More than 250 two-year-olds are set to go under the hammer at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale this week.
Despite the challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic requiring the auction to be moved to a virtual format, vendors are feeling positive ahead of the sale.
Phoenix Park, who have produced five individual Group One winners from the sale, will offer eight horses this week with farm principal Janine Dunlop buoyed by the amount of interest shown in her draft.
“I have found the build up to the sale really positive,” she said. “We have had plenty of people through and all the horses have been given a good opportunity. We have had a lot of double and triple lookers.
“I haven’t been as busy on x-ray reports before. It is a bit hard to gauge not being up there (Karaka) as to whether it is the quality of horse or people doing their due diligence.”
Dunlop has been fielding calls from prospective buyers and felt the new-look format would benefit bloodstock agents who would be extending their network with offshore buyers unable to attend.
“I think it is a good opportunity for bloodstock agents to gain new contacts,” she said. “The phone has been going red hot from people in Australia and offshore asking about particular lots.
“People who have bought horses off me before or have been underbidders have been ringing.
“People are coming out of the woodwork and the interest is there. It is not only the Phoenix Park brand but also the New Zealand brand as well, there is a lot of positivity there.”
Another seeing the silver lining in the situation is Woburn Farm’s Adrian Stanley who will offer 18 horses over the two days of selling.
He said border restrictions requiring on-farm inspections rather than at the Karaka complex had allowed the horses to showcase themselves in a familiar setting.
“The horses are in their own environment and are pretty relaxed when they are parading so the buyers get to see the best of them when viewing them at home,” Stanley said.
“It has been a bit different trying to put all the pieces together, but it is working out well so far.
“We have great local agents to help out the international buyers.”
Woburn Farm are regularly in the top 10 vendors and Stanley said they would again present a strong draft with horses to suit the market that would hopefully go on to perform on the racetrack.
“I would call it a real solid draft of horses,” he said. “They could all be top horses on the track and that’s my honest opinion.
“They are all in different price ranges. We have been pretty strict on selection this year and they are all pretty nice put together horses that I think will perform well on the track.
“That is the main goal for us, getting these horses out on the racetrack and carrying on the name.”
The 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale gets underway from the virtual sale ring at Te Rapa racecourse tomorrow (Wednesday November 17) at 1pm and continues on Thursday.
This year’s broadcast will be available to view on Freeview Channel 200 for those located in New Zealand, as well as the usual live stream to New Zealand Bloodstock’s website and facebook page for international audiences.
