Records tumble as Kilgravin soars with big pinhooking profits
$800,000 Harry Angel colt sets new high for NZB Ready to Run Sale
Kilgravin Lodge’s Eion Kemp had a day to remember at Karaka, producing a pinhooking masterclass during the first session of a frenetic day of trade at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.
The experienced Matamata-based operator sold the opening session’s two most expensive lots headed by a Harry Angel (Dark Angel) colt, who broke a sales record when selling for $800,000, while their son of Written Tycoon (Iglesia) made $725,000. They were also responsible for a Hellbent (I Am Invincible) gelding who sold for $425,000 during a day of trade which generated a new Karaka benchmark of $16.2 million.
Grossing $1.95 million in the sales ring yesterday, the trio two-year-olds cost Kemp and his partners a combined $320,000 at the yearling sales earlier this year and the monster returns were aided by an influx of buyers from Hong Kong and new investors from the northern hemisphere.
The Written Tycoon colt, who was offered as Lot 45, got the ball rolling for Kemp when UK-based Blandford Bloodstock set a new benchmark for Kilgravin Lodge with his $725,000 price tag, only for it to be bettered mid-afternoon by the son of Darley shuttler Harry Angel when purchased by Paul Chow of Tartan Meadow Bloodstock for $800,000.
Three lots later, Kemp then sold his Hellbent gelding to new Hong Kong trainer Mark Newnham.
Kilgravin Lodge, however, was not alone with the depth of competition for quality stock seeing seven two-year-olds change hands for $500,000 or more during the opening session. There were four sold at that mark and above on the corresponding day in 2022.
Among yesterday’s group to feature at the top-end of the market was a $580,000 I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) colt, who was traded by leading vendor Ohukia Lodge after securing him for $100,000 as a yearling, a son of Capitalist (Written Tycoon) for $550,000 and a Zoustar (Northern Meteor) colt who fetched $500,000.
The Contributer (High Chaparral) half-brother to Hong Kong’s champion sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (Lonhro) also made $550,000, selling to Australia-based trainers Bevan and Richard Laming and agent John White, while a second crop daughter of Waikato Stud’s Super Seth (Dundeel) out of Group 1 winner Perfect Fit (Elusive City) was bought by expatriate Kiwi trainer Paul Shailer for $525,000.
Agent Chow, the buyer of the day’s top lot, had to fight off fierce competition from respected rival John Foote to land the Harry Angel colt, who is the first foal out of the Group 3-placed Monrecour (Zacinto). The colt clocked 10.47 in his breeze.
“I bought him for a prominent Hong Kong owner who’s bought some expensive horses here in the past, but probably more yearling sales rather than breeze-ups,” Chow said.
“My client liked this horse a lot and really wanted to get him. I was on the phone with him. We knew it wasn’t going to be cheap at all, and we just decided as we went along.
“I think this horse is very well put together, well balanced and correct. He’s athletic enough as well, so there wasn’t much to fault him. His breeze-up was good and he vetted well.
“He’s got size and weight, which is important too, and he’s from the family that produced Fifty Fifty – a proven family in Hong Kong.
“He’ll stay in New Zealand to finish his education. He can mature and grow, strengthen a little bit, and then he will more than likely end up in Hong Kong if he measures up.”
Chow was one of many buyers who had to dig deeper than he originally intended because of the stiff competition.
“The market has been strong,” Chow said.
“A lot of buyers have come from Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association organised a group to come out here. More buyers means more competition, and the top end in particular has been very competitive.
“Part of the attraction is the success that horses from this sale have had in Hong Kong.”
European syndicate hoping for NZB jackpot
A syndicate of European owners launched their own significant initial foray into the southern hemisphere bloodstock market yesterday, stumping up $725,000 for colt by Yulong’s leading stallion Written Tycoon.
Hoping to cash in on the lucrative prize-money and trading opportunities available in Australia, Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman put together a syndicate of investors to target colts who potentially have the talent to deliver at the highest level on the track and in the breeding barn.
