Paul Moroney Brings Top Bid During Karaka Session

Rich Hill Stud sires stole the show on the second day of Book 2 selling at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale Jan. 30 as colts by first-season sire Vadamos and dual-group 1 runner-up Proisir topped proceedings, selling for NZ$185,000 (US$120,746) and NZ$180,000 respectively. 

International bloodstock agent Paul Moroney has been particularly taken by the progeny of Rich Hill's new group 1-winning resident Vadamos, securing the session-topping Lot 859, a colt out of the well-related mare Silke Top.  

"Vadamos is an internationally bred and performed horse," Moroney said. "He's top class from a Monsun line, which I am a great fan of. They have been really good types across the board. 

"I rated this horse as the best mover I saw on the sales ground of any sale across the board," he continued. "He just used himself everywhere. He's medium-sized, but he's balanced and just had great shoulder movement. He used his hindquarters and he was clean and correct. He's just a gorgeous colt."

The colt will remain in New Zealand under the care of Paul Moroney's brother Michael at his Matama Stables, and the bloodstock agent believes he could be a horse for the Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (G1) or Vodafone New Zealand Derby (G1) in time. 

"He has been bought for Mike's New Zealand stable, and he will go into the system there," Paul Moroney said. "I think he could get up and make an autumn 2-year-old and potentially be a Guineas and Derby horse. That's what he struck me as, and he will get every opportunity to get there."

Moroney said he had been impressed by a number of first-season sires at Karaka but none more so than Vadamos and Waikato Stud's Tivaci.

"Vadamos and Tivaci are the two who have impressed me the most. Both are leaving good-bodied, athletic horses," he said. "Tivaci is leaving big, strong horses that trainers should be able to train, while Vadamos is leaving slightly more elegant types with a bit more European quality about them." 

Offered by Valachi Downs, the colt is the fourth foal out of the winning mare Silke Top, who is out of stakes winner Zaza Top (Lomitas), making her a half sister to champion 3-year-old and champion older male in Germany, Zazou. 

"Kevin (Hickman) is a major shareholder in Vadamos and encouraged Rich Hill to bring him to New Zealand," said Brent Schumacher of Valachi Downs. "To stand a stallion in Germany is a tough and rigorous process. Stallions have to be perfect to stand there. We are also really pleased for Rich Hill.

"This colt would not have looked out of place in Book 1 but in Book 2 was a standout. We are pleased that decisions we made in 2017 have panned out, and this sale confirms them."

Goldsburys Celebrate Proisir Pinhook

The second-top lot on Day 2 of Book 2 at Karaka was a Proisir colt, who is set for a career in Hong Kong after being purchased by Upper Bloodstock for NZ$180,000. 

It was a terrific result for pinhookers Anne and David Goldsbury of Beckam Equine. They bought the colt as a weanling for NZ$40,000 ($26,144) at the Karaka May Sale. 

"Me and my husband, David, are simply delighted with how the sale went," Anne Goldsbury said. "The colt is the only lot we brought to the sale, and the price was unexpected. We thought from the interest that he might make close to $100,000. He has been a lovely colt all the way through. We bought him here last May. He can be a little too clever for his own good sometimes but has a nice temperament."

The colt is the first foal out of the winning mare Works Wonders, who is out of stakes-placed Flowers, making her a half sister to group 2 runner-up Buffett.

"He is a lovely type with lots of quality," said Ross Lao of Upper Bloodstock. "He really stood out in Book 2, and I actually thought he should have been in Book 1. He will stay here for another 12 months with Ben Foote, who will get him educated in trials, and then go to Hong Kong. 

"He hasn't yet got an owner or trainer yet, but we will soon find out if he is any good. A lot of people liked him in the ring. Everyone is on the same horses, but that was nearly our budget."

With one more Book 2 session to go at Karaka, Highview Stud leads vendors by aggregate, selling 16 horses for NZ$732,000.

The average has increased from Day 1 with the current figure at NZ$37,353, but that metric is still down 5% from last year's average of NZ$39,606 as turnover has reached NZ$7,993,500. 

A total of 214 of 473 lots have sold at a clearance rate of 68%, down from last year's clearance rate of 73%.