The first big New Zealand Bloodstock sale of the year at Karaka yesterday saw 177 purebred horses sold, with a total sale price of $32.6 million up from the $25.8 million netted on day one last year.The top buyers were Australian. Graeme Rogerson was the
The first big New Zealand Bloodstock sale of the year at Karaka yesterday saw 177 purebred horses sold, with a total sale price of $32.6 million up from the $25.8 million netted on day one last year.
The top buyers were Australian. Graeme Rogerson was the biggest spender buying ten horses for $2.18 million, Victoria’s top trainer Peter Moody who spent $1.77 million on 12 racehorses, Patinack Farm spending $1.6 million on six horses and Gai Waterhouse buying four at $1.59 million.
New Zealand Bloodstock spokesperson Murray Owles said that the “who’s who” of Australian racing was represented yesterday.
“Buyer interest from Australia was extremely strong,” Mr Owles said. “The major surprise yesterday was just how strong sales were.”
The industry in New Zealand is basically a nursery, he said.
“It is very much based on breeding and selling, it would be unsustainable without our exporting and international interest.”
The vendor who made the most sales was Patrick and Justine Hogan’s Cambridge Stud, which has led sales at Karaka for twenty seven years steady.
It earned $3.94 million on the sale of nineteen horses. On average each sale was around $207,000, with a top price of $475,000.
Cambridge Stud’s seven-time winning racehorse Zabeel, foaled in 1986, sired 22 yearlings which were sold yesterday for a total of $6 million with the top price being $575,000.
Te Akau Stud owner David Ellis sold nineteen yearlings for $2.9 million from Darci Brahma, which he bought for $1.1 million, in the racehorse’s first season as a sire.
The vendor who earned the highest amount for an individual horse was Thomas and Michelle Murtagh of Esker Lodge, at $1 million to a Singaporean person for a colt bred from Fastnet Rock and Popsy. The top price for a single sale last year was only $800,000.
Dean and Des Hawkins had the highest average price in sales at $349,000 when their stud farm Wentwood Grange sold five horses, the top price being $575,000.
Day Two sales wrap up at 7pm tonight.