The fresh blood on the buying bench on day one at Karaka was a welcome addition in a strong market underpinned by Hong Kong owners and trainers.
The Written Tycoon colt, who was purchased by Kilgravin Lodge’s Kemp and UK agent Johnny McKeever for $90,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne, will join the stable of Annabel Neasham in Australia.
He is out of the stakes-placed mare Frompariswithlove (Smart Missile).
Boman and his Blandford Bloodstock colleague Richard Brown enlisted the assistance of Sydney-based agent Andrew Williams, who inspected the NZB horses on the respective farms and at last month’s breeze-up sessions at Te Rapa.
“I have been involved with a few purchases and advising a few clients from afar, but we wanted to take it to the next level this year and we’ve put a group together, which includes some European clients, to try and buy a couple with the intention of racing them in Australia,” Boman said from the UK, having successfully bid on the colt via NZB’s online portal.
“With the great prize-money available in Australia and the potential trade opportunities and a vibrant breeding industry, we’re looking at this colt in particular to hopefully get ourselves a potential stallion, which is what you hear at the yearling sales regularly and I often cringe when I read that.
Boman, who linked with Neasham to buy subsequent Australian Group 1 winner Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) as a tried horse in the UK and was busy buying horses in training at Arqana on Monday, added: “We stretched obviously, it was a big number for him, but we’ve learnt up here as well that when you get a horse that meets every hurdle and exceeds everything that we look for, you need to get on and buy them.”
Kilgravin’s Kemp was understandably delighted about achieving a huge financial windfall and a meritorious moment for his Matamata-based operation.
“Turning $90,000 into that sort of price is very hard to do, and we’re just stoked,” said Kemp, hours before creating further sales ring buzz.
“It’s a huge relief and we’re really excited about what we got for the horse. We were watching closely and I think we had four or five different bidders on him. Everyone had their fair shot at it. It was very exciting.
“We sold a Hellbent for $525,000 last year, but this just far surpasses that and it’s the highest price we’ve ever had.”
Kemp considers the colt, who was bred in Victoria by Morningside Park, as an “absolutely beautiful specimen”.
“His x-rays and scope were good. He had a beautiful walk on him, he’s balanced, nice and strong,” he said.
“You could tell that he still had some maturing to do, but he’s always had a massive stride on him.
“I know his stride stats were through the roof, and I think that’s what appealed about him for a lot of people.”
Boman revealed Blandford Bloodstock was following a similar blueprint in its southern hemisphere venture to what had served them well in Europe in conjunction with Newmarket trainer David Simcock.
“We bought the [2018] French Thousand Guineas winner called Teppal and, looking through the horses here, we also had Dream Ahead who came through the breeze-ups and was trained by David,” Boman said.
“He was a champion sprinter up here and obviously a stallion. There’s been others as well, [such as] Perfect Power, so we’ve built up a fairly good record up here at the breeze-up sales and hopefully we can bring a bit of know-how of how we do it up here.
“We are not arrogant in thinking we’re doing anything revolutionary, but we have confidence in what we do and we’ve got the people who want to back us and our opinion.”
Kilgravin sold seven of its ten lots offered yesterday for a combined $2, 287,500, recording a leading average of $326,786 and Kemp put the success down to his team behind the scenes and the assistance of agents McKeever and Waikato Bloodstock’s Bryce Tankard, the latter assisting in purchase the high-priced Hellbent two-year-old as a yearling.
Kemp said: “We started working with Johnny McKeever through Covid and had some good results buying weanlings with him. We’ve developed that relationship into a little bit more buying of Ready to Run horses too, and it’s worked out really well.”
Day one’s turnover was up $4.8 million on last year after 103 horses were sold at an average of $157,345, up 26 per cent on the corresponding day 12 months ago, while the median leapt from $80,000 to $90,000. The clearance rate was an improving 68 per cent, underlining the fact that the middle to lower end of the market proved tougher than the Hong Kong-inspired top end.
