Magus Equine snap up sole Ole Kirk offering
Vinery Stud’s Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) has already enjoyed a stake success as a stallion and he was provided with a brilliant result at Karaka on Wednesday when Magus Equine bought a gelding by the stallion for NZ$550,000.
Catalogued as Lot 122, the gelding, who was the sole offering by the sire at the sale, was bought by AGR Racing for $120,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale earlier in the year, so provided his owners with a good return on that initial investment.
Mark Treweek of Lyndhurst Farm, who consigned the youngster, said, while he had expected the colt to sell well, he had to temper his clients’ expectations ahead of the sale.
“We had a lot of lookers on him so we expected a good price but even so the advice we gave to our clients was not to get stars in their eyes and get him on the market,” he told ANZ Bloodstock News. “We set a reserve of $200,000 on him, therefore a top result given what they outlaid for him as a yearling.”
The gelding is out of four-time winner Press Box (Hinchinbrook), who is herself a sister to Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner turned sire Press Statement, while she is also a half-sister to another top-flight winner in Pressday (Domesday).
At the close of trade on the first day, New Zealand Bloodstock reported that the aggregate reached NZ$18,547,000, an increase of 14 per cent on the previous year at the same stage. Other key sale indicators also increased, with the average reaching NZ$173,336, a ten per cent jump on the figure recorded after the opening session 12 months earlier, while the median settled at NZ$90,000.
NZB’s head auctioneer Mike Kneebone said the sale has continued to be rewarded for its high-class racetrack results.
“It’s a remarkable sale. It keeps pushing the boundaries,” he said.
“Yesterday [Tuesday] at the welcome drinks, I looked around and thought the buying bench was as good and as strong as I’ve ever seen, and the results are starting to show for that.
“There’s about 40 Malaysians and 17 of their trainers here. They’ve made Karaka their base they want to buy horses from.
“I’ve also been amazed with the Australian spend. They don’t normally buy two-year-olds, so to see them hunting up behind Hong Kong, only behind by a few million is remarkable. But with results on the racetrack with the likes of Ceolwulf, Mr Brightside, Antino and Warmonger, it’s no surprise that they have come to play.”
The second and final day of the sale gets underway on Thursday at 11am (NZT).
Sale Statistics – Day One
2024 2023
Catalogued 200 190
Offered 161 151
Sold 107 (66%) 103 (68%)
Aggregate NZ$18,547,000 (+14%) NZ$16,206,500
Average NZ$173,336 (+10%) NZ$157,345
Median NZ$90,000 NZ$90,000
Top Lot NZ$1.65 million NZ$800,000