Savabeel, O’Reilly tops at RTR Sale

Waikato Stud stallions ended the two-day New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale as the leading sires by average. Savabeel had eight sold lots for $1,230,000 at an average of $153,750 while 11 two-year-olds by O’Reilly realised $1,555,000 at an average of $141,364.

Savabeel’s top lot was a son of the Danehill Dancer mare Chai Latte from the family of the Golden Slipper winner Burst. He went to the bid of the Queensland-based bloodstock agent John Foote for $260,000.

O’Reilly was responsible for the second-highest priced juvenile of the auction with a half-brother to the dual Group Three winner Floria (Savabeel) selling for $340,000. He was purchased by Bruce Slade’s Round Table Racing and James Harron Bloodstock. “He was our number one pick of the sale,” Slade said.

“He’s not only physical but we did a lot of stride analysis and he has a great gallop as well as probably the best pedigree in the Sale. He picked himself really. Thankfully we had enough to secure him. Gai Waterhouse will be training him. We will target three-year-old middle distance races in Australia with him as he fits into that category and the New Zealand-breds have it to themselves.”