Elusive City Tops Festival Sale First Session

1 February 2009

New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Festival Sale got underway at Karaka today with a strong clearance rate the highlight on Day One of the two-day sale.

With 186 of the 526 yearlings catalogued for the Festival Sale sold through the ring today, the clearance rate is currently 80%. This compares well with the 84% clearance rate seen at this session last year, which was a new record for this Sale.

Turnover for the day was $2,036,350 with an average of $10,948 and median of $9,000, compared with last year's new record average and median of $16,857 and $12,000 respectively.

Lot-1361

�Festival Sale day 1 sale-topper, Lot 1361 by Elusive City.

The top price of the day came at Lot 1361, with the Elusive City colt from Haunui Farm knocked down for $75,000. Out of the Centaine mare, Outstripping, the colt was purchased by Queensland bloodstock agent John Foote.

Foote has purchased two yearlings at this session to make him the second leading buyer at the Festival Sale, in addition to purchasing the Pins colt from Sound Lover for $160,000 at the Karaka Premier Sale (Lot 256) and six yearling colts at the Select Sale.

The leading buyer of today's session was local bloodstock agent Dean Wiles, purchasing 14 yearlings on behalf of Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore based clients for an aggregate of $133,000.

Wiles commented, "We'll get them started here and then depending on their ability they'll either race here in New Zealand first or we'll send them straight up to Asia."

The leading vendor of this session is currently Totara Park Stud, selling 15 for $165,750. Their top lot, a colt by their resident sire Rusty Spur, fetched $41,000 to the bid of Matamata-trainer Andrew Scott.

The Festival Sale - and final day of the 2009 National Yearling Sales Series - continues at Karaka tomorrow, with the final 260 horses (Lots 1451 to 1710) catalogued for sale from 11am.

2009 Festival Sale Day 1 Statistics

2009 Day 1� Overall 2008
Average $10,948 $16,857
Aggregate $2,036,350 $5,073,850
Catalogued 265 403
Sold 186 301
Clearance Rate 80% 84%
Median $9,000 $12,000
2009 Festival Sale Day 1 Top Price - Lot 1361 B.C Elusive City x Outstripping $75,000
2008 Festival Sale Top Price - Lot 1342 B.C Catcher in the Rye x Laundrette $80,000

Top Lots

Lot� Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Price
1361 B.C. Elusive City / Outstripping HAUNUI FARM� JOHN FOOTE BLOODSTOCK (QLD) $75,000
1404 B.C. Ishiguru / River Cat FERN LEAF THOROUGHBREDS SANDERS RACING STABLES (Te Awamutu) $54,000
1397 B.F Rusty Spur / Rare Bits TOTARA PARK STUD MR A SCOTT (Matamata) $41,000
1342 B.C Keeninsky / Nun's Chorus ELLENDENE FARMS J & I BLOODSTOCK (Auckland) $40,000
1378 B.C Ekraar / Pheroz Flight TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS� MR DR WILES (Waiuku) $36,000
1256 B.C Viking Ruler / Kings Bride OXFORD THOROUGHBREDS JOHN FOOTE BLOODSTOCK (QLD) $33,000
1395 B.C St Reims / Quest for Speed SEATON PARK GO RACING LIMITED (Wellington) $32,000
1425 Br.C Coats Choice / Sefidi BERKLEY STUD MRS DM LOGAN (Ruakaka) $32,000
1219 C.C No Excuse Needed / Hyades CLASSIC YORK LODGE MR JK RIDDELL (Palmerston North) $30,000
1248 B.F Falkirk / Kate Lorimer AINSLEY DOWNS STUD MR MNJ EALES (Palmerston North) $30,000
1302 B.F Don Eduardo / Midnight Breaker HAUNUI FARM� MR MP BAKER (Cambridge) $30,000
1366 B.C Foreplay / Paris Diamond OXFORD THOROUGHBREDS MR JK RIDDELL (Palmerston North) $30,000

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate

Purchaser Bought Aggregate Average Top Price
MR DR WILES 14 $133,000 $9,500 $36,000
NEW ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK (as agent) 12 $127,000 $10,583 $28,000
JOHN FOOTE BLOODSTOCK 2 $108,000 $54,000 $75,000
SANDERS RACING STABLES 6 $98,750 $16,458 $54,000
MR A SCOTT 3 $70,000 $23,333 $41,000
MR E DUBOSQ 7 $62,250 $8,893 $28,000
MR JK RIDDELL 3 $61,000 $20,333 $30,000
MR PA WILLETTS 7 $59,000 $8,429 $14,000
MR MP BAKER 2 $50,000 $25,000 $30,000
MRS DM LOGAN 2 $43,000 $21,500 $32,000

Leading Vendors by Aggregate

Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
TOTARA PARK STUD 15 $165,750 $11,050 $41,000
HAUNUI FARM� 5 $158,000 $31,600 $75,000
TE RUNGA STUD� 15 $136,250 $9,083 $28,000
OXFORD THOROUGHBREDS 7 $119,000 $17,000 $33,000
GRANGEWILLIAM STUD� 12 $69,450 $5,788 $15,000
TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS� 3 $61,500 $20,500 $36,000
BERKLEY STUD 2 $60,000 $30,000 $32,000
ELLENDENE FARMS 3 $54,500 $18,167 $40,000
FERN LEAF THOROUGHBREDS 1 $54,000 $54,000 $54,000
ESKER LODGE� 4 $53,000 $13,250 $26,000

Leading Vendors by Average (3 or more sold)

Vendor Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
HAUNUI FARM� 5 $31,600 $158,000 $75,000
TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS� 3 $20,500 $61,500 $36,000
ELLENDENE FARMS 3 $18,167 $54,500 $40,000
OXFORD THOROUGHBREDS 7 $17,000 $119,000 $33,000
WESTBURY STUD 3 $15,000 $45,000 $20,000
ESKER LODGE� 4 $13,250 $53,000 $26,000
TIMBERLEE THOROUGHBREDS WALTON 3 $13,000 $39,000 $23,000
AINSLEY DOWNS STUD� 4 $12,625 $50,500 $30,000
CHEQUERS STUD 3 $12,000 $36,000 $16,000
BRIGHTHILL FARM 3 $11,667 $35,000 $14,000

Leading Sires by Average (3 or more sold)

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Elusive City 3 $27,083 $81,250 $75,000
Don Eduardo 6 $21,333 $128,000 $30,000
Ekraar 3 $20,667 $62,000 $36,000
Ishiguru 7 $19,643 $137,500 $54,000
Zenno Rob Roy * 5 $18,200 $91,000 $28,000
No Excuse Needed 4 $16,125 $64,500 $30,000
Keeninsky * 6 $15,542 $93,250 $40,000
St Reims * 5 $14,300 $71,500 $32,000
Bachelor Duke 5 $14,200 $71,000 $26,000
Falkirk * 5 $13,250 $66,250 $30,000

* - First Season Sire

Click here for today's passed in lots.