Australians fly in for New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale
New Zealand Bloodstock will go against convention and conduct the Valachi Downs dispersal sale at Karaka this morning, prior to the start of the 112-lot National Weanling Sale, the company’s late autumn live auction offering.
The decision by Kevin and Jo Hickman to sell their Valachi Downs property and training operation at Matamata, and disperse their bloodstock interests, prompted a 20-lot supplementary catalogue for the National Weanling Sale.
The sale will start with the Valachi draft at 11am local time, the precursor to the main sale getting under way.
NZB’s director of business development, the Sydney-based Mike Kneebone, has made the most of the reopened international borders and will be behind the rostrum as auctioneer today for the first time since the 2021 Karaka Yearling Sale.
Kneebone has been impressed by what – and who – he had seen at Karaka during inspections this week.
“The icing on the cake is having the Valachi horses kicking the sale off. They’re in the supplementary catalogue, but we’re selling them before the main catalogue. It’s a dispersal sale and there’s some really nice quality there and it’s a nice intro to what’s available right throughout the salegrounds,” Kneebone told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“They’re deserving of that, to be kicking off the National Weanling Sale because it’s their entire crop of weanlings and it’s a very, very good draft.
“If people are looking for a nice colt or a nice filly, there’s something there for everybody.”
Melbourne-based Kiwi agent Paul Moroney made the trip across the Tasman for this week’s weanling sale and he believes he will have plenty of competition from his compatriots on the buying bench after they found it difficult to purchase suitable foals at the recent Australian sales.
“I got back here for the yearling sales earlier in the year and for a while there I wasn’t going to come across for the [weanling] sale, but I have still got some orders left over for Australian and New Zealand clients,” Moroney said.
“Once the Valachi weanlings came into the mix, that was an incentive to get over. They are horses for genuine sale, for genuine reasons.”
Valachi Downs’ general manager Gareth Downey has been run off his feet as buyers seek the rare opportunities the draft offers.
“It is quite unbelievable. I now know what it feels like to bring a yearling draft to a weanling sale, and they have been accordingly popular,” Downey said.
“It has been hectic, which is exactly what we wanted. It has been touch-and-go to make it work, but we have made it work.
“We have brought what we think are our 20 most commercial weanlings. There is not a poor horse amongst them. They are very appealing.
“You look at the sire line-up and it is made up significantly of U S Navy Flag and Ten Sovereigns’ progeny. They have been really well received.”
Haunui Farm has a draft of 15 weanlings, including four by shuttle sire Ribchester (Iffraaj), who started his career in Australia with Darley.
“We have brought four really nice Ribchester colts, which are his first foals born here in New Zealand,” Haunui Farm’s sales and marketing manager Shannon Taylor said.
“It is great to be presenting them to the market. I think they will create a really good impression.
“We have got a nice Super Seth filly (Lot 82) for some Australian-based clients that has had a bit of interest.
“We have also got some lovely Belardos this year in terms of type. We are quite excited about them and hopefully they can start performing to their potential and physical looks.”
Highline Thoroughbreds’ Eva Heron is offering five weanlings at today’s sale, including a filly by Tarzino (Tavistock), the sire of this year’s South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) and Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) winners.
“Our clients are racing people and breed specifically for what they want, be that a colt or a filly,” Heron said.
“They really wanted us to do a weanling draft and we agreed, and we have put in two of our own as well to support our clients. We are excited with the way the draft has been received.”
Kia Ora Stud’s Michael Kirwan and Coolmore’s Tom Moore are among those who have flown in for today’s sale while New Zealand’s premier buyer, Te Akau’s David Ellis, has also cast his eye over the weanlings, as did local agents Phill Cataldo, Bruce Perry, and Bryce and Ginger Tankard.
“We had lots of parades on Wednesday and again today,” Brighthill Farm’s Nick King said.
“It is so good to see Australian faces again. It feels like old times. With Gavelhouse taking care of one segment of the market, it has meant that the sale has improved dramatically in quality.”
Well-known New Zealand trader Sam Beatson of Riversley Park may also play his hand in the weanling market today.
“I’ll probably pick up a couple here. If we don’t bring them back in January we can always take them through to the Ready to Run sale,” Beatson said.
“We have a big draft for this November’s sale and some really well-bred ones, too.”
The uncertainty on the global financial markets in recent weeks was cause for some concern yesterday, but Kneebone remains confident of a strong weanling sale.
“There’s all kinds of things happening around the world like share market issues and people just starting to travel again, but going off what we’ve seen already this year, you’d have to say it’s going to be a really good market for the pinhookers,” he said.
“There’s been some really nice announcements from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing in the last few months which has encouraged people to get involved and invested in the game.”