Strong Results Flow to Festival Sale

4 February 2007

The pace picked up over the course of the day at the final session of the 81st National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka, with the Festival Sale posting a record median plus increased average and clearance.

With the catalogue reduced this year to just 310 lots compared with 435 last year, the one-day Sale saw 222 sold at a clearance rate of 81%, up from 79% last year. The average rose 11% from NZ$11,313 to NZ$12,593 with the Sale posting a record median of NZ$10,000 up 18% from NZ$8,500 in 2006.

Turnover for the Sale was NZ$2,795,700 down from NZ$3,122,250 with 120 fewer lots catalogued this year.

 Lot-1307

 Sale Topper - Curraghmore Stud's Lot 1307
(Daggers Drawn x Russian Dancer)

The top price of the day came when Lot 1307 was knocked down to New Zealand trainer, Lance O'Sullivan, for NZ$63,000. The Daggers Drawn colt out of Russian Dancer (Zephyr Ace) was offered by Gordon Cunningham's Curraghmore Stud. This was O'Sullivan's sole purchase of the session, but joins the total of 13 yearlings he has bought over the course of the week, including a top price of NZ$300,000 for Lot 183, a Volksraad filly out of Guinevere (Fairy King) at the Premier Sale.

Curraghmore Stud also claimed top spot as leading vendor by average for this session, with four sold for an aggregate of NZ$102,500 and an average of NZ$25,652.

The leading vendor by aggregate was Mark and Denny Baker's Hallmark Stud, with 11 sold for an aggregate of NZ$231,750 and an average of NZ$21,068.  This included a top priced lot of NZ$40,000 for Lot 1159, a colt by first season sire, Chianti (Danehill), out of Fortelo (Armidale), bought by William Stretton from Auckland. 

Leading individual buyer of the Festival Sale was New Zealand bloodstock agent, Phill Cataldo, with five yearlings bought this session including a top price of NZ$36,000 for Lots 1176 and 1185, the first a colt by first season sire, Gold Mine (Mr Prospector) out of Graphite (Bigstone) from Hallmark Stud, and the second a colt from Te Runga Stud by Strategic Image out of Honeyimhome (The Commander).

Cataldo was also the second leading individual buyer at the Select Sale, with 12 purchases for NZ$877,500, bringing his total outlay for this Sales Series to just over NZ$1 million.

The second leading buyer was Ruakaka trainer, Donna Logan, who bought eight yearlings for NZ$101,000 including a top price of NZ$24,000 for a colt by first season sire, Danroad (Danehill) out of Lutaana (O'Reilly) offered by Alison and Bryan Henry's Maara Grange in Cambridge.

Cataldo and Logan headed up a predominantly domestic buying bench that also included buyers from Australia, Philippines, Singapore and Korea.

All yearlings sold over the past week at Karaka have 30 days to enter the new one million dollar graduates race - the Karaka Million -  scheduled for 27 January 2008. For information and conditions of entry contact Petrea Vela ([email protected]).

2007 Festival Sale Statistics

Overall 2007 Overall 2006 
Average $12,593 $11,313
Aggregate $2,795,700 $3,122,250
Lots Catalogued 310 456
Lots Sold 222 276
Clearance Rate 81% 79%
Median $10,000 $8,500
2007 Festival Sale Top Price - Lot 1307 Ch.C Daggers Drawn x Russian Dancer $63,000
2006 Top Price - Lot 1272 Danske x Dance on Deck $52,500

Top 10 Lots

Lot Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Price
1307  C.C Daggers Drawn / Russian Dancer CURRAGHMORE STUD  MR LA O'SULLIVAN (Matamata) $63,000
1110  B.C Pure Theatre / Choir of Angels MR KP O'HARA MCVEAN / DUNCAN (Te Awamutu) $50,000
1160  B.C Danroad / Foxy Boss MARTINDALE STUD J & I BLOODSTOCK (Cambridge) $46,000
1118  B.C Captain Rio / Country Life MR GF GRAHAM MR CJ WOOD (Cambridge) $45,000
1213  C.C Sandtrap / Kia Pupukes Sister MR MD & MRS LK DROMGOOL PATELLA BLOODSTOCK (Cambridge) $45,000
1159  B.C Chianti / Fortelo HALLMARK STUD  MR WJ STRETTON (Auckland) $40,000
1196  B.C Howbaddouwantit / Island Girl FAIRDALE STUD  MR CR MCCARROLL (Cambeidge) $38,000
1344  BR.C Chianti / Taupaki Girl TE RUNGA STUD  KARAPIRO BLOODSTOCK (Cambridge) $38,000
1176  B.C Gold Mine / Graphite HALLMARK STUD  PHILL CATALDO BLOODSTOCK (Auckland) $36,000
1185  C.C Strategic Image / Honeyimhome TE RUNGA STUD  PHILL CATALDO BLOODSTOCK (NSW) $36,000

