Book 2 ends on a high

Curraghmore had a 100 percent clearance rate during the Book 2 session of the New Zealand Bloodstock selling both fillies entered, as well as a colt prepared on behalf of Heidi Richardson.

The Wandjina colt out of the O’Reilly mare Home Alone, Lot 826, went for $150,000 to the bid of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Andrew Seabrook, acting on behalf of Wexford Stable’s Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott.

Te Awamutu breeder Heidi Richardson, who presented the colt under her own banner with the assistance of Curraghmore, was delighted with the result.

“I am blown away,” she said.

“I actually bought the mare online in Australia and I really liked her bloodlines.

“She got sent up to my brother, Blair Richardson, in the Hunter Valley. He is a breaker and pre-trainer at Vantage Hill.

“I had a quick five-minute conversation with him and next minute I flew over there to find a stallion to put her to.

“I went to Newgate and liked Wandjina on type and she got in foal first pop."

Richardson was quick to pay credit to her neighbour Gordon Cunningham, whose Curraghmore presented the horse on her behalf.

“He is a close friend of mine and I asked him about the mare and the bloodlines and he has come and seen the horse the whole way through, so we’re pretty happy and very impressed with how he has turned the horse out,” she said.

A radiographer by trade, Richardson has a broodmare agistment property.

“I am normally foaling down other people’s horses, and this is my first dabble into the breeding side of things myself and I am just blown away.

“I have now got a Pins mare and a Reliable Man filly, in addition to Home Alone, who has a Reliable Man filly and is in foal to Turn Me Loose, so you’re going to see a lot more horses under my banner,” she said. 

These great results carried on from Curraghmore's strong Book 1 session where they sold 21 of the 22 yearlings on offer.

"It was a great result and I would like to congratulate all those who sold through our draft and that bought out of it," Gordon Cunningham said. "It is onwards and upwards from here and we look forward to the year ahead."