New Zealand buyers to the fore in May Premium Broodmare Sale on Gavelhouse Plus
The buying power of major Australian-based players has been an almost unstoppable force in securing well-bred and stakes-performed New Zealand mares in recent seasons, but this week’s May Premium Broodmare Sale on Gavelhouse Plus bucked that trend.
Five mares were offered on the online platform on Wednesday night and all five have been sold for a total of $1.73 million and an average price of $346,000. Four of the five mares were snapped up by New Zealand buyers.
The two top lots were black-type performers Rondinella and Sudbina, who were offered to dissolve the long-standing breeding partnership between Haunui Farm and Frantic Bloodstock. The quality duo are both in foal to the former Waikato Stud and now Coolmore stallion Super Seth, and they were bought for $600,000 and $575,000 respectively and are set to remain at Haunui Farm.
“It’s the end of a very successful partnership between Cathy Franich and ourselves,” Haunui’s managing director Mark Chitty said. “We bred some really nice horses together over a number of years, both on the racetrack and through the sale ring, but it’s come to an end now.
“I was delighted to have some new partners that wanted to come on board and continue our involvement with both Rondinella and Sudbina. They’re good people from within the industry, one an Australian client and one a New Zealand client, and I’m looking forward to working with them and continuing to breed from these lovely mares.
“We had to deal with some strong competition to buy both of them. When you’re going into an open market, you never really know what you’re opening yourself up for, and especially with high-quality mares from prolific families. Rondinella, of course, comes from our foundation family, while Sudbina is from a mare Paul Moroney bought for us out of Europe and has a great pedigree behind her as well. We thought the best way forward was to offer them for sale and let the market decide their value, and I’m thrilled that we managed to buy them both.
“The two mares know nothing about all of this going on, apart from the fact that they’ve been paraded a few extra times! So we’ll let them stay in their paddocks, eat grass and develop a couple of Super Seth foals that we’re really looking forward to, and then we’ll make other plans from there.”
The other mare offered by Haunui and Frantic Bloodstock was Tinnelly, an unraced half-sister to Sudbina, who was bought by Elsdon Park for $50,000.
“We wish them all the best with Tinnelly,” Chitty said. “I think her daughter Chilling Out is quite special. She’s a rising four-year-old mare who’s currently spelling here on the farm and looks super. She’ll go back into work in a fortnight and there’s a lot more ahead for her.
“Tinnelly is a half-sister to Sudbina and it was just a case of us not needing to have them both. I also think it’s always good when other New Zealand breeders get parts of the family, because they can do different things and take the families in new directions.
“For New Zealand buyers to come away with four of the five mares sold on Wednesday night was a great result for our industry.”
Glamour Tycoon, the dual stakes-winning daughter of Australian super sire Written Tycoon, was offered off the track by Marsh Racing and was purchased by Greg Tomlinson’s Nearco Stud for $375,000.
“She’s a very exciting addition to the Nearco broodmare band,” Tomlinson’s bloodstock consultant Patrick Cunningham said.
“One of the things that stands out to me about her is that she’s a lovely, sharp mover. She’s by an elite sire and is a type to match, as well as being a two-time stakes winner. We’re sure she’ll produce some lovely foals in time and we’re very excited.
“We thought she was good buying, and we’re thrilled not only to purchase her for Nearco, but also to keep her in New Zealand and as part of our gene pool here.
“I also think she was exceptional value given the current exchange rate. If you were trying to buy a stakes-winning mare by a champion sire off the track in Australia at the moment, you’d be hard-pressed to do it for anything like that amount, so it’s a very pleasing result.”
The Nearco team will take their time to make a decision on Glamour Tycoon’s first mating.
“Nearco has shares in a number of stallions that we can utilise, so we’re keeping our options open for now,” Cunningham said. “Written Tycoon is emerging as a fantastic broodmare sire, and he nicks well with the Redoute’s Choice line and Danehill line, so we’ll have a number of options to choose from.”
Group Two winner Hitabell was the only mare sold across the Tasman, secured by William Johnson Bloodstock for $130,000.
Gavelhouse Plus will offer another opportunity for breeders to bolster their broodmare bands with the 2026 NZB National Online Breeding Stock Sale in July. Entries for the sale will close on 16 June, with the catalogue online on Gavelhouse Plus on 26 June, bidding open from 5 July and bidding closing from 6pm (NZT) on Wednesday 8 July. - NZ Racing Desk
Waller wary of flying Jenni ahead of Cup quest
Chris Waller has run into Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) enough times to know that taking on the front-running mare will bring most horses undone, and leaving her to her own devices will play into her hands.
