New Zealand Bloodstock owner Sir Peter Vela's decision to offer his entire blue-chip yearling crop for sale at Karaka has been vindicated after his breeding operation, Pencarrow Stud, sold the two highest-priced lots Jan. 25 after also selling the most expensive horse on day 1.
David Ellis was again in the thick of the action, landing the second session's top lot—a well-credentialed son of Tavistock—for NZ$520,000 (US$373,159) after warding off Ascot Farm's Bruce Harvey, who was acting for the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
On Sunday, Ellis was also responsible for buying the two highest-priced lots, led by Sir Peter's NZ$800,000 ($574,091) Zoustar filly, while Monday's trade was described as "consistent," which saw the clearance rate lift to 80% as a deeper-than-expected buying bench underpinned the middle market.
Te Akau supremo Ellis and trainer Jamie Richards were taken by Monday's session topper and clearly so, given he was just the eighth horse they had bought by late Cambridge Stud sire Tavistock since 2013.
"We loved him. He's a sharper-looking Tavistock.
"We thought he had enough precocity about him to be racing in the autumn as a 2-year-old and develop into a top-class Two Thousand Guineas (G1) colt as a 3-year-old," said Richards, who also signed for NZ$150,000 ($107,642) Tavistock filly on day 1, while he and Ellis added a NZ$20,000 ($14,352) colt by the late sire from Pencarrow Stud towards the end of Monday's session. He was cataloged as Lot 388.
"We were a bit short, but to Dave's credit, when the big ones come up he wants to be retaining these horses to race from our stables and we can turn them into horses that we are proud of. If he does it on the track he has got a home at stud somewhere. He is from a beautiful Pencarrow family and he was a ripping sort."
The colt, who was offered as Lot 367, is the second foal out of Echezeaux, a Sir Peter-bred and owned stakes-placed half sister to Darci Brahma and Burgundy, both of whom were raced by Te Akau. His second dam, of course, is Schweppes Australasian Oaks (G1) winner Grand Echezeaux.
Echezeaux's first foal, a Snitzel filly, was sold by Sir Peter at last year's Karaka sale, with agent Phill Cataldo going to NZ$450,000 ($294,508) on behalf of clients who have entrusted trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman with the now unraced 2-year-old named Bella Donna.
Pencarrow Stud manager Leon Casey was pleasantly surprised that Monday's session topper ended up with Te Akau.
"Te Akau don't seem to buy Tavistocks, but the colt had great X-rays and was a great specimen," Casey said. "His quality drew them in. I thought the colt might make $200,000 to $300,000, so that's a nice result for us."
Support for the progeny of Tavistock was competitive Monday, with Sydney agent Duncan Ramage going to NZ$200,000 ($143,523) and NZ$230,000 ($165,051) for Lots 224 and 225 inside the first hour of the session, while Cataldo went to NZ$250,000 ($179,403) for Hallmark Stud's Lot 234.
Dean Hawthorne, another Kiwi agent, also went to NZ$310,000 ($222,460) for the Highden Park-offered Tavistock sister to Crown Oaks (G1) runner-up and Vinery Stud Storm Queen Stakes (G1) placegetter Harlow Gold, who is also a half sister to New Zealand stakes winners Weissmuller and Travolta. She was cataloged as Lot 276.
Nearco Stud's Tomlinson Buys Rare Savabeel Filly
Greg Tomlinson was not letting a rare opportunity to access one of Sir Peter's fertile families pass despite being unable to attend Karaka Monday, with the Nearco Stud principal instead leaving the purchasing of the star Savabeel filly to NZB managing director Andrew Seabrook. The youngster made NZ$450,000 ($322,926), the first high-priced Pencarrow Stud consigned lot sold Monday. She was cataloged as Lot 254.
"Greg was here on Sunday, but couldn't be here today as he had a board meeting to attend, so he asked me to buy her for him," Seabrook revealed. "She is easily one of the nicest fillies in the sale and she was purchased by one of the best breeders in the country."
By New Zealand's champion stallion, the filly is the second foal out of the New Zealand group 3-placed mare Asama Blue, who is from the same family as French group 3 winner and the group 1-performer Ecrivain. Her third dam is the dual U.S. grade 1 winner Blush With Pride.
Adding to her residual value is the fact that her pedigree also features four-time European group 1 winner Peeping Fawn and late group 1-winning stallion Thewayyouare.
Tomlinson later said the filly was one of his top picks at Karaka.
