Valachi Downs Finish on a High

Media Release - Friday June 17

There were mixed emotions at Karaka on Friday as 20 weanlings presented as Valachi Downs’ final offering at a physical sale found new homes when sold at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale.

The youngsters sold for an aggregate of $1.3 million, headlined by lot 1005, the Savabeel colt out of Bohemian Lily, who was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $360,000.

Lot 1005, the Savabeel colt out of Bohemian Lily, was purchased out of Valachi Downs’ draft by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $360,000. Photo: Trish Dunell

“I thought it was a great opportunity to buy from Valachi,” Ellis said.

“These are the best foals that they bred that year. They are here for a really genuine sale.

“I love the pedigree. We have got three Savabeel colts that are now at stud – Noverre, Embellish and Cool Aza Beel.

“I thought this is a Group One colt in the making if ever I have seen one. We are thrilled to have him for Te Akau Racing.”

Valachi Downs General Manager Gareth Downey was pleased with the result and he expected the colt to make that sort of money.

“It was a really pleasing result,” he said.

“I think we brought a very nice line-up of horses here that were very well received by the buying bench.

“They got somewhere between weanling and yearling prices, and it was a yearling quality draft that came to a weanling sale. They deserved to be appreciated like they were.

“I thought if he stopped at $300,000 then there could still be some pinhookers that would be interested because it is reasonable to think he could be a $600,000 kind of yearling if everything went well between now and then,” he said.

“I thought somewhere between $300,000 and $400,000 is where he would be sitting and that was exactly the money he made.

“It was great he went to Te Akau where he will be able to race in New Zealand and he will get opportunity.”

Advertisement

It was an emotional sale for the Valachi Downs team, headed by General Manager Gareth Downey (centre). Photo: Angelique Bridson

With the quality of their draft, the Valachi Downs team have been rushed off their feet with inspections this week and Downey was proud to see his team perform so well under pressure.

“Kevin (Hickman, Valachi Downs Principal) has such an appreciation for his team and they have such an appreciation for him,” Downey said.

“it was inspiring to watch the way the team worked together over those last few days for that last draft, where motivation could have been struggling.”

It was a bittersweet day for Downey, who is overlooking the final stages of Valachi Downs’ stock dispersal.

“This will be the last time Valachi will ever sell at a public auction,” he said.

“Valachi have been such big supporters of New Zealand, and particularly New Zealand Bloodstock.

“It is great to be here with the final draft. It is very bittersweet, we would love to be carrying on for many more years, but it felt important to go out on a high note to honour Kevin, and it feels like that is what we have done.

“It is great to see the product honoured the way it was and the team effort was absolutely phenomenal. We are so lucky to have the team of people that we have at Valachi.

“This is the first stage of the four-stage dispersal process. Tonight 51 broodmares will go online (on plus.gavelhouse.com) and they will sell over the next week.

“As the hammer comes down on them, 52 of the racing stock go live online, and they sell for a week.

“We then have two weeks respite until the last of the horses, which is 21 weanlings and a few other mixed stock will go online right at the end of July.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Quality Cambridge Stud draft in National Online Breeding Stock Sale
The need for Cambridge Stud to control the size of their star-studded broodmare band has opened up some special opportunities in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.
Sires With Winners - Saturday July 5
Here is the full list of 112 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
G1 Winning Champion 2YO Velocious to be Offered on Inglis Digital
The G1-winning Champion 2YO Velocious (Written Tycoon) will be offered for auction in the Inglis Digital July (Late) Online Sale.
Pride’s Outsider Estadio Mestalla Wins Winter Stakes
The lone stakes race on Rosehill’s ten-race card on Saturday saw Joe Pride’s race outsider Estadio Mestalla (Galileo Gold) take out the $200,000 Listed ATC Winter Stakes (1400m) in a boilover.
Buccleuch - First Stakes-Winner for Peltzer
The $175,000 Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday was won back in 2020 by Cherry Tortoni, who went to on to become a multiple Group winner of nearly $1million and the same colours were carried by this year’s winner Buccleuch.
Snitzel Filly Bridal Waltz Wins A.R. Creswick Stakes
While many felt the winner of Saturday’s Listed $175,000 VRC A.R. Creswick Stakes (1200m) had raced two weeks prior in the Shop Flemington Handicap (1100m) – and they would’ve been correct – but it was not the result many punters felt it would be!
Invincible 3YO Wins G3 Winx Guineas
The $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday featured a big field of 16 up and comers and following the late scratching of favourite Mister Bianco, Angela Jones took luck out of the equation on I Am Invincible gelding The Three Hundred.
High-flying Pencarrow Stud offers well-bred mares in Online Breeding Stock Sale
The 2024-25 season has been one of the best ever for Pencarrow Stud, and some of the renowned bloodlines that have underpinned that success are now available for purchase in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.
Kiwi Bred Good Banter Finds Winning Form
Four-year-old mare Good Banter was back in the winner’s circle when narrowly prevailing in the Catanach's Jewellers Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday for trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.
Flemington Victory for Tarzino Mare
Quirky but talented mare Miss Tarzy has come from last win the Leilani Series Final (1400m) under a patient Jett Stanley ride.