Berkley Stud again dominant at South Island Sale Sat, 11 Aug 2012
Berkley Stud has again dominated proceedings at the New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale, taking top price as well as leading the aggregate and average tables at yesterday’s annual event.
The draft prepared by Edwina Morris and Alan Jones was headed by an O’Reilly-Lady Chanele colt, a brother to triple stakes-winning and Group One-placed racemare Ombre Rose. Offered by his breeders Sheldon Murtha and Michael House, he was knocked down to Hong Kong newcomer Nestor Chan at $145,000.
That was clearly the top price of the sale, with the next highest $85,000 for gelding by Falkirk from Flytaine and thus a half-brother to the stakes winner Mercury Mistress. Offered by another Canterbury operation, Mansfield Farm, he was also purchased by Chan, who added to his shopping basket with the Keeper-Laurel gelding at $7,000.
For the eighth year running Berkley Stud topped the sale aggregate, this time with 15 lots for $338,500. The $22,567 average also topped that table.
O’Reilly headed the sires’ averages at $54,367 for his three lots totalling $163,100. Berkley’s young sire Coats Choice was next best at an average of $13,058 for 13 lots sold.
The major two-year-old section of yesterday’s sale resulted in 97 lots sold from a catalogue of 156 for a clearance rate of 70%, down from 77% in 2011. There were comparative drops in the average ($11,872 versus $13,139), aggregate ($1,151,600 versus $1,261,350) and median ($7,500 versus $10,000).
