Yearling sales set to go
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
It’s that time again – Karaka is set to be buzzing as the 2012 New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales attract the ‘who’s who’ of thoroughbred racing.
This year nearly 1,500 thoroughbred yearlings are catalogued for auction across six days starting on Monday, January 30. They’re graded according to pedigree and conformation and catalogued into three sales sessions: the premier sale (January 30 and 31, 516 horses); select sale (February 1-3, 620 horses) and festival sale (February 5, 308 horses). Last year, the event generated a total turnover of $88 million, with premier sales posting a sale average of $175,000; select sales $45,000 and festival sales $12,000. Nearly an eighth of that income went to one stud – Sir Patrick Hogan’s Cambridge Stud (see front page picture), which has been the leading vendor at the sales for the past 30 years running. Last year the stud sold 63 horses for more than $11 million. While more than half of the bloodstock, $48 million, was purchased by Australian buyers, plenty of future talent was retained in New Zealand. David Ellis, of Te Akau Stud, has been the leading New Zealand purchaser for six years in a row. Last year David bought 33 horses for $4.77 million.
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