"I am not really hung up on numbers, but I am hung up on quality. It is a case of refreshing and getting stock that is going to suit our New Zealand breeding industry. That's the focus," he said.
"I am very pleased to support the local industry and the quality horses and that is the confidence I get out of buying from the Pencarrow draft under Leon Casey's management and Peter Vela's guidance."
Casey added: "As I mentioned on Sunday after we sold the Zoustar filly, Sir Peter doesn't hold anything back. His fillies are very much for sale. The sale of this lovely Savabeel filly confirms that.
"She's a lovely, lovely filly with a bit of a spark. She is a terrific type and I agree with the purchaser, she's one of the nicest fillies in the catalog."
Nearco Stud has also been selling horses this week, with yearlings consigned on Tomlinson's behalf through Rich Hill Stud and Curraghmore.
"From what I could see, good quality yearlings were well sought after. That was pretty evident to me," Tomlinson said. "Everything I have got entered that has been through so far has sold. I don't focus in on one price. When I bring horses to the sales they are on the market. I reluctantly bring them home, but I look at it as an averages game rather than individual sales price."
Meanwhile, Waikato Stud's Ocean Park, sire of Australian group 1 winners Kolding and Tofane in the past 12 months, has just 11 yearlings cataloged in Book 1 and that did not hurt competition for his stock Monday.
Agent Guy Mulcaster, in partnership with trainer Chris Waller, went to NZ$380,000 ($272,693) for the Valachi Downs-consigned brother to the Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (G1) runner-up Arrogant before Japan's Big Red Farm made a splash for the last lot of the day, a filly out of Famous, who is a sister to the group 2 winner, and twice group 1-placed, Sports Illustrated. She made NZ$270,000 ($193,756).
Gavin Downey, Valachi Downs' stud manager, revealed Mulcaster had shown interest in Lot 311 right from the time he first saw him on the farm last year.
"He has been a star all the way through, a lovely mover and easily the most popular in our draft," Downey said.
"He is from Kevin and Jo's (Hickman) favorite family, which produced the recent Ellerslie group 2 winner Needle and Thread.
"Guy Mulcaster came to the farm twice before Christmas. The fact that he returned tells us that the colt must have been on his shortlist."
The Japan-bound Ocean Park filly, offered by Woburn Farm as Lot 390, was owned by former Waikato Stud employee Sharon Meyer.
Meyer's friends could not hide their joy when the filly was knocked down to Big Red Farm principal Shigeyuki Okada, who was bidding online, after he won out against Ballymore's Pam Gerrard, who was bidding onsite.
Meyer, who worked for Waikato for more than 20 years, bought her dam, Famous, for just NZ$7,250 when Waikato sold her in foal to Ocean Park through Gavelhouse.com.
"I knew the mare and I really liked the family. I thought I would have a go (at buying her on the website), but it wasn't working out so I rang a friend and said 'quickly, you need to take over the bidding because I can't keep up,'" Meyer said Monday.
"Kate (Hercock) bought her for me. We paid $7,250 and we bought her off Garry (Chittick) as she was Garry's mare.
"They used to have trouble getting her in-foal. They decided they were going to cut their losses. We sent her to Waikato (vets), where she had an operation, and she is now in foal this season to U S Navy Flag."
Trelawney's Fastnet Rock Colt Heading to Australia
Also Monday, Brent and Cherry Taylor's boutique Trelawney Stud sold a Fastnet Rock colt, who is out of a half sister to dual group 1-winning, Yulong-based stallion Grunt, to Hong Kong's Tony Fung for NZ$350,000 ($251,165). The first foal out of Adelaide stakes-placed mare Addison, he was offered in the early afternoon as Lot 233, and the bidding was left to Todd Pollard at Karaka.
"He's a lovely colt and comes from a great farm in Trelawney. Brent and Cherry are great pals and we're delighted to have secured him," said Aquis Farm's Shane McGrath, who oversees Fung's Thoroughbred interests. "He's by a champion stallion, so on pedigree he looked a great buy. He was within budget and we'll get him over here as soon as we can."
Trelawney later sold an Iffraaj colt to Hong Kong's Good Fortune Bloodstock for NZ$370,000 ($265,517). The youngster, who was cataloged as Lot 273, received a timely pedigree update with his half sister, La Strata, recently winning her maiden at Taranaki and his brother, Seajetz, winning at Te Aroha.
