Month: November 2020

New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale cemented its unrivalled position in the two-year-old sale market with strong international and domestic buying benches represented on the opening day of the Sale.  Day One saw NZB unveil their new online bidding platform, with the robust technology proving successful after a strong day of international purchases secured. Managing Director Andrew Seabrook was thrilled with the reception of NZB’s new digital platform. “We were cautiously optimistic heading into today, although the response to our online bidding platform has exceeded our expectations.” “45% of…

Turning $5,100 into $230,000 in the space of 15 months is a massive feat and one Glen Harvey is proud of. The young horseman purchased a Reliable Man weanling colt, out of Zabeel mare Ziffel, off New Zealand Bloodstock’s online sales platform gavelhouse.com last year in partnership with his parents Bruce and Maureen, and sold him as lot 120 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale at Karaka on Wednesday to Hong Kong trainer Francis Lui for a sizeable profit. Harvey said he was taken by the now gelding’s…

2020 has been a lifechanging year for many, and Finbarr Leahy has been no exception. The Cambridge trainer sold lot 54, the Sacred Falls half-brother to stakes winner Stella Di Paco, for $525,000 to a client of Matamata trainer Graham Richardson at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale at Karaka on Wednesday. Leahy purchased the colt out of Cambridge Stud’s New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft earlier this year for $80,000, and he was overwhelmed with Wednesday’s result. “It is going to take a while to sink…

International buyers may not have been able to be at Karaka for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale on Wednesday, but the sales company’s newly established online bidding platform meant they were still able to be a part of the action. One buyer that was able to utilise the platform early on day one of the sale was Victorian trainer Trent Busuttin, who went to $400,000 to secure lot 3, the Savabeel colt, out of Ohukia Lodge’s draft. “We would rather be there than not, but it is what…

Nigel Tiley will take aim at three separate feature-race targets on his home track on Saturday. The Pukekohe trainer will produce Le Castile (NZ) (Dalghar) in the Gr.2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), Melt (NZ) (Iffraaj) in the Listed Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m) and Cool Change (NZ) (Showcasing) on debut in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 2YO Stakes (1100m). They are all races Tiley has won before but it’s the prospect of a good track that has him confident Le Castile can emulate his 2018 Breeders’ Stakes winner…

Sam Williams isn’t the first to sell a broodmare only to have her progeny come out and perform with distinction a short time later, but he isn’t losing sleep over it, in fact he couldn’t be happier with the result. Williams bred and shares in the ownership of recent Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) winner Avonallo (NZ) (Belardo) though he had sold his dam Real Angel (NZ) (O’Reilly) through online auction house gavelhouse.com in April. “Heading into COVID-19 I decided I was going to have a clearout of mares and Real…

Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s black and gold checked silks have been prominent on Karaka Million night in the last couple of years through the deeds of Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), and the Cambridge Stud principals are hoping they have another filly that can pick up her mantle. Promising two-year-old Beldarra (Hinchinbrook) will begin her path towards the rich twilight meeting in January when she makes her debut in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 2YO Stakes (1100m) at Pukekohe on Saturday. The Hinchinbrook filly has had two trials for two wins and trainer…