Record entries for 15th S.I. Bloodstock Sale

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 24

Record entries for 15th S.I. Bloodstock Sale

By

W. R. CARSTON

• It is only a matter of weeks now before the hopes of vendors preparing a host of young thoroughbreds for the market will either be realised or dashed. It will all be happening when the fifteenth annual South Island Bloodstock Sale .is held in Christchurch during Grand National week.

Without allowing for the possibility of withdrawals meantime the number of entries for the sale this year represents a record. The catalogue, comprising yearlings, two-year-olds, broodmares, untried and racing stock, will have an offering of 198 lots. But. if the usual trend follows this number will be considerably reduced by sale day. Last year 188 lots were listed in the catalogue but withdrawals reduced that number to an offering of 162 and of that total only 120 changed hands. As always, the vendors and the auctioneers will be hoping for a record sale and the buyers will be hoping to make their purchases at realistic, instead of inflated, prices. If vendors are prepared to meet the market, as they did last year, instead of placing unrealistic reserves on stock the chances are that the aggregate this year will be close to, or even pass, the $500,000 mark.

There is always strong demand for the well-bred, well-presented youngsters and if the market remains as buoyant and the buyers as active this year as they were 12 months ago no-one will be surprised if records are established.

Current inflationary trends certainly have a bearing on records and in recent years fresh figures seem to have come up annually. The current record price for the sales was established 12 months ago when two three-year-old daughters of the South Island’s boom sire, Noble Bijou, each changed hands for $35,000.

It is hard to predict at this early stage about the probabilities of a' new record this year but if the demand for the stock of the Otago-based Noble Bijou, and particularly his daughters, is as strong again, competition among buyers to secure them is bound to be keen enough to

make the prospect of a “new high” more than just a possibility. Buyers seeking to purchase’ members of the Noble Bijou tribe will have limited opportunities. No more than six have been entered for the sale and four of them are fillies.

Noble Bijou will be represented by two fillies and a colt in the two-year-old section of the catalogue and it is from among this group that the top-priced lot might emerge.

The Noble Bijou filly likely to attract most attention is a bay out of the Sky Hawk II mare, Princess Camille. Her race-winning dam is a halfsister to Anita Kay, winner of 11 races, and is a. close relation to the well-per-formed Greek Magic. This youngster’s half-sister, by Trelay, was sold for $BOOO at last year’ sale. The other Noble Bijou youngsters in the two-year-old section are a filly, also a bay, out of, the Lomond mare, Innisheer, and a bay colt out of Sheoughto., This colt is a brother to Jo Oughto, which has already shown much promise in the little racing he has done as a two-year-old this season. Other sought-after lots among the fillies in the two-year-old section are likely to be a half-sister, by Palatable, to the useful sprinter-miler, Shardak, a half-sister, by Imperial Guard, to the brilliant but ill-fated Bell Flight and a daughter of Palatable and Most. This youngster is a half-sister to the Riccartontrained stayer, Firefly. A colt by Native Turn out of Trelesse, a sister to Trelay, is sure to come in for his share of attention and the same will apply to an English Harbour—Anaglow colt. This youngster is out of a winning full sister to Analie, the winner of 16 races and $161,510 in Australia.

Altogether 91 two-year-olds and 38 yearlings are among this year’s sales entries.

Among the yearlings almost certain to attract strong bidding is a halfsister, by Beaufort Sea, to the Australian winners, Owhata Son and Lord Biijou, a half-sister, by King’s Palace, to the smart Winga-tui-trained two-year-old, Queen's Pal, and a Sovereign

Edition — All Spice colt. This youngster is from the family which has produced a host of top winners, among them his third dam, Hush Money. For those whose pockets do not go deep enough to enable them to speculate on the “top shelf” lots there will be plenty of opportunities to bid for the stock of a host of proven sires and, no doubt,

there will be some well within reach of the bargain hunters. And among buyers there are always some who like to gamble on making a prime selection from the stock of a sire being represented by his first crop in the sale ring. Sires in that category this year are Claudio Nicolai, Greek Magic and Butty.