KEY POINTS:
New Zealand Bloodstock's annual Ready to Run sale of two-year-olds made a strong start at Karaka yesterday with results showing further growth on last year's record sale.
The average price of $58,508 paid for 203 lots was up $10,000, or 21 per cent, from the same point in the sale last year.
The highlight came in the first hour when the Zabeel colt from Carnegie mare Carnegie Hikari, a half-sister to group one Queensland Oaks winner Vouvray, was knocked down to John White Bloodstock for $310,000 - the fourth highest lot sold in the sale's history.
Phoenix Park, the leading vendor yesterday with eight horses sold for an average of $153,125, has another eight horses scheduled to go through the ring today.
New Zealand buyer David Ellis topped the buyers' list yesterday. His four purchases for $750,000 included a top price of $250,000 for the Encosta de Lago filly out of Danehill mare Crystalina.
Also prominent in the day's results were Willie Leung's Magus Equine, Mick Dittman, Jerry Sung, Dean Wiles and the Korean Racing Association, which purchased 14 two-year-olds.
- NZPA
