The third day of this runaway, out-of-control machine known as the New Zealand Bloodstock National yearling sale seemed to take no notice of the fact most of the big gun buyers had left following the conclusion of the two-day Premier section of the auction. Bids went up without precedent on yet another record day. The 161 horses sold grossed NZ$10,774,000 and averaged NZ$66,919. The median was NZ$52,500.
And one of the international buyers, Patrick Biancone, remained while most left. He added two more handsome colts to his roster of three now from his trip down here. And both had very familiar U.S. pedigrees.
Biancone went to NZ$57,500 for a first crop son of former Vodafone Epsom Derby (Eng-I) and two-time John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) winner High Chaparral from the successful producer Ebony Heights. A winner herself, she has thrown two New Zealand winners thus far and this long rangy colt looks like he will need a bit of time before he makes his mark.
The other purchase made by Biancone was a chestnut colt by Lion Heart(Tale of the Cat — Satin Sunrise), whose debut crop are selling in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time at this sale. Biancone paid NZ$120,000 for the yearling from the group III-winning Sanction mare named Flapper. She has not been a great producer to date although she has produced two low key winners. However, Biancone liked this fellow, offered by Esker Lodge.
Top price on the day went to the bid of Kiwi Paul Breslan from Palmerston North, who shelved out NZ$230,000 for a filly by Lion Heart offered by Lyndhurst Stud.
This filly was from a King of Kings mare named Guinness who couldn't win a race and her two foals to race have produced just one winner. Yet her extended family includes Australian stars like champion broodmare Circles Of Gold and her group I-winning sire sons Elvstroem and Haradasun.
All up, New Zealand Bloodstock's marquee sale rampaged on further into the record books. The sires' figures from the first two days were released, too, and they were records as well. It helped Redoute's Choice enormously to get the top lot of the sale on day two at NZ$1,450,000, giving him the leading sire honors on average even though he had just three entries go through the ring. They were sold for an average of NZ$773,333 (approximately US$625,000).
Second on the sires' list, and the leading first season sire, was a Coolmore Stud stallion and one of the last truly great group I sprint winning sons of Danehill left, Fastnet Rock, whose first crop was in hot demand. The sire's 11 yearlings were sold for an average of NZ$385,455, including a top price of NZ$700,000 for the colt out of Affirmed Lane (by Affirmed), a half-brother to multiple group performer J'Adane. The grey colt was knocked down to the sale's second leading buyer, David Ellis of Te Akau Stud.
Zabeel ranked third with an average of NZ$366,799 form his staggering 47 yearlings that sold.
Day four is scheduled for Thursday at Karaka.