KEY POINTS:
Auctioneers PGG Wrightsons have confirmed they have more Australian interest than ever before in the standardbred Ready To Run sale in Christchurch today.
And that includes plenty of trainers from New South Wales and Queensland, where EI has halted almost all harness racing.
With the Australian racing economy set to be devastated by the outbreak in those two states, it would have been understandable if Australian trainers were tightening their belts.
Instead, they now see New Zealand as one of the few places they can buy horses so they can be ready to attack when racing returns in their home states.
"The Australian interest has really blown us away," said PGG Wrightsons sales spokesperson Rachel Deegan.
"While this sale is getting more popular every year we didn't expect as much Australian interest as this.
"The Australian trainers are telling us they can't buy horses domestically because they can't be shipped interstate, so if they want new stock they had to come here.
"There are Queensland trainers here buying horses they will send to Victoria and race there until the racing bans is finished in their own state.
"And we have New South Wales trainers who want to buy horses, leave them here in New Zealand and then take them home when things return to being a little closer to normal over there."
Owners and trainers from the EI-hit states are complimented by those from Victoria and West Australia who want horses but can no longer buy them from New South Wales or Queensland.
With only 60 horses to go under the hammer today and New Zealand harness racing in the middle of a huge boom, prices should surpass last season's $30,600 average.
While the interest from Australia is surprising, so too, is the minimal interest from North Island-based buyers, especially with Alexandra Park stakes having undergone massive increases.
"We have a few northern trainers coming down but most of the domestic buyers will come from the south," said Deegan.
"I think that is just one of those things. Different people like buying different sorts of horses and we find a lot of the bigger northern trainers are yearling sales buyers, rather than ready to run regulars."
The horses in today's sale - all two-year-olds - were trialed over 800m six weeks ago, with PGG Wrightson sending out DVDs of their performances are well as posting them on the internet.
That gives potential buyers who don't want to attend the sale the chance to view the lots and bid on them via the phone.
"Because the sales are live on television we do get some people who will bid on the phone rather than take the day off to come down," said Deegan.
"But we are expecting a big day because the standard of horses is very, very high."
The ready to run sales have produced over 100 winners in just seven years and last season's most sought-after lot, Fiery Falcon, went on to star in the juvenile crop and win the Sires' Stakes Final before finishing second in the Harness Jewels.
The sale starts at 2pm and is live on Sky Sport 3.
