Virtually Ready to Run
One year on from a sale that was different from all previous Ready to Run sales, New Zealand Bloodstock and the industry at large are, for the second year in succession, faced with another major challenge.
Twelve months ago the mood pre-sale was one of anxiety. With no overseas buyers onsite, no one really knew what to expect. Nevertheless, vendors showed up, took a deep breath and made information about their lots much more open. This led to the buzz term “transparency” becoming part of the conversation.
Essentially, vendors knew that if overseas buyers could not be present then the best answer was to provide as much information as possible online.
Employing the latest technology and innovation, the 2020 sale turned out to be surprising, yet pleasingly, successful. So much so, the ideas learned from November were carried over into the January yearling sales series. Overseas buyers, too, took their experience from the Ready to Run sale, logged on and bought big in January.
Another sector, New Zealand-based agents, were also much busier than usual. Interested buyers stuck at home who wanted a second opinion, had agents doing double duty.
In January, experienced and knowledgeable vendors and stud masters, acting on behalf of their friends and clients, were out and about the sales ground, looking at yearlings for those who were not able to be present.
Vendors took more phone calls than ever from interested buyers seeking open and honest opinions about their lots.
In May, a smaller than usual National Weanling sale went off without a hitch, was comparatively successful and suggested that auction sales had discovered an additional permanent level of participation.
And so, to 2021 and a sale which will, for the first time, not be staged at the superb Karaka complex. Only on this occasion, things are totally different again. This time there will be no horses, at least, not physically.
The two days of breeze-ups gave us two contrasting surfaces, with the second day affected by overnight rain. Buyers have become quite sophisticated when judging the breeze-ups.
The times may be interesting but there is as much importance placed on how each runner handled themselves compared to their actual timed result.
It can only be assumed that some of the gavelhouse.com technology will find a use this time around. The hugely successful online sale of Avantage (Fastnet Rock) in late September suggests that some confidence is justified.
Overall, the market, especially courtesy of Australian buyers, is on a high.
What can we expect? If the auctioneers have gained anything from the last three sales, this virtual sale has every chance of pulling through.
Vendors have chipped in and the catalogue itself contains a representation of Australasia’s leading sires with lots from all the leading families.
Unstoppable
Like the majority of recent New Zealand auction sales, this year’s Ready to Run will doubtless be dominated by Waikato Stud’s Savabeel (Zabeel).
The stallion is unstoppable. The two Group 1 Guineas classics at Riccarton last week fell to his son Noverre and daughter The Perfect Pink.
In Australia this spring he has been represented by Group 1 winners Probabeel and Mo’unga.
His New Zealand earnings are already double the next on the list and we are just 15 weeks into the current season.
Presently ninth on the 2021-22 Australian earnings list, his five individual stakes winners of seven stakes races has him second to Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice).
The key Australian buying bench is only too aware of Savabeel’s ability to not only get winners, but big winners and they will have nine prime lots to choose from.
Five of the nine are owned by Waikato Stud, selling under the Ohukia Lodge draft.
Two lots (107 and 175) are bred on the highly successful Savabeel-O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) cross of 22 stakes winners, seven Group 1 winners, including last Saturday’s New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) victress The Perfect Pink.
Four lots (83, 108, 129 and 157) are bred on the almost as successful Savabeel-Pins (Snippets) cross, responsible for 16 stakes winners, including current star Probabeel.
In lot order, first up is Lot 83, from a sister to Listed-placed Snowdrop (Pins). The gelding is a three-quarter brother to Group-placed winners Grand De Flora (Savabeel) and Grand Bouquet (Savabeel). His granddam is Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Daffodil (No Excuse Needed).
Lot 107 is the brother to Listed winner and New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) second Milford (Savabeel). The colt’s dam is a sister to dual Doncaster Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) and four-time Group 1 winner Sacred Falls (O’Reilly).
The brother to dual Group 1 winner Savvy Coup (Savabeel) is Lot 108. His dam is a sister to two Group winners and is also a three-quarter sister to the Group 3-placed Far Fetched (Pins), the dam of Probabeel. The colt represents Waikato Stud’s first family, their foundation mare Georgina Belle (Pakistan II).
Lot 114 is a colt from a Fastnet Rock (Danehill) sister to Sydney Group 2 winner Valentia. His granddam is a sister to three Group winners including dual Group 1 winner Super Elegant (Mister C).
