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52 mares, of which 38 are in foal, launched on Wednesday on Gavelhouse Plus
Due to a recent decision to consolidate numbers, Waikato-based nursery Valachi Downs is represented by 52 lots in a stand-alone unreserved reduction auction which launched today on Gavelhouse Plus.
"Kevin and Jo Hickman are refocusing Valachi Downs as a more private and smaller nursery running closer to 75 mares and the racing stable with the same goal of producing, selling and racing elite racehorses," Valachi Downs' general manager Gareth Downey said.
"We have put some nice bloodstock up for auction with the in-foal mares, I believe, having all been suitably mated and we will be eager to hear of the resulting foals.
"We have managed to retain a connection to most of the bloodlines on offer and will look forward to these families excelling both for the purchasers' benefit and ours at Valachi."
Of the 52 mares being sold, 38 of them are in foal with covering sires including Belardo (Lope De Vega), Contributer (High Chaparral), Redwood (High Chaparral), Savile Row (Makfi), Ten Sovereigns (No Nay Never), Time Test (Dubawi), U S Navy Flag (War Front), Vadamos (Monsun), Vespa (Elusive City), War Decree (War Front) and Zacinto (Dansili) while there are ten mares offered with foals at foot by Almanzor (Wootton Bassett), Eminent (Frankel), Reliable Man (Dalakhani), Vadamos, Vespa, War Decree and Zacinto.
Highlight lots include:
Lot 2 - Amisfield, a daughter of Savabeel (Zabeel) out of Sapphire Belle (Danske), dam of multiple stakes performer Merion (O'Reilly). In foal to Vadamos.
Lot 13 - offered in foal to U S Navy Flag and with a Reliable Man colt at foot, Curraghmore Girl (Duke Of Marmalade) is out of Distinctly (Sadler's Wells) and her second dam is Grade 1 winner Infamy (Shirley Heights) who produced 11 winners including four stakes winners.
Lot 21 – a winner of two whose third dam is the blue-hen mare Habibti (Habitat), Hayley Ann (Keeper) is out of the Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare Proustian and is in foal to U S Navy Flag.
Lot 23 - a Group 3 placed mare and the winner of six races, Laaffaire (Iffraaj) is being offered in foal to Time Test.
Lot 38 – a winner of two in Australia, Rainbow Lace (High Chaparral) is closely related to Ocean Park (Thorn Park), Grunt (O'Reilly), Critic (Centaine) and Prince Kaapstad (Kaapstad). Offered in foal to Vadamos.
Lot 45 – an imported daughter of Hurricane Run (Montjeu), Shower Of Roses is from a stakes-placed half sister to five-time Group 1 winner and champion stayer Fame and Glory (Montjeu). Offered with a colt by Almanzor at foot and in foal to Vespa.
Buyers need to pre-register to bid in this auction with the sale running through until the final countdown from 7pm (NZ) on Friday 26 March.
The team at Valachi Downs will be available by appointment only to host inspections throughout the auction between 7:30am and 5pm. The gavelhouse.com team is available to answer any bidding queries via +64 9 296 4436 or info@gavelhouse.com.