Bargains likely at Ashburton auction

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 39

Bargains likely at Ashburton auction

The possibility of picking up; a bargain seems to attract many! I persons to auction sales. And this certainly applies to the sixth ' annual sales of standardbred j yearlings and mixed stock to be , held at Ashburton on Friday, September 16. I The Ashburton sale is now an I annual affair. A sale had been i suggested for Mid-Canterbury, , but it was not until 1971 when i horses from the estate of the , late Mr Jim Donaldson were dis- ; persed, that a spring sale was i held In Ashburton. i The response — 47 of the 60 I lots offered were sold — ( influenced the auctioneers to , Introduce an annual spring sale. , I This year 59 lots are in the II catalogue and no doubt many will I be trying to pick out the bargain lots. It was in 1971 that one of the I biggest bargains of the sale went under the hammer. This was

I f inal Decision, which was sold I for $6OO. The free-legged freak ■ has taken a record of 1:53.6 and won close to $lOO,OOO. He could be seen in action again shortly in the United States. The same day saw a New Zealand Cup winner, James, also offered on behalf of the Donaldson estate, bought by Mr Alan Leavitt, of Lana Lobell Farms, Pennsylvania, for $lB,OOO. Mr Leavitt had a telephone connection to the sale ring and Mr R. C. J. Mac Kay, of Christchurch, did the bidding on his behalf. Bess Hanover, the winner of some $lO,OOO and six races, was the bargain of the first official spring sale at Ashburton when she was purchased for only $275. The following year Jillinda was sold for $3OOO. She went on to carry her winnings behind $17,000 from 10 wins and 24 placings before being retried to the stud. At the time she was considered a cheap buy as a stud; proposition.

i i Right Cos, which showed: (I splendid iorm late last season i'before being sold to the United., I 'States, cost only $175 at the 19741 ’sales. His two wins and four I; placings were worth $2090. Leanne’s Pride, sold for $750 in' 1 >11975. won $2555 before the end -I of the 197576 season, while > Legacy was sold for $lO5O a year - , later. He finished the 197 S-77 r season with four wins and nine - placings for $5505 before chang- . Ing hands again, this time going , to a North American buyer. Others to change hands at low f figures at the Ashburton sales s include Bettamoney, which cost I $175 in 1972; dopper Khan, i carrying Capper Hanover, sold . for $3OOO in 1973; while Johnny ; Lincoln changed hands for sBoo' > in 1974. I Othei-s to change hands at the ■ Ashburton sales include Poplar s Hanover, Dark Trouble. Primate. -IMutineer, Heldez and Ungava, as II well as a number of well-bred, 'broodmares.