“We expected the middle market to be a little bit challenging, but we have seen Malaysia, the Kiwis and even the Australians buying at that level.
“Although it’s certainly not easy in the middle, it has been reasonably solid.”
NZB bloodstock sales manager Kane Jones admitted yesterday’s trade had gone above what the company had predicted leading up to the sale.
“We’ve been saying for the last few days and weeks that we’re thrilled with the buying bench assembled, particularly from Hong Kong which has been the strongest in recent times, if not ever, and to see 15 of the Hong Kong trainers here as well as permit holders and owners has been great and that’s reflected in the results certainly at the top end colts,” Jones told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“We’ve gone into the sale cautiously optimistic knowing that there was a solid buying bench assembled and quality horses on offer, but it has exceeded our expectations to see the median and the average well up on last year and the clearance rate solid and comparable to last year is very, very pleasing and heading in the right direction.”
Reflecting on Kilgravin Lodge’s success, Jones was rapt for Kemp and his wife Megan.
“I am absolutely thrilled for Eion and Megan,” he said.
“They’ve been great vendors and supporters of NZB for a good number of years now and they do a phenomenal job and, more importantly, they’re just wonderful people.”
Beatson celebrates good day of trade
Jamie Beatson’s Ohukia Lodge also enjoyed a stellar 20 minutes, selling an I Am Invincible colt to N and P Balia Family Trust for $580,000, before being well-rewarded later on in the day after his Capitalist colt sold to Hong Kong’s Wing Keung So for $550,000.
During that flurry of action, Adrian Stanley’s Woburn Farm parted with the half-brother to Manfred Man’s star sprinter Lucky Sweynesse, selling the son of Contributer for NZ$550,000 to the Lamings, who had earlier made a strong but unsuccessful play for the Written Tycoon colt.
The colt is the fourth foal out of Listed winner Madonna Mia (Red Clubs), a nine-time winner before being retired to stud.
“He’s a lovely colt. As soon as I saw him I loved him. I honestly thought he’d go for more, so I think he was good buying at that,” Richard Laming said.
“He breezed up well. He comes out of a good draft, one I have had a lot of luck with in the past, so he’s a pretty good horse to take home and syndicate.”
Laming’s confidence to go to more than half a million dollars was also bolstered by the fact he’d previously purchased Master Montaro (Toronado) from Woburn Farm for $300,000 at the 2018 Ready to Run Sale.
Master Montaro was subsequently sold to Hong Kong-based clients of trainer David Hayes for seven figures.
“If we took this horse home and won a race with him, he could certainly fit the bill for Hong Kong. It’s good to get him because we got beaten earlier, so we’re pretty happy.”
Waikato Bloodstock’s Tankard was also on the buying side yesterday, going to $500,000 for the Phoenix Park-consigned Zoustar colt, a $100,000 pinhook by Azzurro Bloodstock from Widden Stud’s draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, on behalf of a Hong Kong owner.
“He’s a lovely colt and the first time I saw him at the farm he stuck in my mind. I went home and that was all I was thinking of and I came up here today and he was the horse I wanted and I managed to get him,” Tankard said.
“It’s been a strong sale so far and I said before the sale started, ‘gee, I’m seeing a lot of nice horses’. They’re nice horses, we’ve had quite a few vetted and the vendors are being rewarded.”
Phoenix Park’s Janine Dunlop was pleased with their Zoustar colt and said they held the draft-topper in high regard. The youngster is the first foal out of Lombardia (Sebring), a placed sister to Group 3 winner Wu Gok and a half-sister to Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Levendi (Pierro) and Group 3 winner Marcel From Madrid (Sepoy).
“Our colt is probably, certainly equal to the most professional colt I have had through my drafts. His breeze up super but he took everything on board and never missed a beat. I can’t wait to see him race,” Dunlop said.
“We had a lot of agents looking and I knew he would make good money, but set a very reasonable reserve of $280,000. Job one is you have to get them on the market.”
