National Online Breeding Stock Sale live on Gavelhouse Plus

[Wandering Eyes]

The 2023 National Online Breeding Stock Sale is now live online on Gavelhouse Plus, with 54 lots on offer.

Bidding is set to open on Friday 7^th July and will close from 7pm (NZT) on Wednesday 12^th July.

The catalogue is comprised of a mix of young and proven mares, along with shares in stallions Per Incanto and Vadamos.

One of the many notable lots in the catalogue is Prima Donna, who is a winning half-sister to outstanding three-year-old filly Prowess.

Trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Prowess has won seven of her nine starts including the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m), the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) and the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m).

Prima Donna and Prowess are both daughters of the Don Eduardo mare Donna Marie, who is the dam of four winners from four foals to race. She is also the dam of stakes-placed Foxwedge mare Ajay Tee,  who was third in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1600m).

A daughter of Super Easy, five-year-old Prima Donna was retired from racing this month as a winner and five-time placegetter.

“Her future was always going to be as a broodmare, and we had been planning to retire her from racing by the end of this season,” part-owner Tim Ford said.

“With everything that her half-sister Prowess has achieved over the last few months, this sale really became the perfect opportunity to put her on the market.

“She comes from a very nice family. Prowess has had an outstanding season, while Ajay Tee has performed up to stakes level as well. She also has a full-brother called Diamond Ring who has won three races in Singapore. It’s a good-quality page that’s probably going to continue to get better.

Ticket To Ride (inside) gets the better of Belle Fascino in the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m)
Photo: Race Images Christchurch

“She had her share of ability as a racehorse herself, which she showed when she won a maiden race at Wingatui by eight and a half lengths last year.

“She was a bit picky in terms of track conditions and probably didn’t achieve all that she should have – she certainly had the potential to win a couple more races. But when everything went her way, she was pretty good.”

Meanwhile, the sale of the stakes-winning mare Ticket To Ride marks the end of a special era.

The daughter of Shocking is being sold on behalf of the estate of the late Peter Setchell, who bred a remarkable number of top-line performers including Australian Horse of the Year Red Anchor and fellow multiple Group One winner Oopik.

“This brings to a close the breeding career of Peter Setchell, who bred an unusually high number of quality horses over the years, headed by the likes of Red Anchor,” Don Crawford said.

“He enjoyed outstanding success as a small breeder during what would have to be classed as a golden age of New Zealand thoroughbred breeding.

“This is the last horse to be sold from his estate, so it brings the curtain down on a highly distinguished breeding career.”

Ticket To Ride won nine races, headed by the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), and placed on another 16 occasions.

Her third dam is multiple Grade One winner Blush With Pride, an outstanding producer as the dam of five stakes performers including Smolensk, Fire Thunder, Better Than Honour, Turnberry Isle and Maryinsky. She is also the ancestress of Group One winners Peeping Fawn, Rags To Riches, Paris Lights, and Thewayyouare.

Having produced a colt foal by Proisir in 2021 and a filly by Ardrossan last spring, Ticket To Ride is again in foal to the high-flying Proisir.

The Rich Hill Stud stallion has sired five individual Group One winners this season and holds an unassailable lead on the New Zealand sires’ premiership. His service fee for the upcoming breeding season has been set at $70,000 + GST.

In addition to Proisir, other covering sires featuring in this catalogue include Armory, Captivant, Circus Maximus, Eminent, Hello Youmzain, Ocean Park, Satono Aladdin, Savabeel, Showcasing, Sword of State, Tarzino, Time Test, Tivaci, Turn Me Loose, Vadamos and Zed.

New Zealand Bloodstock’s team of agents will be working their way through inspections throughout the coming week and will be able to provide assessments in due course.

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