Festival Sale Provides Strong Finish to Karaka 2009

2 February 2009

New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sales Series concluded at Karaka today, with the pace picking up over the final 260 lots of the Festival Sale to conclude the sales week on a positive note.

The two-day Festival Sale has followed the trend set by the Premier and Select Sales throughout last week, with good competition on many of the yearlings on offer and, while not reaching the heady heights of 2008, results have been solid across the board.

Total takings for the two-day session are $4,498,700, down just 11% on last year's Festival Sale turnover of $5,073,850. With 375 of the 526 horses sold, the clearance rate for this session was a pleasing 81%.

The final Festival Sale average was $11,997, down 29% on a record $16,857 in 2008, with a healthy median for this session of $10,000 (down 17% from $12,000 in 2008). Both the new record average and median set in 2008 were up 20% on previous records for this session.

New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Petrea Vela was pleased with the outcome of the Festival Sale, with final results in line with expectations heading into the week.

"The Festival Sale has fared very well over the past two days, rounding off sales week on a positive note. There was still good momentum in the ring all day yesterday and today and many vendors will be relieved that the market held up as well as it did.

"From the outset we thought that results in the range of our 2007 figures would be an acceptable result and we have managed to do that at this session. The 81% clearance rate is one of the most pleasing results and it's a credit to our Festival sale vendors who recognised the importance of meeting the market in order to get the most from the sale."

It was young Elusive Quality sire, Elusive City, who provided the top price of the day for the second day in a row when the colt at Lot 1636 was knocked down for $77,500. Offered by Haunui Farm from the unraced Dream Well mare, Contemplate, the colt was purchased by David Cole.

Continuing his buying streak from yesterday, the leading individual buyer for this session was Dean Wiles who purchased 19 yearlings for $181,000. His top price was $36,000 paid for�Lot 1378, an Ekraar colt sold on account of Twin Pine Thoroughbreds draft.

It was no surprise that with the top lot of both days the leading Festival Sale sire was Haunui Farm's�Elusive City, with seven yearlings purchased for an average of $37,679. The Stud also claimed the leading vendor by average title with nine selling for an average of $38,056.

The leading vendor for this session has been�Wayne Larsen's Te Runga Stud, selling 41 yearlings for an aggregate of $378,250. Their top price was fetched by Lot 1569, a colt by their resident sire Strategic Image that went to the bid of Esker Lodge for $28,000.

All yearlings sold this week have until 5pm on 2 March 2009 to be entered for the 2010 Karaka Million. Click here for entry form and conditions.

A full sales summary of Karaka 2009 will follow tomorrow.

2009 Festival Sale Statistics

2009 2008 2007
Average $11,997 $16,857 $12,593
Aggregate $4,498,700 $5,073,850 $2,795,700
Catalogued 526 403 310
Sold 375 301 222
Clearance Rate 81% 84% 81%
Median $10,000 $12,000 $10,000
2009 Festival Sale Top Price - Lot 1636 B.C Elusive City x Contemplate $77,500
2008 Festival Sale Top Price - Lot 1342 B.C Catcher in the Rye x Laundrette $80,000
2007 Festival Sale Top Price - Lot 1307 Ch.C Daggers Drawn x Russian Dancer $63,000

Top Lots

Lot Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Price
1636 B.C Elusive City / Contemplate HAUNUI FARM� MR DR COLE (Auckland) $77,500
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
1466 B.C Falkirk / Stella Stargazer TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS� LISA LATTA RACING STABLES (Palmerston Nth) $52,500
1637 B.C High Chaparral / Coochiecoochie Coo ESTATE OF MR EO AITKEN MR AI & MRS JK BAMBRY (Palmerston Nth) $50,000
1677 C.C Falkirk / Durham Walk NEROBELLA LODGE MRS DM LOGAN (Ruakaka) $43,000
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
1476 B.C Elusive City / Sunshine Gold HAUNUI FARM� HAWKES RACING (VIC) $40,000
1534 B.C Elusive City / Zazonali HAUNUI FARM� WALLACE THOROUGHBREDS (Auckland) $40,000
1631 B.C Antonius Pius / Cloudy Sky CURRAGHMORE STUD� J & I BLOODSTOCK (Auckland) $40,000

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate

Purchaser Bought Aggregate Average Top Price
NEW ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK (as agent) 23 $262,250 $11,402 $38,000
MR DR WILES 18 $174,000 $9,667 $36,000
MRS DM LOGAN 7 $154,500 $22,071 $43,000
JOHN FOOTE BLOODSTOCK� 4 $154,000 $38,500 $75,000
MR PA WILLETTS 12 $146,000 $12,167 $25,000
MR A SCOTT 5 $114,000 $22,800 $41,000
SANDERS RACING STABLES 6 $98,750 $16,458 $54,000
J & I BLOODSTOCK� 3 $98,000 $32,667 $40,000
WALLACE THOROUGHBREDS� 3 $97,000 $32,333 $40,000
LISA LATTA RACING STABLES 3 $82,500 $27,500 $52,500

Leading Vendors by Aggregate

Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
TE RUNGA STUD� 41 $378,250 $9,226 $28,000
TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS� 18 $345,000 $19,167 $52,500
HAUNUI FARM� 9 $342,500 $38,056 $77,500
OXFORD THOROUGHBREDS 14 $231,500 $16,536 $33,000
TOTARA PARK STUD 20 $222,250 $11,113 $41,000
BERKLEY STUD 6 $137,000 $22,833 $37,500
RICH HILL THOROUGHBREDS� 7 $125,500 $17,929 $38,000
POPLAR LODGE� 8 $101,500 $12,688 $25,000
CHEQUERS STUD 6 $90,000 $15,000 $30,000
GRANGEWILLIAM STUD� 16 $81,850 $5,116 $15,000

Leading Vendors by Average (3 or more sold)

Vendor Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
HAUNUI FARM� 9 $38,056 $342,500 $77,500
BERKLEY STUD 6 $22,833 $137,000 $37,500
TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS� 18 $19,167 $345,000 $52,500
ARCHER PARK 3 $18,667 $56,000 $25,000
ELLENDENE FARMS 3 $18,167 $54,500 $40,000
RICH HILL THOROUGHBREDS� 7 $17,929 $125,500 $38,000
OXFORD THOROUGHBREDS 14 $16,536 $231,500 $33,000
HIGHVIEW 3 $15,667 $47,000 $17,000
MAARA GRANGE 4 $15,500 $62,000 $27,000
WESTBURY STUD 5 $15,400 $77,000 $22,000

Leading Sires by Average (3 or more sold)

Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Elusive City 7 $37,679 $263,750 $77,500
Jungle Pocket 3 $24,167 $72,500 $38,000
High Chaparral� 4 $21,750 $87,000 $50,000
Don Eduardo 8 $20,188 $161,500 $30,000
Volksraad 3 $20,083 $60,250 $26,000
Falkirk * 11 $19,886 $218,750 $52,500
Coats Choice * 6 $19,167 $115,000 $37,500
Ishiguru 12 $17,958 $215,500 $54,000
Ekraar 4 $17,000 $68,000 $36,000
Keeninsky * 7 $16,321 $114,250 $40,000

* - First Season Sire.

Click here to view today's passed in lots.