Fillies Take Centre Stage on First Day of NZB’s National Weanling Sale

11 May 2015

It was a trio of well-bred fillies who took centre stage on Day 1 of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale today, supplying the top three lots of the day.

Lot 112 (May Sale 2015). TDunell

Lot 112 topped Day 1 when purchased for $160,000 
Photo courtesy of Trish Dunell.

Securing the top Lot of the day was Bruce Perry Bloodstock, purchasing Lot 112 for $160,000. From Trelawney Stud, the Mastercraftsman filly is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Suavito (Thorn Park), winner of this season's Group 1 Futurity Stakes, being out of High Chaparral mare Queen Cha Cha.

“She’s a half-sister to a serious mare in Australia at the moment,” stated Bruce Perry. “She is a lovely athletic filly and I knew her mother quite well.

“She was bought for James Chapman of Jamieson Park and she’ll go back to their place. They’ll hold onto her and either sell her as a yearling or be very happy to race and breed from her.”

The sire of Lot 112, Mastercraftsman, stood at Windsor Park Stud and it was another Windsor Park Stud sire that provided the second highest price of the day with Lot 54, by Rip Van Winkle, purchased by Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud for $120,000.

“She’s a lovely, quality filly from one of the best families in New Zealand. I’m really looking forward to bringing her back here to Karaka in January,” commented Cunningham.

From the draft of G. Kenny, the filly is out of winning mare Miss Krisdel (Spectatorial), the dam of recent Group 3 Western Australian Oaks runner-up Spectacular Vision (Mastercrafsman), trained by Peter Moody. Miss Krisdel is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Gee I Jane (Jahafil) and Group 3 winner Miss Jessie Jay (Spectacularphantom), the dam of Group 1 winners Katie Lee (Fastnet Rock) and Banchee (Oratorio).

Visiting American buyer Roderick Wachman made his first purchase in New Zealand, paying $110,000 for a Pierro filly catalogued at Lot 101 from Curraghmore Stud, the third highest price of the day.

“She is a very athletic filly and I think Pierro will be a sensation,” commented Wachman. “I bought her with a partner based in Ireland and she may come back to Karaka for the yearling sales.”

Bruce Perry Bloodstock was the leading individual purchaser with the top Lot of the day his only purchase. Marc and Sarah Devcich followed closely behind, purchasing four horses for $159,000. Their leading purchase was Lot 91, again a filly, by So You Think for $65,000 from Esker Lodge.

Prominent National Yearling Sales Series and Ready to Run Sale vendor Lyndhurst Farm were next on the leading purchasers by aggregate list, buying three weanlings for a total of $150,500 with their top purchase Lot 17, a colt by Tavistock from Cambria Park, purchased for $58,000.

First season sire Ocean Park finished not only as the leading freshman sire but the leading sire overall with three or more horses sold. The Waikato Stud sire had all four of his weanlings that were offered sell, finishing with an average of $39,625.

Ocean Park’s top price was Lot 84, bought by Hallmark Stud for $72,500 from Haunui Farm’s draft. Hallmark Stud purchased this year’s $1m Karaka Million winner Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing) from Haunui Farm at the 2013 National Weanling Sale before selling him to trainer Liam Birchley at Karaka 2014.

There was strong interest in first season sires with Reliable Man selling his only entry today for $40,000, the same price was paid for Burgundy’s leading lot, while Niagara’s top lot sold for $32,000 and both of Azamour’s weanlings fetching over $20,000.

Currently sitting as the leading vendor by aggregate is Haunui Farm with 24 lots sold for $312,850. Trelawney Stud is the leading vendor by average with three or more sold, having sold four lots for $49,750, ahead of the leading vendor for the past nine years Curraghmore Stud, who is second by both average and aggregate currently.

Last year saw 295 lots catalogued in the National Weanling Sale, all selling in one day. With 350 weanlings entered this year, the first 200 went through the ring today with the clearance rate finishing at 81%, increasing from 79% last year. The average is currently sitting at $12,302 and the median is $4,000.

“The strength of the fillies was evident with the top three lots all fillies out of young mares with nice pedigrees, the top two lots by local sires,” commented NZB’s Bloodstock Sales Manager Danny Rolston. “It was great to see the owners of these fillies be rewarded for their show of confidence in the Sale as their fillies achieved good results and reached their genuine value.

“While local buyers were to the fore it was pleasing to see international investment including spend from America.

“On the back of a healthy clearance rate today, we are looking forward to another good day tomorrow with a number of feature lots to come.”

The final 150 weanlings will begin the day’s selling tomorrow commencing at 11am. The latter part of the day will see yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced stock and racehorses go under the hammer with broodmares and stallion shares concluding the Sale on Wednesday.