The colt's dam, Bellazeel, is a half sister to the group 2 winner La Rocket and the stakes-placed duo Macau Causeway and Voile Rouge. His second dam, Lar Bella Dama, was a group 1 winner in Australia and a dual group 2 winner in New Zealand. That result came 24 hours after another Iffraaj filly was purchased by David Ellis on behalf of New Zealand's growing punting group Boys Get Paid for NZ$125,000 ($89,702).
Offered as the penultimate yearling of the session on day 1 (Lot 199), Jamie Richards signed for the filly who is out of the unraced mare Vernal, herself a half sister to group 1 winners Hauraki and Kidnapped.
"We have raced a couple of horses with Te Akau through a couple of different ventures, but this is the first time we have bought a yearling," BGP co-founder Luke Kemeys said. "We have left it up to DC (Ellis) and Jamie to do the work for us and it has been pretty hands-off. They know what they are doing.
"Our members will be racing the Iffraaj filly, which is pretty exciting. She is by the same sire as Millefiori, who Ben (Masters, BGP co-founder) has a share in with Te Akau."
Middle Market Key to Day 2
The clearance rate lifted to 80% Monday, a marker NZB bloodstock manager Danny Rolston credited to a stronger middle market than some pundits were predicting.
The average of NZ$124,860 ($89,601) was down NZ$25,000 on two sessions year-on-year and down nearly NZ$14,000 on the overall figure reached in 2020. However, it is worth noting that some well-credentialed yearlings that would normally go under the hammer at Karaka have been offered, or will be offered, to the market in Australia.
"The story of the day really is the clearance rate. (Sunday) without doubt was a pass mark but we were a little bit cautious knowing that we had another two full days of Book 1 to sell and we still do have another full day, but I think today we can be really buoyed by those results, particularly the clearance rate," Rolston said.
"A lot of the expert opinion was that the top-end of the sale would be safe and it would be sticky from there on, but I think the market has really proven that wrong. The middle market has been really good out there for the past couple of days and long may it continue."
With one Book 1 session to go, Cambridge Stud is the leading vendor by aggregate, ahead of Pencarrow Stud, while Trelawney Stud is the leading vendor by average. Waikato Stud's Mark Chittick, who has split his foal crop between Karaka and the Australian yearling sales this year, believes the New Zealand showpiece has been solid so far.
"I think it's been really good and consistent considering the environment we are in. Obviously, we are in an industry where people don't have to have horses and we are in a world at the moment that is all pretty well upside down," Chittick said. "Considering all that, it's been a great sale and I think it is just great that throughout the world and Asia, people are still wanting the product from New Zealand."
Bruce Perry is one agent who has been making the most of the opportunities at Karaka, with his haul numbering 13 at the close of play Monday, five of which have been bought for prominent Victorian trainer Danny O'Brien.
"We've been fairly successful so far, although we have also missed out on a couple that I liked," Perry said. "I think it has been a strong sale, especially for the ones you like, and that's how it should be.
"I tend to live in my own little bubble and focus on what I'm doing, so I haven't been able to analyse the results too much, but I know it has been hard going on a number we have managed to buy."
Day 3 starts at 1 p.m. local time Jan. 26.
O'Sullivan Honored at Karaka
Legendary New Zealand trainer Dave O'Sullivan vividly remembers the first time he went to the National Yearling Sale as a raw 27-year-old with a newly-minted trainers' license in his back pocket. O'Sullivan marked his attendance at his 60th consecutive sale at Karaka Monday with the assembled audience in the auction auditorium providing him with a warm reception on being informed of the feat.
O'Sullivan was humbled by the acknowledgement as he recalled some of his experiences over the years, beginning with his first sale at Trentham.
"I remember going to Trentham, where the sales were based back then, when I was 27," he said. "I didn't go down there to buy but to see if I could make a few connections as I had just really got my trainers' licence.
"I came home with 12 horses from the sale, all to go to Australia after I had broken them in. That was the start of it for me because back then we broke them in and did everything to get them ready for racing.
"Trentham in those days was something we all loved as it was a great atmosphere. Although there have been a number of changes over the years, including the shift up here to Karaka, the principle remains the same as it is a contest between competing parties to buy the next champion.
"For most of my life I have been coming to the sales for a reason, which was to buy horses for the stable, but the last couple I have just been here because I really enjoy it."
While O'Sullivan doesn't have any plans to enter the bidding action this week, he did have some advice for son, Lance.
"I'll leave any bidding this week to Lance but if he is going to buy one it better be an early runner as I don't think I can wait for it as a 5-year-old," he said.
