Waikato, Te Akau dominate Karaka
On both sides of the ledger the Matamata part in last week’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale was undeniable.
Every year the country’s thoroughbred breeders put their best young stock before an international buying bench and once again it was the quality of the Waikato Stud draft and the buying power of David Ellis that dominated proceedings.
For the previous four years Waikato Stud had claimed the leading vendors’ title and again, with a draft headed by resident champion stallion Savabeel it was more of the same. Gross receipts for Waikato’s 70 sales amounted to $12,845,000, headed by a best ever individual result of $875,000 for the Savabeel-Posy filly.
Savabeel was in the thick of the action throughout the fourday Book 1 sale. Other studs with his progeny in their drafts included Cambridge Stud, selling for the last time under the ownership of Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan, and it was their colt from the former champion filly Katie Lee that claimed top price of $1,025,000.
Savabeel was responsible for three of the top 10 lots, and led the overall stallion standings with an aggregate of $15,925,000 for 61 lots at an average price of $261,066.
Waikato’s cause was also aided by the demand for younger members of its stallion roster, Ocean Park, Sacred Falls and Rock ‘N’ Pop, while amongst other local vendors, Rich Hill Stud, Bradbury Park, Blandford Lodge, Valachi Downs and Mapperley Stud made the most of what was a strong buying bench.
That side of the action was led – as it had been for the previous 12 years – by Te Akau principal David Ellis. Buoyed by a second consecutive Karaka Million win by Avantage a day before the sale opened, he was on the front foot from the start and ended the Book 1 sale with 27 purchases totalling $7,612,500.
Leading Te Akau’s crop of 2018 was the sale-topping Savabeel colt at $1,025,000, part of the annual colts’ syndicate that from past years has been responsible for stallions either current or future such as Darci Brahma, Burgundy, Xtravagant, Embellish and Age Of Fire.
In a new initiative, this year Te Akau decided to put together a similar filly model, which meant stretching the budget for bluebloods headed by two $900,000 fillies, one by Savabeel and the other a half-sister to last year’s Karaka Million winner Melody Belle.
‘‘It’s an exhausting process starting months out from the sale with inspections and then building to the sale, when it all happens,’’ says David Ellis. ‘‘But to end up with what I believe is our best ever bunch of yearlings is very rewarding.’’