3 minute read
Results were beyond auction houses ‘wildest dreams’
At the close of trade on Wednesday, New Zealand Bloodstock reported 185 lots sold at a clearance rate of 77 per cent for an aggregate of NZ$17,639,500. With 28 per cent fewer horses sold this year compared to last year, the aggregate fell 25 per cent from the 2019 figure when 257 horses sold for NZ$23,585,500 at a clearance rate of 74 per cent.
The 2020 average of NZ$95,349 was up 3.8 per cent on the figure of NZ$91,772 a year ago whilst the median finished at NZ$60,000 - the same as 12 months ago.
Three lots sold for over NZ$500,000 and ten lots sold for NZ$300,000 or more. At the 2019 renewal 16 lots made NZ$300,00 or more whilst just two lots sold for NZ$500,000 or more.
New Zealand Bloodstock managing director Andrew Seabrook said he was thrilled with the outcome of the sale and admitted to feeling nervous before the sale.
“It’s been an amazing success,” said Seabrook. “As we have all said we were ‘cautiously optimistic’ but this has exceeded all our wildest dreams, it really is just amazing and a lot of credit has to go to Danny [Rolston] and the tech team who have made this online bidding platform so user friendly. It has worked so well.
“I really didn’t know how it was going to go, I was very, very nervous about what might evolve, but it’s been amazing and to have so many people bidding online from all over the world, it has just been fantastic.”
Seabrook was in full praise of how the vendors went above and beyond to make the sale as easily accessible for the buyers who were not able to attend.
“The vendors have been incredible,” said Seabrook. “They have always done a great job, but this year they stepped up to the plate even further. The breeze-ups were definitely the best ever at Te Rapa, but just how transparent and open the vendors have been with all the information. This has been the most transparent sale ever held in New Zealand and this is the new normal and to be rewarded like this I am really just thrilled for the vendors.
“We would have loved all the overseas participants to have been here, but we have to thank them for the trust they placed in us. It has been wonderful, but at least from now on people know that if they can’t make it to New Zealand they can buy with confidence in the comfort of their own home.”
With the yearling sales just round the corner, Seabrook is confident the Ready To Run has set a good precedent for future sales at Karaka.
“This sale will most certainly make the yearling sales more transparent than they have ever been as well and the pinhookers have been well-rewarded over the last few days and that will give them a lot of confidence going forward,” said Seabrook.
New Zealand-based purchasers accounted for 37 per cent of the turnover having bought 76 horses for NZ$6,516,000. Hong Kong-based purchasers meanwhile spent NZ$5,137,000 on 31 lots which accounted for 29 per cent of the aggregate.
