KARAKA 2010: Festival Sale a Positive Finale to Karaka Sales Week

8 February 2010

Selling at New Zealand Bloodstock's 84th National Yearling Sales concluded at Karaka today, with the final day of the two-day Festival session rounding off an extremely successful Sales Series.

Three times today the Festival Sale's previous record price was surpassed, with the new record set by Lot 1397 bought for $110,000 by New Zealand Bloodstock as agent for Cambridge clients. The Elusive City colt offered by Haunui Farm is from the Sir Tristram mare Wishing Belle. Prior to this week, the previous Festival record was $80,000 in 2008.

Lot-1397

Lot 1397, the $110,000 record priced Festival Sale colt by Elusive City.

A few lots later another lot came close, when the King's Chapel colt at Lot 1418 was knocked down for $100,000 to Auckland bloodstock agent, Robt Dawe. Offered by Mark & Sarah Devcich's Henley Park in Cambridge, the colt was from the winning Volksraad mare, Alleyrun.

The third six-figure yearling came at Lot 1520, when another Elusive City colt was knocked down for $100,000, this time to Queensland-based International Bloodstock Consultants. With just three yearlings in the Sale, this gave Kirkwall Thoroughbreds the honour of leading vendor by average on $39,667.

Following the trend of the entire week, the final Festival Sale figures sailed past last year's results, with the session turnover of $4,915,600 up 10% with six fewer lots in the Sale.

The session average was up 25% on last year's $11,997, with the session median matching last year's $10,000. With the final few hours showing the first signs of a lull in the market, the clearance rate settled at 71% for the two days' trade.

The predominantly local buying bench was headed by the O'Sullivans' Wexford Stables, with trainer Andrew Scott prominent throughout the past two days to end up with ten Festival yearlings for $322,500. Wexford's top price of the session was $60,000 paid for the Strada colt at Lot 1299. This brings Wexford's tally of purchases to 11 for the week.

Also active was Hong Kong based Justin Bahen, with six Festival yearlings adding to his total for the week of 15 bought for $986,500.

With two six-figure yearlings it was no surprise to see Haunui Stud sire, Elusive City, top the tables with 12 of 18 entries sold for an average of $43,583. He was followed by Paxton Park's Shinko King with $35,786.

Elusive City's results also contributed to Haunui Farm taking top honours as the leading Festival Sale vendor by aggregate, selling 16 for $496,000.

Right behind them was Hallmark Stud with a 100% clearance rate, selling their seven entries for $195,000.

Click here to see passed lots from the 2010 Festival Sale. A full review of the 2010 National Yearling Sales Series will be available tomorrow. Purchasers have until 5pm Monday 8 March to enter their purchases for the Karaka Million.

2010�Festival Sale Statistics

2010 2009
Average $14,987 $11,997
Aggregate $4,915,600 $4,498,700
Catalogued 520 526
Sold 328 375
Clearance Rate 71% 81%
Median $10,000 $10,000
2010 Festival Sale Top Price - Lot 1397 B.C Elusive City x Wishing Belle $110,000
2009 Festival Sale Top Price - Lot 1636 B.C Elusive City x Contemplate $77,500

Top Lots

Lot Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Price
1397 B.C Elusive City / Wishing Belle HAUNUI FARM LTD NZB AS AGENT (CAMBRIDGE) $110,000
1418 C.C King's Chapel / Alleyrun HENLEY PARK THE ROBT DAWE AGENCY (AUCKLAND) $100,000
1520 B.C Elusive City / Eau de Cologne KIRKWALL THOROUGHBREDS INTERNATIONAL BLOODSTOCK (AUCKLAND) $100,000
1321 B.C Elusive City / Strawberry Affair TAMIKA LODGE MR DR COLE (AUCKLAND) $90,000
1262 B.C Ishiguru / River Cat FERN LEAF THOROUGHBREDS MR PA WILLETTS (AUCKLAND) $80,000
1168 B.C Golan / Mi Gazelle MRS JE COUPER NZB AS AGENT (WA) $72,500
1128 B.C Don Eduardo / Let's Enjoy HAUNUI FARM LTD BAHEN BLOODSTOCK (HONG KONG) $60,000
1299 B.C Strada / Snapwood ENDSLEIGH THOROUGHBREDS WEXFORD STABLES (MATAMATA) $60,000
1329 B.C Elusive City / Sunshine Gold HAUNUI FARM LTD NZB AS AGENT (CAMBRIDGE) $60,000
1439 B.C Shinko King / Bermuda TE RUNGA STUD LTD WEXFORD STABLES (MATAMATA) $58,000

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate

Purchaser Bought Aggregate Average Top Price
NZB AS AGENT 34 $777,600 $22,871 $110,000
WEXFORD STABLES� 10 $322,500 $32,250 $60,000
BAHEN BLOODSTOCK� 7 $237,000 $33,857 $60,000
PHILL CATALDO BLOODSTOCK 6 $145,000 $24,167 $42,000
TJ MCKEE LTD 8 $142,700 $17,838 $50,000
MR PA WILLETTS 6 $127,600 $21,267 $80,000
MR CJ WOOD 3 $121,000 $40,333 $51,000
MR JG SARGENT 5 $105,000 $21,000 $56,000
THE ROBT DAWE AGENCY� 1 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000
INTERNATIONAL BLOODSTOCK 1 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000

Leading Vendors by Aggregate

Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
HAUNUI FARM� 16 $496,000 $31,000 $110,000
HALLMARK STUD� 7 $195,000 $27,857 $56,000
TE RUNGA STUD� 19 $188,600 $9,926 $58,000
POPLAR LODGE� 14 $187,500 $13,393 $30,000
ESKER LODGE� 10 $178,000 $17,800 $32,000
TOTARA PARK STUD 11 $172,000 $15,636 $41,000
HENLEY PARK 2 $150,000 $75,000 $100,000
NEWMARKET LODGE STUD 9 $137,500 $15,278 $26,000
LIME COUNTRY THOROUGHBREDS� 6 $130,000 $21,667 $40,000
MAARA GRANGE 5 $124,000 $24,800 $51,000

Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)

Vendor Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
KIRKWALL THOROUGHBREDS 3 $39,667 $119,000 $100,000
LYNDHURST FARM 3 $32,667 $98,000 $50,000
FERN LEAF THOROUGHBREDS 3 $31,167 $93,500 $80,000
HAUNUI FARM� 16 $31,000 $496,000 $110,000
HALLMARK STUD� 7 $27,857 $195,000 $56,000
BLUE GABLES FARM 4 $26,000 $104,000 $36,000
MAARA GRANGE 5 $24,800 $124,000 $51,000
ENDSLEIGH THOROUGHBREDS 5 $23,500 $117,500 $60,000
LIME COUNTRY THOROUGHBREDS� 6 $21,667 $130,000 $40,000
WINDSOR PARK STUD� 4 $20,125 $80,500 $37,500

Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold)

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Elusive City 12 $43,583 $523,000 $110,000
Shinko King 7 $35,786 $250,500 $58,000
Keeper 9 $29,833 $268,500 $52,000
King's Chapel 7 $25,571 $179,000 $100,000
Falkirk 7 $21,643 $151,500 $50,000
Spartacus 7 $21,500 $150,500 $46,000
Bachelor Duke 4 $20,500 $82,000 $45,000
Ishiguru 11 $19,955 $219,500 $80,000
Golan 6 $19,417 $116,500 $72,500
Gold Mine 3 $18,333 $55,000 $32,500