Cam and Eva Heron of Highline Thoroughbreds were celebrating at Karaka on Wednesday after recording their best ever day at New Zealand Bloodstock’s annual sale.
The Waikato couple sold lot 664, the Per Incanto colt out of stakes performer Special Draw, for $155,000 to Robin Tai on behalf of a Singapore client.
While that was the farm’s biggest sale to date, that was blown out of the water later in the day when Cambridge trainer Alex Oliveira purchased lot 713, the Proisir colt, out of their draft for $180,000.
The Herons were duly overwhelmed with the results.
“It’s a big day for us,” Cam Heron said. “It is not an easy game to be in and we are chipping away and trying to build a reputation around our business.
“We are proud of the job that we do in preparing these yearlings, so it’s justification for all the hard work that we put in.”
Karaka 2021 was Highline Thoroughbreds’ sixth sale in the last eight years and Heron was buoyed by Wednesday’s results.
“Eva and I started Highline and our first horse went through the ring seven or eight years ago, but this is our sixth sale,” he said.
“We put one through and gradually built up until this year, where we have 11. Four Book 1 fillies, and seven Book 2 colts and fillies.”
Heron had an inkling both colts would sell well with the level of interest shown in them at Karaka, but their prices well surpassed his expectations.
“I thought they would go for over $100,000. They are very nice horses and they had been busy, so we knew we were in for good results,” he said.
Oliveira purchased lot 713 in partnership with Hong Kong clients and the colt will do his early education in New Zealand before a likely racing future in the Asian racing jurisdiction.
“He will probably go up to Hong Kong. We will play it by ear and see how it goes,” Oliveira said.
“We work closely with the guys up there, they will be buying him with me – Paul Chow (Tartan Meadow Bloodstock) and we might have another client or two.”
Oliveira has been impressed by the progeny of Proisir and he said that is what first attracted him to the colt.
“I am a big fan of Proisir’s. I have had a few,” he said.
“I first saw him up here a couple of days ago. He is a precocious, strong, correct colt, and has a lovely walk on him.
“He was one of my top lots of the day.”
Photo: Trish Dunell
Meanwhile, Robin Tai was pleased to secure lot 664 for $155,000, and said he was initially drawn to the colt because of his sire’s strong record in Hong Kong.
“The pedigree is what attracted me and my father William, who is in Hong Kong,” Tai said.
“We start by looking at the pedigree and he is from a nice family. The Per Incantos go very well in Hong Kong. He is one of the leading sires there and gets a lot of winners.
“I didn’t see him until I got here to the grounds and he is a lovely colt. He was on our short list quite quickly, especially after I sent a video to my father.
“We bought him for a client who lives in Singapore.”
