CAUTIOUS BUYERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1940, Page 14

CAUTIOUS BUYERS.

TRENTHAM SALES. * . MANY OFFERINGS PASSED. RETURN OF .28,410 GUINEAS. • - (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. "Come, gentlemen, 500 guineas. Well then, set mo aliglit. What about 200? You know lie's worth every penny of 500."

But all blandishments of the auctioneer, Mr. C. E. Robertson, failed to liven up the 14th annual yearling sale held at Trentham yesterday, and from the outset buyers were cautious.

Late in the afternoon came a ray of sunshine to rival the brilliant conditions overhead. An upstanding daYk bay colt bv Bulandshar, from the Tea Tray mare Tea Tattle, offered on behalf of Mr. A. W. Meikle, of Hastings, attracted the attention of buyers who were evidently on the lookout for another High Caste. This youngster was started at 300 guineas, and when 'bidding had risen quickly to 600 guineas, Mr. C. Wheeler, of Adelaide, bumped it to 1000 guineas. Bids came quickly, but Australia won when Mr. Wheeler silenced the opposition by jumping from 1800 to 2000 guineas. Though there were inevitably weak links in the chain of youngsters offering, many good sorts went at bargain prices. "Good gracious, you have a spending Government in power, so why are you fellows so tight?" asked Mr. Robertson early in the sale. "You fellow* must be thinking too much about income tux payments, but if you buy a yearling to-<lav the Government will let you spread payments over the year." he exhorted. But it was useless. Kitlier money was not available or those who had it were not in a spending mood. Towards the end of the sale Australian buyers, who had been paying little attention, began to take a hand seriously in the proceedings, and the average went up quickly, finally ending with a return of 28,410 guineas for 133 lots sold. Nearly half the entries were either passed in or withdrawn. .