The sale got off to a flying start after a Westbury Stud-bred and sold colt by resident sire El Roca (Fastnet Rock) sold for $400,000 to HY Cheng, a trainer at Selangor in Malaysia who was keeping his options open with his new acquisition.
Having clocked 10.4 seconds in his breeze, the colt is out of the unraced Daily River (General Nediym), herself a half-sister to Group 3-winning trio Kittens (Redoute’s Choice), Saint Encosta (Encosta De Lagoo) and Sheer Talent (Redoute’s Choice).
Hong Kong owner Yeung Kin Man, the smartphone billionaire who races the “Patch” horses, was active early in the session, going to $130,000 for a colt by Vanbrugh (Encosta De Lago) from Riverrock Farm for Windsor Park Stud and a Dubious (Not A Single Doubt) gelding for $340,000 from Riversley Park.
The Dubious two-year-old was a successful pinhook for Sam Beatson and his team having bought him for $70,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Murrulla Stud draft.
Yeung ended up buying five horses on day one.
Day two of the NZB sale starts at 11am NZ time.
Sale statistics – day one
2023 2022
Catalogued 190 170
Offered 151 139
Sold 103 (68%) 91 (65%)
Aggregate NZ$16,206,500 (+43%) NZ$11,329,500
Average NZ$157,345 (+26%) NZ$124,500
Median NZ$90,000 (+12.5%) NZ$80,000
Top Lot NZ$800,000 NZ$575,000
| Leading vendors by aggregate | |||
| Vendor | Sold | Average (NZ$) | Aggregate (NZ$) |
| Ohukia Lodge | 11 | 258,636 | 2,845,000 |
| Kilgravin Lodge | 7 | 326,786 | 2,287,500 |
| Riversley Park | 14 | 154,286 | 2,160,000 |
| Riverrock Farm | 10 | 125,000 | 1,250,000 |
| Kiltannon Stables | 7 | 151,429 | 1,060,000 |
| KB Bloodstock | 5 | 189,000 | 945,000 |
| Lilywhites Lodge | 6 | 143,333 | 860,000 |
| Westbury Stud | 10 | 84,500 | 845,000 |
| Woburn Farm | 4 | 187,500 | 750,000 |
| Pertab Racing | 6 | 94,167 | 565,000 |
| Leading vendors by average (with three or more lots sold) | |||
| Vendor | Sold | Average (NZ$) | Aggregate(NZ$) |
| Kilgravin Lodge | 7 | 326,786 | 2,287,500 |
| Ohukia Lodge | 11 | 258,636 | 2,845,000 |
| KB Bloodstock | 5 | 189,000 | 945,000 |
| Woburn Farm | 4 | 187,500 | 750,000 |
| Riversley Park | 14 | 154,286 | 2,160,000 |
| Kiltannon Stables | 7 | 151,429 | 1,060,000 |
| Regal Farm | 3 | 150,000 | 450,000 |
| Lilywhites Lodge | 6 | 143,333 | 860,000 |
| Riverrock Farm | 10 | 125,000 | 1,250,000 |
| Pertab Racing | 6 | 94,167 | 565,000 |
| Buyer | Bought | Spend (NZ$) |
| K M Yeung | 5 | 970,000 |
| Tartan Meadow Bloodstock/Andrew Williams Bloodstock | 1 | 800,000 |
| Shailer Racing Pty Ltd/Hughes Bloodstock | 3 | 785,000 |
| Laming Racing & John White Bloodstock | 2 | 750,000 |
| Blandford Bloodstock / Andrew Williams Bloodstock | 1 | 725,000 |
| HY Investments | 5 | 615,000 |
| N & P Balia Family Trust | 1 | 580,000 |
| Wing Keung So | 1 | 550,000 |
