New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka Sale ring has tonight played host to a gun opening session of its 2018 National Yearling Sales Series.
A brand new format has seen the first 100 Lots of the new Book 1go through the ring, with heated bidding setting a positive tone for the new four-day session. A strong buying bench of both overseas and local buyers competed keenly for the selection on offer, with the clearance rate of 81% a good indicator of the strength of the demand.
"With no comparable Sale, we won't get the full measure of the sale from a statistics point of view until the end of the week, but all early indications point to a great week ahead," commented NZB's managing director Andrew Seabrook.
"This is probably the best opening session we've seen at Karaka to date, and with really good reports on the overall quality on offer this year, and great depth to the buying bench, it bodes well for the momentum to continue."
A total of 76 lots were sold for $11.5 million at an average of $151,382. The clearance rate was an extremely pleasing 81%, as strong as ever witnessed over Karaka's first three hours of selling.
Amongst tonight's highlights has been hot demand for local sires Tavistock, Savabeel, along with perennial star Fastnet Rock, providing the top prices of the evening. In total 11 lots sold for $300,000 or more.
Five Tavistock yearlings featured in the top 10 lots with $1.93 million outlaid by buyers at an average of $386,000. Dean Hawthorne secured thetop-equal price of the nightbidding $500,000 for the Tavistock filly (Lot 48) and full sister to Werther, while Wallace Thoroughbredspaid the same amount to purchase a More Than Readycolt (Lot 84) for their Hong Kong clients.
With Sir Patrick's last foray under the Cambridge Stud banner, they have also featured prominently at the opening session providing three of the top lots.
Fresh off the back of a quinella in the Karaka Million 2YO withAvantage(Fastnet Rock) andAl Hasa(NZ) (Exceed and Excel) respectively, Karaka's leading buyer for the last 12 years, Te Akau Racing's David Ellis, got off to a soaring start. Eight yearlings were secured by the perennial buyer for $1.03 million at an average of $128,750.
New Zealand's new minister for Racing and Deputy PM Winston Peters opened tonight's session with some welcome news for the industry, promising "change for the better." For full details of Peters' announcementclick here.
Book 1 continues tomorrow from 11am with Lots 101 to 320. To view the results and to make an offer on any passed lots at Karaka 2018click here.
2018 Book 1 Yearling Sale Statistics – Day 1
| DAY 1 2018 BOOK 1 | |
| AGGREGATE | $11,505,000 |
| AVERAGE | $151,382 |
| MEDIAN | $110,000 |
| CLEARANCE | 81% |
| CATALOGUED | 100 |
| SOLD | 76 |
| TOP LOT |
$500,000 (B. F) Tavistock - Bagalollies Lot 48 $500,000 (B. C) More Than Ready - Buckling Lot 84 |
Top Lots
| LOT | TYPE | BREEDING | VENDOR | PURCHASER | PRICE |
| 48 | B.F | Tavistock / Bagalollies | Highden Park | Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (Waikato) | $500,000 |
| 84 | B.C | More Than Ready / Buckling | Haunui Farm | Wallace Thoroughbreds (Auckland) | $500,000 |
| 10 | B.F | Tavistock / Zenella | Cambridge Stud | Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) (Wellington) | $420,000 |
| 26 | B.C | Fastnet Rock / Aneto | Henley Park | Hong Kong Jockey Club (Hong Kong) | $400,000 |
| 63 | B.F | Tavistock / Belongs in Lights | Highden Park | Mr NJ Turnbull (Victoria) | $390,000 |
| 25 | B.F | Fastnet Rock / Amory Lane | Curraghmore | Mark Pilkington Management / Lindsay Park Racing (Victoria) | $360,000 |
| 40 | B.C | Savabeel / Aspinal | Little Avondale Stud | DGR Thoroughbred Services/ Mick Price Racing (Victoria) | $360,000 |
| 69 | B.C | Tavistock / Big Voices | Curraghmore | Gai Waterhouse / McKeever Bloodstock / Mr J Ferguson (Newmarket) | $320,000 |
| 35 | B.C | Tavistock / Ardeche | Cambridge Stud | Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (Waikato) | $300,000 |
| 83 | B.C | Savabeel / Bright | Waikato Stud Ltd | Kaha Syndicate / Mulcaster Bloodstock (New South Wales) | $300,000 |
| 88 | BR.C | Per Incanto / Capital Diamond | Cambridge Stud | Robert Roulston Bloodstock (Victoria) | $300,000 |
Leading Purchaser by Aggregate
| PURCHASER | BOUGHT | AGGREGATE | AVERAGE | TOP PRICE | TOP LOT |
| Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau) | 8 | $1,030,000 | $128,750 | $230,000 | 70 |
| Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (Waikato) | 3 | $940,000 | $313,333 | $500,000 | 48 |
| Hong Kong Jockey Club (Hong Kong) | 2 | $640,000 | $320,000 | $400,000 | 26 |
| Wallace Thoroughbreds (Auckland) | 1 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | 84 |
| Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) (Wellington) | 1 | $420,000 | $420,000 | $420,000 | 10 |
| Moody Racing (Victoria) | 4 | $415,000 | $103,750 | $150,000 | 29 |
| Mr NJ Turnbull (Victoria) | 1 | $390,000 | $390,000 | $390,000 | 63 |
| DGR Thoroughbred Services / Mick Price Racing (Victoria) | 1 | $360,000 | $360,000 | $360,000 | 40 |
| Mark Pilkington Management / Lindsay Park Racing (Victoria) | 1 | $360,000 | $360,000 | $360,000 | 25 |
| Mr JJ Soh (Singapore) | 2 | $350,000 | $175,000 | $270,000 | 92 |
Leading Vendors by Aggregate
| VENDOR | SOLD | AGGREGATE | AVERAGE | TOP PRICE | TOP LOT |
| Cambridge Stud | 7 | $1,400,000 | $200,000 | $420,000 | 10 |
| Haunui Farm | 5 | $1,130,000 | $226,000 | $500,000 | 84 |
| Highden Park | 3 | $1,050,000 | $350,000 | $500,000 | 48 |
| Waikato Stud | 5 | $970,000 | $194,000 | $300,000 | 83 |
| Curraghmore | 5 | $940,000 | $188,000 | $360,000 | 25 |
Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)
| VENDOR | SOLD | AVERAGE | AGGREGATE | TOP PRICE | TOP LOT |
| Highden Park | 3 | $350,000 | $1,050,000 | $500,000 | 48 |
| Haunui Farm | 5 | $226,000 | $1,130,000 | $500,000 | 84 |
| Cambridge Stud | 7 | $200,000 | $1,400,000 | $420,000 | 10 |
| Waikato Stud | 5 | $194,000 | $970,000 | $300,000 | 83 |
| Curraghmore | 5 | $188,000 | $940,000 | $360,000 | 25 |
Leading Sire by Average (three or more sold)
| SIRE | SOLD | AVERAGE | AGGREGATE | TOP PRICE | TOP LOT |
| Fastnet Rock | 3 | $283,333 | $850,000 | $400,000 | 26 |
| Sacred Falls* | 3 | $201,667 | $605,000 | $275,000 | 95 |
| Savabeel | 9 | $197,778 | $1,780,000 | $360,000 | 40 |
| Tavistock | 15 | $192,000 | $2,880,000 | $500,000 | 48 |
| Iffraaj | 3 | $146,667 | $440,000 | $210,000 | 93 |
*First season sire
