Racing: Hot lot opens chequebooks

Two words rarely heard at a standardbred sale were ringing in Cran Dalgety's ears yesterday - stallion prospect.

They were one of the reasons the Canterbury trainer went to a sales-topping $155,000 to buy Elsu's half-brother at the Karaka sales.

Dalgety won a hot bidding war for the yearling, believing the syndicate of owners he put together would have the perfect safety net if the In The Pocket colt turns out not to be a champion like his brother.

"Worst-case scenario this horse has the bloodlines to make a stallion," said Dalgety.

"Elsu is going to get the chance to be a good stallion after what he has done on the track already and that means this colt should have residual value.

"Of course that is not the main reason we bought him. We bought him because he should be a top racehorse.

"But this family is so strong we have other options with him, and stallion prospects don't come along at the sales every day."

The $155,000 was one of the highest yearling prices ever paid at Karaka and if any yearling should be worth it, it was this colt, named Mombassa.

If Elsu wins the Interdominions at Alexandra Park next month the colt's value will increase without his even leaving his stable.

And his other half-brother is one of New Zealand's best three-year-olds, Revagain, who should win a group one race before season's end.

The colt was the firecracker needed to start the serious bidding at yesterday's sale, which had its customary slow beginning.

But once he went through as Lot 42, the chequebooks fell open and from that point on, colts were consistently fetching more than $30,000.

That meant the day finished with the expected increase of average, that figure reaching a record $24,637, up a staggering $4600 on last year.

That equated to a record turnover of $3,267,000, with an outstanding clearance rate of 83 per cent.

The increase was helped by the higher number of lots by hot stallions, spearheaded by supersire Christian Cullen, who was not a factor in last year's sale.

Even the smallest of the Christian Cullen colts went for good money and by the end of the sale buyers were climbing over one another for anything sired by the great horse.

Some of the older stallions struggled to compete with the hotshots, but there was good news for fans of former pocket rocket Courage Under Fire.

He had a good start to his sales ring career with one of his lots winning rave reviews.

Also happy will be local harness racing administrators. Most of yesterday's better-bred lots stayed in New Zealand. The Australian buyers on the whole were quiet.

Among the new buyers was one of the kings of Karaka, thoroughbred supremo Graeme Rogerson.

Rogerson purchased four lots to be trained by Mark Purdon, stepping somewhat into the sales-day void left by the death of Purdon's main owner, John Seaton.

Rogerson rang Purdon soon after Seaton's death in November and said he would like to buy some yearlings with him.

"We had always got on well on a casual level but Graeme has been very supportive and I am thrilled to have him in the stable," said Purdon.

Yesterday, as Rogerson made good on his promise, Purdon was walking with far more bounce in his step than he had throughout a horror summer.

He purchased six lots, making him one of the more prolific trainers on the day.

One of the highlights of the sale was the outstanding money for trotters, for so long the unloved babies of the standardbred sales fraternity.

After a slowish start the action went crazy when Buster Hanover's half-brother attracted the day's highest opening bid of $50,000.

That proved to be a masterstroke by trainer Errol Downey, scaring away all but one of his rivals.

Two bids later Downey, the trainer of former open class mare Sanchiola, had the Armbro Invasion colt for $60,000.

"I was prepared to go to $100,000," he added.

Nine lots later an SJs Photo filly from the same family went for $56,000.

Yesterday's sale left representatives of auctioneers Pyne Gould Guinness happy but not surprised.

"This was a very good sale but to be honest we expected that," said PGG spokesman Bruce Barlass.

"There was great money for good colts, particularly later in the sale, but we had real stallion depth here this year.

"But so there should have been, as the standard of the catalogue was very high and the presentation was superb. The vendors here have a lot to be proud of."

The sales move to Christchurch tomorrow for two more days of selling.

Record results

* Elsu's half-brother tops the annual Karaka yearling sales at $155,000.

* The sale had a record turnover, with its average up $4600 on last year.

* There was also surprisingly good money for trotting-bred lots.

* The sales move to Christchurch today.