KEY POINTS:
A New Zealand record price for a standardbred colt was paid for a Christian Cullen yearling at the New Zealand Premier Sales in Christchurch yesterday.
The colt was purchased for $250,000 by Manawatu owner-breeder Brian Field and the horse will initially enter the Palmerston North stable of Stephen Doody.
The price is also highest for any standardbred yearling for 25 years when two fillies fetched $360,000 and $345,000 in the halcyon days of the New Zealand sharemarket boom.
The two days in Christchurch saw 297 lots sold for an aggregate of $8.5 million, compared with $8.03 million last year when 312 lots were sold.
Christian Cullen was easily the leading sire. He had 34 lots sell for an average of $63,809.
Graeme Rogerson was easily the leading buyer, purchasing 12 yearlings for a total of $550,000.
Bruce Barlass, of auctioneers PGG Wrightson, said the average price for the two days was $28,500, a healthy increase on last year's average of $25,700.
The median price of $20,000 was also slightly up on last year. A second-tier sale will be held today.
- NZPA
