NZB’s 2015 Select Sale drew to a close today, with three solid days of trade that have posted figures to match last year’s successful Sale.

With local buyers competing strongly with a broad international bench still active at Karaka, Ruakaka trainer Donna Logan was the overall leading buyer of the three-day Select session, purchasing eight horses for a total of $551,500.
The trainer of Sunday’s Karaka 3YO Mile winner Volkstok’n’barrell (Tavistock) made her biggest splash on the first day of the Sale when she went to $150,000 to secure another son of Tavistock at Lot 511. Ranging in price from $26,000 to $150,000 her eight purchases – all colts - included five by freshman sires (Redwood (2), Dalghar, Pour Moi & Uncle Mo).
“It’s been a great Sale today with some great quality and some really outstanding individuals,” commented Logan. “Volkstok’n’barrell was obviously bought here but I think if you look at our records for the past ten years we’ve done some very good purchasing out of this Sale.
“I’ve spent more than I’ve ever spent but I’ve got the client base to back me and people have got more confidence in us as we have got good results out of horses that we’ve bought through these sales.”
Logan finished ahead of Phillip Stokes and John Foote as the leading buyer. Stokes made a single purchase at the Sale, securing the record-breaking Lot 610 for $525,000 on the first day.
The top price of $525,000 is a record price at the Select Sale, smashing the previous record of $300,000 set in the bumper year of 2008. Lot 610 is by relatively unknown first season sire Tartan Bearer and is a half-brother to Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter Thunder Fantasy (Lucky Owners).
Queensland bloodstock agent John Foote was the leading buyer of Day 3 and second overall, purchasing five horses for $350,000. Foote bought seven horses for $525,000 across the three days, with his most expensive purchase coming yesterday at Lot 741, a Mastercraftsman colt from Little Avondale Stud bought for $110,000.
The most prolific purchaser was fellow kiwi Lisa Latta who bought 10 yearlings at this session to add to the three she bought at the Premier Sale earlier in the week, bringing her spend at Karaka 2015 so far to $795,500. Her purchases have ranged from $15,000 to the $220,000 paid for the full brother to Brambles (Savabeel), at Lot 124.
Today’s top price came at Lot 999 with Cambridge-based bloodstock agent Gary Carvill bidding on behalf of Hong Kong client Peter Ho Leung. They bought the colt by Savabeel for $160,000.
Lot 999
Today's top price of $160,000 was paid for Lot 999.

“He’s a lovely type of horse, he’ll take a bit of time and hopefully he’ll be able to run in a Derby someday,” commented Carvill.
“Peter’s got probably the best Savabeel in Hong Kong called Flame Hero. This colt’s half-brother and half-sister are racing very well, the family is very current and just keeps producing winners.”
Local bloodstock agents Bruce Perry and Paul Moroney also featured among the top 10 buyers, while internationals including the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Jamie Walter’s Proven Thoroughbreds, Paul Chow’s Tartan Meadow Bloodstock, and John Morrisey all featured in the top 10.
As with the Premier Sale, Australia has also increased its spend at the Select Sale, this time by 20% to over $4 million, to bring the total spend across Karaka 2015 ahead of last year with a day of selling still to go.
Waikato Stud continued its good week, finishing as the leading vendor by aggregate, as they did at the Premier Sale earlier in the week. Waikato Stud sold 22 horses for a total of $1,567,500 under their own banner, with a further five horses selling in other drafts, to bring the Stud’s combined aggregate to $8,622,500. Buyers bought in confidence off Waikato Stud with all horses offered with a $20,000 reserve.
Hallmark Stud, sellers of the record breaking Lot 610, were the leading vendors by average for the Sale, selling all of their 16 catalogued horses for $1,419,000 at an average of $88,688.
With 21 fewer horses catalogued this year, the final figures either matched or were slightly ahead of last year’s successful edition with the average increasing to $46,813. The median held firm at $35,000, the same as last year, and the clearance rate also matched last year at 75%. This year’s aggregate was $18,304,000 with 391 horses sold.
“We had a solid three days of selling here at Karaka,” commented NZB’s Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela.
“By all accounts buyers were very happy with the selection on offer and we saw good competition across the three days, with figures showing this session was very much on par with last year’s successful Sale.”
At the top of the market there were five horses to reach $200,000 or more this year compared with only one last year.
New Zealand’s current Champion Sire O’Reilly was the leading sire by average with three or more sold. The Waikato Stud sire sold 11 horses for an average of $89,409. His barn mate Savabeel was the third leading sire with Tavistock splitting the pair.
Windsor Park Stud sire Pour Moi was the leading first season sire, selling 13 horses for $51,923, with a top price of $140,000 paid for Lot 522, purchased by Melbourne trainer Henry Dwyer.
With the Premier and Select Sales completed, there is just one chance left to secure yearlings from Karaka 2015, with the one-day Festival Sale on Sunday (February 1) where 329 Lots are set to go under the hammer from the earlier time of 10am