton) 9  $1,425,000  $158,333  $360,000 (Lot 404) 
Hong Kong Jockey Club (Hong Kong) 4  $1,315,000  $328,750  $475,000 (Lot 297) 
BBA Ireland, Mr T Magnier, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Niarchos Family, Mr A Ng (Ireland) 1  $1,300,000  $1,300,000  $1,300,000 (Lot 445) 
Rider Horse NZ (China) 6  $1,225,000  $204,167  $450,000 (Lot 169) 
Go Racing (Auckland) 8  $1,150,000  $143,750  $240,000 (Lot 294) 
Bruce Perry Bloodstock (Masterton) 5  $1,110,000  $222,000  $320,000  (Lot37) 
Ultra Thoroughbred Racing (VIC) 2  $1,055,000  $527,500  $775,000 (Lot 301) 
Leading Vendors by Aggregate
VENDOR  SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE TOP PRICE
Waikato Stud 45  $8,257,500  $183,500 $775,000 (Lot 200)
Cambridge Stud 34  $6,405,000  $188,382 $600,000 (Lot 438)
Curraghmore 18  $4,830,000  $268,333 $510,000 (Lot 432)
Pencarrow Stud 14  $3,510,000  $250,714 $1,300,000 (Lot 445)
Windsor Park Stud 20  $3,285,000  $162,250 $550,000 (Lot 29)
Haunui Farm 18  $2,617,500  $145,417 $500,000 (Lot 424)
Lyndhurst Farm 14  $2,600,000  $185,714 $525,000 (Lot 338)
Westbury Stud 17  $2,265,000  $133,235 $300,000 (Lot 121)
Hallmark Stud 11  $2,135,000  $194,091 $320,000 (Lot 62)
Trelawney Stud 14  $2,115,000  $151,071 $325,000 (Lot 51)
Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)
VENDOR  SOLD AVERAGE AGGREGATE TOP PRICE
Curraghmore 18  $268,333  $4,830,000  $510,000 (Lot 432) 
Pencarrow Stud 14  $250,714  $3,510,000  $1,300,000 (Lot 445) 
Little Avondale Stud 8  $240,625  $1,925,000  $775,000 (Lot 301) 
Hallmark Stud 11  $194,091  $2,135,000  $320,000 (Lot 62) 
Cambridge Stud 34  $188,382  $6,405,000  $600,000 (Lot 438) 
Lyndhurst Farm 14  $185,714  $2,600,000  $525,000 (Lot 338) 
Waikato Stud 45  $183,500  $8,257,500  $775,000 (Lot 200) 
Rich Hill Stud 8  $176,875  $1,415,000  $300,000 (Lot 18) 
Blandford Lodge 11  $174,091  $1,915,000  $440,000 (Lot 81) 
Jamieson Park 4  $165,000  $660,000  $180,000 (Lot 28) 
Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold)
SIRE SOLD AVERAGE AGGREGATE TOP PRICE
Snitzel 4  $280,000  $1,120,000 $500,000 (Lot 387)
Fastnet Rock 14  $263,571  $3,690,000 $510,000 (Lot 432)
Savabeel 45  $256,556  $11,545,000 $825,000 (Lot 442)
All Too Hard* 3  $253,333  $760,000 $525,000 (Lot 338)
Tavistock 14  $212,857  $2,980,000 $460,000 (Lot 151)
Power* 6  $209,167  $1,255,000 $600,000 (Lot 438)
Pierro* 6  $207,500  $1,245,000 $400,000 (Lot 426)
High Chaparral 9  $206,111  $1,855,000 $450,000 (Lot 113)
Iffraaj 4  $200,000  $800,000 $260,000 (Lot 231)
Pour Moi 9  $178,056  $1,602,500 $360,000 (Lot 398)

*First Season Sire