3 minute read

Cataldo delighted to be leaving with Snitzel.

A daughter of Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) looks destined to stay in New Zealand after Phill Cataldo went to NZ$450,000 for the filly from the Pencarrow draft on the final day of book 1 at Karaka on Tuesday. 

Cataldo was happy to have secured the filly and was expecting her to realise more than her eventual price-tag. 

"She will stay in New Zealand for a new client of mine," said Cataldo. "They just rang out of the blue yesterday because they loved her pedigree. She is a lovely type and she vetted well and I would like to think we got her slightly under the odds, but I may have gone another bid or so but that is the beauty of the auction system." 

Catalogued as Lot 565, the filly is the first foal out of the four-time winning and stakes-placed mare Echezeaux (Encosta De Lago), who is herself the daughter of Group 1-winning mare Grand Echezeaux (Zabeel) making her a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and now successful sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) and late Cambridge Group 3-winning stallion Burgundy (Redoute's Choice). 

This filly is bred on the same cross as Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Invader (Snitzel). 

While Cataldo said he could not disclose who the filly was bought for, he did reveal that given her high-class pedigree the filly was bought with breeding after racing as the long term plan. 

"The plan would be to breed and race her definitely, he has his own farm so she will go back there and give her a couple of months and then think about breaking her in," said Cataldo.

"She doesn't strike me as an early two-year-old, it sounded like he wanted to produce her as a late two-year-old which is when the best racing is on so I think we will just stick to that plan.  It is so hard to buy into this family especially being by Snitzel - that's a real bonus."

Of the overall sale Cataldo commented: "I think it's gone really well and that's really important for the vendors. We all know the hide times the industry going through and the last thing we need is for the vendors to start hurting so I'm thrilled for them. 

"New Zealand Bloodstock have done a fantastic job getting the buying bench they have and there are a lot of big hitters here, including a lot of Australians which are obviously backbone of the sale and our industry to a point and it's great to see them here. I think there is a horse for everyone and every horse is finding it's fair value."

As the sale drew to a close on Tuesday 484 lots had sold for NZ$67,130,000, comparable to the 2019 renewal when 489 lots realised NZ$67,206,500. The average of NZ$138,698 was a marginal increase on that of NZ$137,437 in 2019 whist the median jumped 7.5 per cent from NZ$100,000 last year to NZ$107,500 with a clearance rate of 79 per cent, up two per cent from a year ago. 

The top lot this year was the Pierro (Lonhro) colt out of Our Squeezer (Redoute's Choice) who was bought for NZ$900,000 on day one by Hiwi Lodge from the draft of Westbury Stud while a total of 12 lots sold for NZ$500,000 or more. 

NZB's managing director Andrew Seabrook was pleased with the competition carried throughout Book 1. 

"It was very encouraging to see the number of international and domestic buyers present over the past few days," he said. 

"The aggregate spend is on par with last year's Sale, with 21 less horses catalogued.

"We had a strong middle market generated by the Australian's. We put a lot of effort into getting them here, so it's great to see the vendors rewarded so well," added Seabrook.

Australian-based buyers bought 219 yearlings for NZ$28,432,500 accounting for 43 per cent of the market with New Zealand-based purchasers spending NZ$27,445,000 on 196 lots. 

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