Month: January 2021

The loudest cheer on day two of the National Yearling Sale at Karaka erupted as the gavel came down on the very last lot that went through the auction ring on Monday evening. A small group of supporters huddled around former Waikato Stud employee Sharon Meyer, who co-owns the Ocean Park filly consigned by Woburn Farm as Lot 390, were beside themselves as a bidding war between Ballymore stable’s Pam Gerard and the online presence of Japan’s Big Red Farm proprietor Mr Okada was settled in favour of the Japanese…

One of the prominent names in the thick of the action over the first two days at the National Yearling Sale at Karaka has been local bloodstock agent Bruce Perry. Perry, who traditionally acts on behalf of Wellington businessman Lib Petagna and a limited number of other domestic and international clients, has also taken on the task of representing Australian trainer Danny O’Brien for the duration of the sale. Perry purchased four yearlings for his domestic clients on the first day of the sale along with another four for O’Brien…

Mr DC Ellis appeared at the top of the buyers list again on day two of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale, but it was the Te Akau principal’s right-hand man, trainer Jamie Richards, doing the bidding to secure the top lot on Monday. Richards was caught in a bidding duel with Bruce Harvey, representing the Hong Kong Jockey Club, for lot 367, the Tavistock colt out of Echezeaux, from Pencarrow Stud’s draft, and came out on top with a final bid of $520,000. It is a family that Te…

Legendary conditioner 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 on 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…

Boys Get Paid have been a growing entity on Karaka Million-night, New Zealand’s richest race meeting, but next year could be a whole new level for the racing group led by Luke Kemeys. The group have teamed up with Te Akau to purchase a yearling at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale, their first venture into the yearling market, and they are hoping they will be cheering it on in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) next year. Kemeys entrusted the yearling selection process to Te Akau principal David Ellis, who…

Two days after her superlative win in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m) at Ellerslie on Karaka Million night on Saturday, exciting four-year-old Levante (NZ) (Proisir) was enjoying a relaxing morning in her paddock at the Matamata property of her trainers Ken and Bev Kelso. Ken Kelso cut a relaxed figure at the National Yearling Sale at Karaka on Monday, as he discussed the victory and future plans for the Proisir mare who electrified the large on-course crowd at Ellerslie with her last to first performance. “She has pulled up very…

Needle And Thread (Makfi) had her crowning glory at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day when taking out the Gr.2 Royal Stakes (2000m) and now trainers Stephen Autridge and Kris Shailer are wanting to extend her reign. The Valachi Downs trainers are trying to thread a path towards the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trenthan in March, with the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa next month a likely next target. The daughter of Makfi, who is raced by her breeder…

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In an ever-changing world, technology has helped break-down barriers on a positive day of selling on the opening day of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales, where the average price was $130,134 across 131 lots sold, with a clearance rate of 73 percent. New Zealand Bloodstock’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook was resigned to the fact that border closures, which meant no international buyers could be on-site at Karaka, would have an effect on the sale, but he was pleased with the level of trade on day one. “It was a…

Not even a slipped saddle and muddling tempo were enough to halt Golden Sixty’s (Medaglia D’Oro) burgeoning winning streak as the Hong Kong superstar posted a dramatic 12th successive victory after scrambling to narrow triumph in the Gr.1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) in Hong Kong on Sunday night. Undefeated since July 7 2019, Golden Sixty responded doggedly to jockey Vincent Ho’s desperate urgings to deny veteran Southern Legend (Not A Single Doubt) by a mere head with Ka Ying Star (Cityscape) three quarters of a length further back in third. “They…