Lot 129 is from Listed winner Glad (Pins) and his granddam is a half-sister to Scandinavia (Snippets), the dam of Group 1 sprinter Magnus (Flying Spur) and granddam of the unbeaten legend Black Caviar (Bel Esprit).
Lot 157 is a brother to current winner Kapinos (Savabeel) and three-quarter brother to Group 3 placed winner Hank Moody (Savabeel). His dam is the dual Winter Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Karla Bruni (Pins).
Lot 175 is out of a winning O’Reilly sister to Listed winner Wolfwhistle and also a full sister-in-blood to Group 1 winner Tiptronic (O’Reilly). The gelding’s granddam, Legs (Pins), won two Group 1s including the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m).
Lot 215 is the brother to Group 2-placed Slave To Love (Savabeel) from Group 2-placed Moochi Me (Dubawi) whose four wins, including at Ellerslie, were achieved in just seven starts.
Lot 229 is from Okahu Bay (Flying Spur), an Adelaide Group 3 winner. His granddam is a winning half-sister to four stakes winners including New Zealand champion sprinter-miler Calveen (Canny Lad).
Several of the abovementioned are likely candidates to top the sale although Lot 41, a colt by Frankel (Galileo), might also be a candidate. An August foal, the colt is half-brother to All Legal (Al Maher), a six-time winner including the Villiers Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m). His dam is a half-sister to three stakes winners including Hong Kong Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) champion Glorious Days (Hussonet).
Perennial sire Darci Brahma (Danehill), and sire of current season Group 1 winner Sierra Sue, will be represented by seven lots and six are to be offered by Kiltannon Lodge and two are three-quarter brothers.
Lot 124 is the half-brother to Group 2 winner and twice Group 1 placed Smoulder (Traditionally). His three-quarter brother, Lot 307, is from Smoulder, providing buyers a second chance on day two.
Lot 216 is the first foal of the good winner Moon Tide (Bachelor Duke), a sister to two stakes winners including dual Group 2 Guineas winner Keyora.
Lot 20 is the brother to six winners including Group 2 placed Pemberley, Listed placed Outshine and is from the Adelaide Listed winner Upstaged (In The Wings).
After withdrawals, four by Tavistock (Montjeu) remain, representing the last full crop by the tragically lost stallion. His final, smaller crop, will be offered next year.
Two fillies, Lots 155 and 267, are out of Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mares, a cross that has resulted in 12 stakes winners including four Group 1 winners, Hong Kong champion Werther heading the list.
Lot 155‘s dam is a half-sister to Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m) winner Super Satin (Danehill Dancer) while Lot 267 is from the Listed winner Ritzy Lady (six wins).
Late on day two is Lot 306 whose granddam, Sydney winner Satin ‘n’ Silk is by Zabeel, herself a sister to Group 3 winner Sybeel and to Listed winner Chamoix.
Even later, in fact the last in the catalogue, is Lot 322, a half-brother to the stakes-winning sisters Windborne (Darci Brahma) and Darci’s Dream (Darci Brahma).
Per Incanto (Street Cry), whose classy sprinter Lost And Running has earned $1.77 million this season, culminating with his rich victory in The Hunter (1300m), at Newcastle on Saturday, has 14 lots, including three fillies, to choose from.
For residual value, Lot 154 has much to recommend her, being a half-sister to the Group 3 placed winner Aotearower (Shamardal) and from the dual Group winner Kaatoon (Kaapstad), winner of the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (Gr 2, 2000m).
Lot 82 is a three-quarter brother to the dual Listed winner Lightning Jack (Per Incanto) from the Avondale Gold Cup (Gr 2, 2200m) winner Creil (Frenchpark).
Lot 202 represents the family of superstar Winx (Street Cry). The colt is from a Savabeel mare whose dam is a half-sister to Vegas Showgirl (Al Akbar), the dam of the champion.
No longer shuttling to New Zealand, Iffraaj (Zafonic) has greatly complimented the New Zealand Stud Book. His Perth-based son Western Empire looks on the verge of an enormous season. He has six lots on offer and this will be the second last crop to invest in.
Lot 96 is the three-quarter brother to champion sprinter-miler Turn Me Loose, such a great ambassador for his sire.
Lot 153 is from a half-sister to the Group 1 champions Canny Lad (Bletchingly) and Canny Lass (Bletchingly). This is the family of the high-class Darley Group 1 winners Guelph (Exceed And Excel) and Bivouac (Exceed And Excel).
