Curraghmore King of the Ring Again
14 May 2014
Curraghmore Stud has continued its domination of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale as the leading vendor for the ninth consecutive year.
Gordon Cunningham’s farm sold 12 lots for $165,000 at Karaka on Monday at an average of $51,333 and topped the auction when the O’Reilly-Miraculous Miss colt sold for $160,000.
“There were plenty of people here to buy quality horses,” Cunningham said. “Good, well grown colts were in strong demand and anything with a ‘fresh’ pedigree was well sought after too.
“My draft this year was of consistent quality from past years and it is terrific for my clients and staff to gain good returns once again. The leading vendor title wasn’t a goal this year as we only catalogued 13 weanlings, but very pleasing for all involved to achieve it for the ninth year.”
The top colt is from the stakes placed daughter Exceed and Excel mare Miraculous Miss and was purchased by Ascot Farm.
“We viewed the horse at Curraghmore and we’ve bought well from Curraghmore in the past as we like buying well-prepared weanlings,” Maureen Harvey said.
“He has an excellent temperament and he’s bred on a very similar cross to Sacred Falls and we plan to sell him as a yearling.
“We really liked his physicality as a horse, the two horses that we’ve had on the farm that had the same build as him were Unique Jewellery and Kildare who were both Group winners in Hong Kong.”
With 295 weanlings catalogued, including 11 supplementary entries, a total of 200 youngsters sold for $2,656,450 at a clearance rate of 79 per cent. Even with 60 fewer lots catalogued and 35 less weanlings sold than last year, the aggregate rose by five per cent. The average of $13,282 was a 22 per cent increase on last year’s $10,857, with the median posting a 40 per cent increase from $5,000 to $7,000.
“We are very happy with the strength of the Sale and the increases across the board,” NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Danny Rolston said. “We are seeing vendors offering a genuine product and getting rewarded accordingly.
“We have been working really hard on developing a strong buying bench for this Sale and couldn’t be happier with the turnout and the resulting trade.”