NZ HARNESS NEWS
Five hundred yearlings are set to go under the hammer at New Zealand Bloodstock’s first series of new standardbred sales next year.
The cross-code auction house has attracted the widespread support of the country’s standardbred yearling vendors since opening entries for its Karaka and Christchurch sales in February next year.
New Zealand Bloodstock managing director Andrew Seabrook said his staff were working through around 500 sales entries.
That bumper number looks set to eclipse the total of 478 yearlings that were carded for last year’s yearling sales conducted by PGG Wrightson.
“I am excited that we have got the support of 99% of the industry, it has been overwhelming,” Seabrook said.
New Zealand Bloodstock opened a standardbred office in Christchurch recently at the same site as Harness Racing New Zealand’s head office.
Its staff have already inspected many of the yearlings nominated for its sales.
The company’s next focus would be to engage with overseas and domestic buyers.
“The next few months we will be concentrating on the buyers,’’ Seabrook said.
“Our main focus now will be going out and selling the story in Australia and then also obviously instilling a bit of confidence in the Kiwi buyers and trainers and getting alongside them.”
What race series riches the yearlings that will be sold at next year’s sales will contest is unknown.
Seabrook confirmed there will be New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sales races across numerous age-groups and gaits for horses bought at the sales.
New Zealand Bloodstock is in ongoing talks about the details of those races with the New Zealand Sires Stakes Board.
“We are keen to enhance it,” Seabrook said.
“Certainly, the aim is to make it better.
“We think the scheme is a little bit complicated with different payments here and there, so we have given them some ideas to try to make it better and have canvased buyers.”
One new initiative likely to be included was the ability to nominate weanlings sold at mixed-age sales for the series.
“We are keen to make the weanlings includable on a voluntary basis,” Seabrook said.
New Zealand Sires Stakes Board Executive Secretary Doreen Graham said her organisation was hopeful negotiations could be finalised soon for it to administer New Zealand Bloodstock’s future sales series races.
The organisation will also continue to administer PGG Wrightson’s sales series races for the next two seasons, she said.
- NZ Harness News
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