KIA-ORA STUD SALE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28893, 13 May 1959, Page 4

KIA-ORA STUD SALE

99 Lots Bring 125,045 Guineas (N.Z. Prest Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, May 12. Buyers yesterday paid 125,045gns for four stallions and 99 brood mares from the famous Kia-Ora Stud at Scone, Northern New South Wales. It was the biggest stud dispersal sale ever held in Australia. The 95 mares realised 99,395gn5. an average of 1057Jgns. Forty-five mares with foals averaged 1248gns and 46 dry mares averaged 849 2-3gns. Four stallions realised 25.650gn5. There was a crowd of 2000 on the property where the sale was held. The sale exceeded that of the equally famous Arrowfield Stud, where in 1924, 136 mares, 35 yearlings and the imported stallion Valais (14.400gn5) realised £86.864. Record For Stallion Yesterday Delville Wood (imp.), five times leading sire in Australia, was sold for 12.000gns. an Australian record for a stallion his age. Delville Wood is 16 years old. He was bought by Mr R. M. Bowcock for his Alabama Stud, which adjoins the Kia-Ora Stud property. Mr Norman Wheeler,- representing a newly formed Kia-Ora Stud, was the under-bidder. Mr Wheeler then bought the stallions' Double Bore (imp.) for 2500gns and Judicate (imp.) for 9500gns. The oldest progeny of Double Bore are now yearlings, and those of Judicate are three-year-olds. The Kia-Oda Stud was established by the late Percy Miller in 1912 and was continued as a family concern after his death a few years ago. To wind up the company the property and mares had to be offered for sale by auction. A new company in which Mr Norman Wheeler, a son-in-law of the late Percy Miller, his wife and her mother, Mrs M. Miller, are principals, will continue the Kia-Ora Stud activities. Last March Mr Wheeler bought the property for £128.000. N.Z. Interest In face of strong competition from New South Wales breeders and those from all other States and New Zealand, he bought 25 mares with foals and 21 dry mares for £67.725. Judicate for £9975 and Double Bore for £2625. With two mares bought from other vendors at the sale he spent £80.375. To retain the property and selected stallions and mares involved £208.375. Mr Wheeler paid the highest price. 4259gn5, for the Golden Gossop (Golden Cloud—Satiric), a bay colt by Delville Wood. He also paid 4000gns for the good race mare Brimses. and her first foal, a colt by Judicate.