Lot 230 is from the Listed winner Options (Casual Lies) while Lot 308, a filly, offers residual value being from an O’Reilly half-sister to Group 1 winner Captivate (Stravinsky).
Anticipation and expectations remain high for the stock of Almanzor (Wootton Bassett). They sold extremely well as yearlings plus his first northern hemisphere crop includes eight individual winners of which two have earned black type.
Seven lots, including two fillies, are up for grabs this week and one filly in particular, Lot 16, from a Zabeel mare, may be in demand, being from the famous Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight) family.
From the same branch of the family is Lot 315, a colt from an Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) daughter of Group 2 winner Lovetrista (Rock Of Gibraltar), the daughter of dual group 1 winner Tristalove (Sir Tristram).
Also from a top family, Haunui Farm’s foundation line via Foxona (Foxbridge), is Lot 285. His dam, Savvy Dreams (Savabeel) ran third in the New Zealand Oaks and ranks as a three-quarter sister to recent Listed winner Shezzacatch (Savabeel).
Waikato Stud’s up and comer Tivaci (High Chaparral) has made a more than promising impression with his first crop (just three-year-olds) which includes the Group 1–winning filly Never Been Kissed and six other winners. He will have seven lots on offer, two of which, Lots 72 and 78, are bred on the same Tivaci-Savabeel cross as Never Been Kissed.
Lot 72 is from a Savabeel half-sister to smart two-year-old Maritimo (Pins) while Lot 78 is from Savabeel sister to Listed winner Milford (see Lot 107).
Lot 265 is the half-brother to Group 3 winner Our Hail Mary (Ocean Park). His dam is a sister to four-time Group 1 winner Shez Sinsational (Ekraar).
Siring his second stakes winner last Saturday through Grace’s Secret, an impressive all-the-way winner of the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m), Vadamos (Monsun) has two lots including Lot 25, a half-brother to five winners from five to race from his Listed–winning dam Vercors (Catbird), herself a half-sister to Group 2 winner Hasselhoof (Tavistock).
The northern hemisphere first crop two-year-olds by Time Test (Dubawi) are making quite a noise with four stakes winners (two at Group 3 level) and seven further winners. He will be represented by seven lots.
Lot 97 is the half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Maco’reilly (O’Reilly), one of seven winners from seven to race from his dam Double Babu (Centaine), herself the daughter of Filly of the Year and Classic winner Plume (Crested Wave).
Lot 254 is from a half-sister to dual Group winner Pinmedown (Pins). His granddam is a sister to the dam of twice Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon (Pins).
Several Australian-based sires are represented, most notably Deep Field (Northern Meteor) with eight lots. It seems that Deep Field sires winners daily.
His Lot 44, is a grandson of Group 1-winning mare Critic (Centaine). This is the family of sires Ocean Park (Thorn Park) and O’Reilly. Dual Group 1 winner Grunt (O’Reilly) and recent Flemington Group 2 winner Zayydani (Savabeel) are close relatives.
Lot 50 is from a half-sister to two Group winners including Palentino (Teofilo), winner of the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
Lot 207 is from a Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) half-sister to the outstanding two- and three-year-old Mentality (Flying Spur), who won three times at Group 1 level.
The sole lot by Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) is Lot 23. He is a three-quarter brother to triple Group winner Vavasour (Redoute’s Choice) and half-brother to dual Group winner Vilanova (Commands) plus Group 3 winner Celebrity Dream (Thorn Park). He is from Haunui Farm’s foundation family, as is Lot 285.
Other popular and successful sires from across the Tasman, each with two lots, are Exceed And Excel (Danehill), Pierro (Lonhro), So You Think (High Chaparral) and hot sire Capitalist (Written Tycoon).
Lot 103, by Capitalist, is from a Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) half-sister to triple Group winner Free Port Lux (Oasis Dream) and a grandson of the high-class, Grade 1-winning mare Royal Highness (Monsun).
The two lots by Churchill (Galileo) are both out of well-performed mares. Lot 93 is from Group 3 winner Diamond Earth (Choisir) and Lot 112 is from the New Zealand Oaks winner Fanatic (Shocking).
Towards the end of the sale is an interesting offering by American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile). Lot 319 is a colt from the good racemare Summer’s Day (Darci Brahma), a Listed winner of six races. Her granddam was the speedy Cannsea (Canny Lad), winner of Ellerslie’s Group 1 Railway Handicap (1200m).
To view the full Ready to Run catalogue click here.