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate

Purchaser Bought Aggregate Average Top Lot
NEW ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK (as agent) 13 $144,200 $11,092 $32,000
PHILL CATALDO BLOODSTOCK 5 $131,000 $26,200 $36,000
MRS DM LOGAN 8 $101,000 $12,625 $24,000
KARAPIRO BLOODSTOCK 4 $99,500 $24,875 $38,000
MR CJ WOOD 3 $96,000 $32,000 $45,000
J & I BLOODSTOCK LTD 2 $74,000 $37,000 $46,000
MR LE CHRISTENSEN 3 $71,500 $23,833 $27,500
MR LA O'SULLIVAN 1 $63,000 $63,000 $63,000
PAUL MORONEY BLOODSTOCK 4 $55,000 $13,750 $20,000
MR LJ GLYN 3 $53,000 $17,667 $35,000

Leading Sires by Average (3 or more sold)

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Danroad 4 $24,000 $96,000 $46,000
Chianti 5 $22,200 $111,000 $40,000
Captain Rio 4 $20,750 $83,000 $45,000
Daggers Drawn 8 $19,375 $155,000 $63,000
Strategic Image 8 $18,344 $146,750 $36,000
Ishiguru 4 $16,750 $67,000 $31,000
Sandtrap 8 $16,438 $131,500 $45,000
Gold Mine 7 $16,179 $113,250 $36,000
Ustinov 5 $16,000 $80,000 $21,000
Howbaddouwantit 4 $15,875 $63,500 $38,000

Leading First Season Sires by Average (3 or more sold)

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Danroad 4 $24,000 $96,000 $46,000
Chianti 5 $22,200 $111,000 $40,000
Captain Rio 4 $20,750 $83,000 $45,000
Ishiguru 4 $16,750 $67,000 $31,000
Gold Mine 7 $16,179 $113,250 $36,000
Occidental Tourist 5 $15,000 $75,000 $22,000
Le Bec Fin 5 $14,400 $72,000 $32,000
Rusty Spur 11 $10,227 $112,500 $21,000

Leading Vendor by Aggregate

Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
HALLMARK STUD 11 $231,750 $21,068 $40,000
TE RUNGA STUD  12 $224,750 $18,729 $38,000
TOTARA PARK STUD 19 $156,050 $8,213 $21,000
NEWMARKET LODGE STUD 10 $135,500 $13,550 $35,000
BRIGHTHILL FARM 9 $124,500 $13,833 $28,000
FAIRDALE STUD  6 $103,250 $17,208 $38,000
CURRAGHMORE STUD 4 $102,500 $25,625 $63,000
SEATON PARK 6 $83,750 $13,958 $27,000
WOODRIDGE FARM 7 $77,500 $11,071 $28,000
MARTINDALE STUD 2 $76,000 $38,000 $46,000

Leading Vendor by Average (3 or more sold)

Vendor Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
CURRAGHMORE STUD  4 $25,625 $102,500 $63,000
HALLMARK STUD  11 $21,068 $231,750 $40,000
BLOOMSBURY STUD 3 $20,333 $61,000 $30,000
TE RUNGA STUD  12 $18,729 $224,750 $38,000
MR PJB & MRS BC SMITH 3 $18,667 $56,000 $24,000
FAIRDALE STUD  6 $17,208 $103,250 $38,000
SEATON PARK 6 $13,958 $83,750 $27,000
JK FARM 4 $13,875 $55,500 $23,000
BRIGHTHILL FARM 9 $13,833 $124,500 $28,000
NEWMARKET LODGE STUD 10 $13,550 $135,500 $35,000

A full set of results from the 2007 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales can be viewed online at http://www.nzb.co.nz/. Combined session results will be available from tomorrow (Monday 5 February).