Finding a happy medium is something not even the champion trainer can attest to having conquered, but he is hoping one of his three Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) runners can strike that sweet spot on Saturday.
Waller will saddle up Birdman (Free Eagle), Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock) and Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park) in the race, Birdman getting closest to running down the Ciaron Maher-trained mare in the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) last start when he finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length.
"Trying to take on Pride Of Jenni… you've got to find the happy medium to make sure you're in a winning position, but at the same time still have something left to give at the finish," Waller said.
"How do I approach it? I just fully respect Pride Of Jenni. She is a good horse.
"I'd say there will be a couple of horses who can be right there and not far away. It will be interesting to see what Half Yours (St Jean) does. He's a Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner and I'm sure they'd love to challenge her and be a bit closer this time. Grahame Begg's horse (She's A Hustler (NZ) (Ace High)) is drawn to get a nice run.
"If we all ride our horses that touch closer, without taking Pride Of Jenni on but staying in contact with her, it gives every horse a chance. But if we let Pride Of Jenni get five (lengths) in front, they won't beat her."
Pride Of Jenni has firmed into $3.20 favouritism for the Doomben Cup, ahead of Half Yours at $3.60 and Birdman at $4.
Asterix, who has won both his starts from a spell, is a $14 chance while Kovalica is the outsider of the small field at $26.
Birdman is chasing his first win at the elite level and Waller is keen to see the track continue to improve to give the five-year-old his best chance.
The surface was rated heavy earlier in the week but had reached a soft 7 by Friday.
"Birdman needs the track to dry out a bit. I'd love it to get to a soft six or better because he's more effective on a good track, but his form is great," he said.
"Asterix is racing, I wouldn't say in career best form, but close to it. He's racing with confidence, and he will appreciate a strong 2000.
"Kovalica has run third in the race twice, and he ran okay in the Hollindale. He won the Q22 last year and he's on track for that again." - RAS NewsWire
Thebudgiesmugla ready to strut his stuff in staying test
His current connections can't lay claim to coming up with his name, but they are hoping Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) (Redwood) can continue making a name for himself as a stayer of promise.
The former New Zealander rises to 2400 metres for the first time this preparation in Saturday's Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation Handicap at Randwick, striving to maintain his unbeaten record over the journey.
The five-year-old won his only two 2400m runs at Rosehill in the spring and trainer Bjorn Baker's racing manager, Luke Hilton, said his last start fifth over 2100m at Gosford suggested the horse was ready to peak.
"His run was full of merit at Gosford. He got taken on early when they made some mid-race moves and he was still pretty tough second-up," Hilton said.
"He gets out to 2400, it's his ideal distance and some cut in the track will definitely bring him into it."
Thebudgiesmugla arrived in Sydney late last year after being purchased out of New Zealand by syndicators Darby Racing, a formula they've used successfully in the past with the likes of Goldman (NZ) (Verdi) and Campaldino (NZ) (Ghibellines), who both started their careers across the Tasman.
Hilton says the name suits the horse, even if it wasn't his current ownership group that came up with it.
"He's a cool horse and Darby does an amazing job when they find the tried horses," he said.
"He came across with the name, but it's a great name and it will get a bit of a cult following, hopefully."
If Thebudgiesmugla can continue to take the right steps, Hilton confirmed a rise to stakes company could be on the cards in the near future.
"Bjorn put him away with the idea of being back around winter time and maybe having a look at Queensland," Hilton said.
"We'll see how he goes on Saturday. There are a lot of nice options for him, and if it's not this preparation, it might be into the spring in a staying race."
Thebudgiesmugla will be among four Randwick runners for Baker along with Amazing Eagle (Capitalist) and Snack Bar (Frosted) in the Uphire Handicap (1000m) and Mawjood (Tassort) in the final race.
Baker has an uncanny knack for winning the final event on the card and after three solid runs from a spell, Mawjood is expected to be competitive.
"We've kept him sharp for those first few and given him a good grounding," Hilton said.
"Winkers go back on Saturday and he's ready to peak. He enjoys wet ground as well so if he can get his toe in it will help." - RASNewswire
Paul Vettise
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
