Situated in the lush countryside of the Waikato region, Pencarrow Stud was established by international businessman Sir Peter Vela.
Developed in tandem with his late brother Philip, the pair created a legacy for their families and the New Zealand thoroughbred industry through years of dedication, passion and expert judgement.
Fashioning some of the best thoroughbred families in New Zealand over the past four decades, Pencarrow Stud’s famed family of Group Three winner Richebourg, Group winning daughters Grand Echezeaux and Romanee Conti, and the latter’s champion racemare Ethereal continues to pay dividends for the breeding operation.
The draft of 17 yearlings for next week’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales at Karaka features 12 colts and five fillies and stud manager Leon Casey is pleased with the offering.
“They have settled in well and there is a good range of horses,” Casey said. “There is something for everybody and they have all thrived in the last month or so.”
“It has been a good year and they have all finished off well.”
While there is a good balance of Australian and New Zealand sires represented, in addition to new and proven sires, Casey pinpoints a colt and filly that are sure to attract plenty of attention.
“I think the American Pharoah out of Posavina would be our best colt and the Snitzel out of Echezeaux would probably be the best filly.
“There have been a few people that have seen the American Pharoah colt that compared him favourably to those that sold on the Gold Coast. He is a big, strong horse with a lot of quality.”
An American Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah’s first southern hemisphere crop proved popular at the Gold Coast Yearling Sales, with the sire easily leading all first crop sires by average with his 20 yearlings sold on the Gold Coast averaging $350,000, the fourth highest overall among all sires with three or more sold.
Meanwhile, the Snitzel filly out of stakes placed Encosta de Lago mare Echezeaux looks to be an opportunity to buy into the Richebourg family.
“The cross of Snitzel and Encosta de Lago has been very good,” Casey said.
“We actually lost a filly that we were going to sell. There are so many criteria that you have got to meet now, that it is very difficult to do it with colts only. If you are going to sell fillies, you’ve obviously got to sell very good fillies.
“I think the Snitzel filly will be on any lists of those looking for a quality filly with plenty of residual breeding value.
“I think the significant thing with that family is every bit of black-type on that page was put there by Pencarrow Stud, with one direct exception, and that is a filly that we sold to Westbury through our yearling draft. She produced Bellini Rose, a Group Two winner, who produced Howard Be Thy Name, a Group One Derby winner.
“It has been such a great family and we have already shown that others can buy into the family and have success.”