2015 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale - Weanling Statistics
2015 National Weanling Sale Day 1 2014
Aggregate $1,783,750 $2,656,450
Average $12,302 $13,282
Median $4,000 $7,000
Clearance 81% 79%
Catalogued 200 295
Sold 145 200
Top Price Lot 112 G.F Mastercraftsman x Queen Cha Cha $160,000 Lot 90 B.C O'Reilly x Miraculous Miss $160,000
Top Lots
Lot Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Price
112 G.F Mastercraftsman / Queen Cha Cha Trelawney Stud Ltd Bruce Perry Bloodstock $160,000
54 B.F Rip Van Winkle / Miss Krisdel G. Kenny Curraghmore Stud $120,000
101 B.F Pierro / Prestigious Miss Curraghmore Stud Mr R Wachman $110,000
84 Ch.C Ocean Park / On the Board Haunui Farm Hallmark Stud $72,500
91 B.F So You Think / Palos de Lago Esker Lodge Devcich Bloodstock $65,000
17 B.C Tavistock / Lady in Waiting Cambria Park Lyndhurst Farm $58,000
53 Ch.F Ocean Park / Miss Jaydeejay Lime Country Thoroughbreds Ltd United Syndications $58,000
20 B.C Per Incanto / La Serenissime Haunui Farm Lyndhurst Farm $52,500
57 BR.C Denman / Miss Motown Phoenix Park Ampulla Lodge $42,500
136 B.C Makfi / Sarajay Curraghmore Stud Prima Park Bloodstock $42,000
Leading Purchasers by Aggregate
Purchaser Bought Aggregate Average Top Price
NZB as agent 30 $310,350 $10,345 $30,000 (Lot 121)
Bruce Perry Bloodstock (Mercer) 1 $160,000 $160,000 $160,000 (Lot 112)
Devcich Bloodstock (Cambridge) 4 $159,000 $39,750 $65,000 (Lot 91)
Lyndhurst Farm (Cambridge) 3 $150,500 $50,167 $58,000 (Lot 17)
Curraghmore Stud (Te Awamutu) 1 $120,000 $120,000 $120,000 (Lot 54)
Mr R Wachman (USA) 1 $110,000 $110,000 $110,000 (Lot 101)
Hallmark Stud (Te Kauwhata) 1 $72,500 $72,500 $72,500 (Lot 84)
United Syndications (VIC) 1 $58,000 $58,000 $58,000 (Lot 53)
Ampulla Lodge (VIC) 1 $42,500 $42,500 $42,500 (Lot 57)
Prima Park Bloodstock (Putaruru) 1 $42,000 $42,000 $42,000 (Lot 136)
Upstage Bloodstock (Matamata) 5 $36,000 $7,200 $16,000 (Lot 119)
Leading Vendors by Aggregate
Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
Haunui Farm 24 $312,850 $13,035 $72,500 (Lot 84)
Curraghmore Stud 6 $218,000 $36,333 $110,000 (Lot 101)
Trelawney Stud Ltd 4 $199,000 $49,750 $160,000 (Lot 112)
Waikato Stud Ltd 18 $137,800 $7,656 $26,000 (Lot 176)
G. Kenny 1 $120,000 $120,000 $120,000 (Lot 54)
Lime Country Thoroughbreds Ltd 3 $103,000 $34,333 $58,000 (Lot 53)
Little Avondale Stud 16 $83,250 $5,203 $23,000 (Lot 42)
Bradbury Park 4 $66,000 $16,500 $40,000 (Lot 142)
Esker Lodge 1 $65,000 $65,000 $65,000 (Lot 91)
Hallmark Stud 6 $60,400 $10,067 $20,000 (Lot 79)
Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)
Vendor Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Trelawney Stud Ltd 4 $49,750 $199,000 $160,000 (Lot 112)
Curraghmore Stud 6 $36,333 $218,000 $110,000 (Lot 101)
Lime Country Thoroughbreds Ltd 3 $34,333 $103,000 $58,000 (Lot 53)
Bradbury Park 4 $16,500 $66,000 $40,000 (Lot 142)
Haunui Farm 24 $13,035 $312,850 $72,500 (Lot 84)
Wentwood Grange 3 $11,667 $35,000 $21,000 (Lot 108)
Hallmark Stud 6 $10,067 $60,400 $20,000 (Lot 79)
Blackbridge 3 $9,000 $27,000 $14,000 (Lot 147)
Brighthill Farm 6 $7,958 $47,750 $21,000 (Lot 38)
Waikato Stud Ltd 18 $7,656 $137,800 $26,000 (Lot 176)
Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold)
Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Ocean Park* 4 $39,625 $158,500 $72,500 (Lot 84)
Tavistock 3 $21,167 $63,500 $58,000 (Lot 17)
Niagara* 3 $17,667 $53,000 $32,000 (Lot 167)
Per Incanto 4 $17,125 $68,500 $52,500 (Lot 20)
Burgundy* 3 $16,333 $49,000 $40,000 (Lot 142)
Makfi 4 $15,000 $60,000 $42,000 (Lot 136)
Super Easy* 5 $14,300 $71,500 $20,000 (Lot 77)
Pins 3 $10,333 $31,000 $16,000 (Lot 119)
Redwood 3 $10,200 $30,600 $16,000 (Lot 96)
Showcasing 7 $9,943 $69,600 $22,000 (Lot 71)

"First Season Sires