Successful Sales Predicted

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31230, 30 November 1966, Page 5

Successful Sales Predicted

(Aeu? Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON

A Le Filou-Pink Lady colt is expected to realise near the record price of SOOOgns at the 1966/67 National Yearling Sales to be held at Trentham on January 19, 20 and 24.

The colt is a three-quarter ’ blood brother to Light ; Fingers, winer of last year’s Melbourne Cup and second in > this year’s race. Another glamour entry will be an Alcimedes—Galston colt which is a full brother

to Galilee, winner of this year’s Melbourne Cup. About 100 Australian visitors are expected at the sales this year, according to the bloodstock manager of Wright, Stephenson, Ltd. (Mr D. M. Floyd).

Buyers will be offered 461 lots, compared with 508 last year, when there was a 14 per cent drop in aggregate turn-over. Australian buyers then spent 150,000gns less than they did in the record year of 1965 when 353 lots fetched 369,691gn5. Mr Floyd expects keen bidding from the Australians at the sales. “Effects of the drought in New South Wales and South Australia are definitely over,” he said. “Because of this, and because of the phenomenal success of New Zealand-bred horses in Australia this year, I am sure the Australian contingent will be as large as ever.”

Last season, New Zealandbred horses racing in Australia won 845 races and 1,200,490 dollars in stakes. This was second only to ' the 1964-65 record total of i 1,219,144 dollars and was the fourth consecutive season in which New Zealand-breds won stakes of more than a ! million dollars. “I think Agricola and Alcimedes have now ably proved to the Australians that they can take the place of Summertime and Le Filou,” said Mr Floyd. Alcimedes, sire of this year’s Caulfield and Melbourne Cups winner, Galilee, has 12 colts and six fillies in the sale, one of the colts being a full brother to Galilee. Agricola, the sire of three Derby winners in Australia and New Zealand and of a winner of the South Australian Oaks, has six colts and six fillies in the sale. Le Filou, the leading sire of winners for Australia and New Zealand in 1965-66, will be represented by three fillies and 10 colts, among them the glamour entry from Pink Lady. The sire of 11 Australian classic winners, Summertime, will be represented by six colts and four fillies. Mr Floyd said the auctioneers were expecting buyers from the United States and the Philippines, as well as from Australia. They also hoped for more purchases from South Africa, where a Summertime—Joyita filly, Thelowes, won the Stewards’ Plate over five furlongs lat Greyville, Durban, earlier I this month.