| S.R.O.A (Expoline) | 6 | 525,000 |
| Waikato Bloodstock | 1 | 500,000 |
| David Ellis | 3 | 470,000 |
| Leading sires by aggregate | ||
| Sire | Sold | Aggregate (NZ$) |
| Contributer | 6 | 1,035,000 |
| Zoustar | 2 | 900,000 |
| Harry Angel | 2 | 885,000 |
| Super Seth | 4 | 865,000 |
| El Roca | 4 | 810,000 |
| Justify | 3 | 800,000 |
| Written Tycoon | 1 | 725,000 |
| Charm Spirit | 5 | 705,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 1 | 580,000 |
| Proisir | 4 | 580,000 |
| Leading sires by average (with three or more sold) | |||
| Sire | Sold | Aggregate (NZ$) | Average (NZ$) |
| Justify | 3 | 800,000 | 266,667 |
| Super Seth | 4 | 865,000 | 216,250 |
| El Roca | 4 | 810,000 | 202,500 |
| Contributer | 6 | 1,035,000 | 172,500 |
| Ace High | 3 | 490,000 | 163,333 |
| Almanzor | 3 | 485,000 | 161,667 |
| Proisir | 4 | 580,000 | 145,000 |
| Charm Spirit | 5 | 705,000 | 141,000 |
| Ocean Park | 5 | 475,000 | 95,000 |
| Sweynesse | 3 | 245,000 | 81,667 |
| Buyer Location | |||
| Location | Bought | Spend (NZ$) | % share |
| HK | 25 | 5,945,000 | 37.1% |
| NZ | 26 | 3,540,000 | 22.1% |
| VIC | 16 | 2,215,000 | 13.8% |
| QLD | 5 | 1,535,000 | 9.6% |
| UK | 1 | 725,000 | 4.5% |
| MYS | 12 | 582,500 | 3.6% |
| NSW | 4 | 455,000 | 2.8% |
| WA | 2 | 385,000 | 2.4% |
| KOR | 6 | 310,000 | 1.9% |
| CHN | 2 | 210,000 | 1.3% |
| SGP | 1 | 120,000 | 0.7% |
| Top Lots | ||||||||
| Lot | Sex | Sire | Dam | Vendor | Purchaser | Location | Price (NZ$) | Breeze Up Time |
| 143 | c | Harry Angel | Monrecour | Kilgravin Lodge | Tartan Meadow Bloodstock/Andrew Williams Bloodstock | HK | 800,000 | 10.47 |
| 45 | c | Written Tycoon | Fromparis Withlove | Kilgravin Lodge | Blandford Bloodstock / Andrew Williams Bloodstock | UK | 725,000 | 10.56 |
| 107 | c | I Am Invincible | Lope de Lope | Ohukia Lodge Ltd | N & P Balia Family Trust | NZ | 580,000 | 10.47 |
| 114 | c | Capitalist | Madame Veuve | Ohukia Lodge Ltd | Mr. Wing Keung So | HK | 550,000 | 10.4 |
| 116 | c | Contributer | Madonna Mia | Woburn Farm | Laming Racing & John White Bloodstock | QLD | 550,000 | 10.49 |
| 175 | f | Super Seth | Perfect Fit | Lilywhites Lodge | Shailer Racing Pty Ltd/Hughes Bloodstock | QLD | 525,000 | 10.29 |
| 106 | c | Zoustar | Lombardia | Phoenix Park | Waikato Bloodstock | NZ | 500,000 | 10.37 |
| 146 | g | Hellbent | My Dear Friend | Kilgravin Lodge | Mark Newnham Bloodstock Pty Ltd | NZ | 425,000 | 10.73 |
| 1 | c | El Roca | Daly River | Westbury Stud | HY Investments | NZ | 400,000 | 10.4 |
| 80 | c | Savabeel | Joyous Thunder | Kiltannon Stables Ltd | Busuttin Racing Pty Ltd / Group One Bloodstock | VIC | 400,000 | 10.9 |
| 190 | g | Zoustar | Princess Of Queens | Riversley Park | Jamie Richards Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock | HK | 400,000 | 11.31 |