A Danehill Dancer colt fetched $800,000 to top Day 1 of the NZ Bloodstock yearling sales at Karaka on Monday. David Ellis bought the half-brother to Pure Harmony (Stravinsky) offered by Cambridge Stud.
“He is a very athletic colt, the ideal type of horse for the Karaka Million,” Ellis said. . “If he is successful, we perhaps can race him in Australia as a three-year-old.
Parading as Lot 179, the Danehill Dancer colt is from Zabeel mare Ballycairn and was one of 14 horses Ellis purchased for $2.45 million. “It is important to remember that we are in a recession but good horses, with good pedigrees that look the part, are selling very well,” Ellis added. “The bottom end of the sale is not as strong which hasn’t been helped by the weak domestic market.”
The Day 1 average of $165,894 was down 9% on last year’s final Premier Sale figures. The clearance rate was 76%.
New Zealand Bloodstock’s Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela said the highlight has been the great international interest. “The Australian buying bench as strong as ever,” Vela said. “But that’s been offset by the remarkable decrease in participation by the local buyers which is down 32%.”
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is currently the second leading buyer behind Ellis with five purchases for $1.55 million including the $440,000 Encosta de Lago colt from Bennelong Belle.
Leading the Australian buyers so far is Lloyd Williams’ Hudson Conway Racing, with five purchases for $1.37 million headed by the Zabeel colt from champion racemare Seachange bought for $500,000.
Among others featuring prominently from Australia are Bart Cummings, Connelly Bloodstock, John O’Shea and Gai Waterhouse.
Day 2 of the Premier Sale on Tuesday, February 1 comprises Lots 254 to 503. The Sale will continue on Wednesday with the three-day Select Sale followed by the two-day Festival Sale.
DAY 1 – KARAKA LEADER BOARD
$800,000 C Danehill Dancer x Ballycairn Cambridge Stud D Ellis
$600,000 C High Chaparral x Queen Caelia Windsor Park Stud Surf Coast Racing
$550,000 F Zabeel x Cat Shmea Curraghmore Stud Connolly Bloodstock
$500,000 C Zabeel x Seachange The Oaks Stud Hudson Conway Racing
$480,000 C O’Reilly x Chimeara Pencarrow Stud D Ellis
$480,000 C Pentire x Clarissa Curraghmore Stud John O’Shea
$470,000 C High Chaparral x A Real Princess Seaton Park J B Cummings
$460,000 C Redoute’s Choice x Taimana Curraghmore Stud John O’Shea
$450,000 F Zabeel x Cold Shoulder Wellfield Lodge Strawberry Hills
$440,000 C Encosta de Lago x Bennelong Belle Cambridge Stud Hong Kong Jockey Club