An Encosta de Lago half-brother to Group 1 star Sir Slick topped the overall weanling section of the NZ Bloodstock National Sale at Karaka on Tuesday.

Offered by his breeder Monovale Farm, the colt was knocked down to New Zealand Bloodstock as agent for $175,000.  

A total of 243 foals were sold for $3.18 million at an average of $13,105 on Monday and Tuesday.  That represented an increase of 15% from last year.  The clearance rate was 75%.

Fellow Coolmore Stud sire High Chaparral had dominated the sale with the three top-priced colts on Day 1.

Up-and-coming Zabeel sire Savabeel was also popular with 16 weanlings selling for an average of $26,344.  The most expensive were two colts that made $90,000.  The colt from Shynzi (Danzig) is a three-quarter brother to G1 W S Cox Plate winner Maldivian. He was offered by Graeme Rogerson’s Dormello Stud and was purchased by his long-term client Max Whitby.

The Savabeel – Primera Dama colt was sold by Curraghmore Stud to Gary Mudgeway of Victorian based Grange Thoroughbreds.  He is from the family of New Zealand G1 winners Golden King and Zonda.

First-season sires Sahkee’s Secret, Sir Percy, Alamosa and Guillotine were all well received by the market.  Rich Hill Stud resident Sir Percy fetched the highest price with the colt from Biennale (Royal Academy).  He made $56,000 to the bid of Auckland-based agent Paul Willetts.

Leading the first season sires by average was multiple G1 winner Alamosa (O’Reilly) with five sold for an average of $21,800.

The leading individual buyer was Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock with three weanlings bought for $340,000 at an average of $133,333.  These included the top priced filly of the sale, the Pentire foal related to Zarita that cost $130,000.

For the sixth year in a row, Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud topped the vendor table with 10 weanlings sold for $480,000 at an average of $48,000.   The leading vendor by average was Monovale Farm with all four catalogued entries selling for an average of $48,925.

“We were unsure heading into the Sale whether or not it would hold up against last year, so it’s been extremely pleasing to see the level of demand for the weanlings,” NZB Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela said.  

“It is very heartening to see that good horses are still commanding good money, and in particular the demand from Australia is still strong.  While there has been an obvious disparity in the strength of the markets for the fillies and the colts, we’re very pleased to have had such solid trade at Karaka over the past two days.”