Little Avondale Stud boss Sam Williams admits he will have one small pang of regret when the annual New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds kicks off this week.
Amongst the more than 260 two-year-olds on offer will be 14 by Little Avondale’s flagship stallion Per Incanto, with none of them owned by Williams.
With Per Incanto riding a wave of success through the deeds of horses like Saturday’s A$1million The Hunter (1300m) winner Lost And Running and coming off the back of a season where he was the leading sire in Hong Kong by winners, Williams expects demand for his progeny to be extremely strong.
“I think the Ready To Run Sale will once again provide some tremendous opportunities for buyers and the only disappointing thing about the 14 Per Incantos on offer is that none of them are ours,” Williams said.
“The sale has traditionally been underpinned by demand from both the Asian and Australian market and that is where Per Incanto has excelled.
“Timing is everything and Per Incanto has delivered plenty for people to think about through horses like Lost And Running and Justacanta, who was a multiple stakes winner during the Melbourne spring carnival, while he continues to provide a steady stream of winners in Hong Kong.
“I think those people who are offering a Per Incanto will be over the moon with the results they get.”
Williams is also quick to point out that consistency is one of the key traits of the son of Street Cry, who has gone from strength to strength since arriving in New Zealand back in 2011 after Williams and Bloodstock agent Bruce Perry purchased him from Sheik Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud.
“Per Incanto has continued to raise the bar from the moment we first saw him,” Williams said.
“Bruce Perry advised me he had received a call from Angus Gold, Shadwell’s Bloodstock manager, who had heard we were looking for a new stallion.
“He advised us to come up and see him, so we did and all I can say is that it is very fortuitous that we did.
“We looked at 14 colts while we were there and he was the one we kept coming back to. We made an offer, which the Sheikh accepted and he was on his way to New Zealand.
“Right from day one he delivered for his syndicate of owners, who I think paid around $10,000 for a share.
“Every year they have received a dividend and that first year they pretty much had their investment paid for.
“He started off at a $4,000 service fee and then sat at $5,000 for a number of years, while he is at $25,000 for this season and has served a full book of mares.
“His first crop included a Group One winner in Dal Cielo and he was the leading first season sire of two-year-olds by individual winners.”
The success of horses like Group One winners Shadows Cast, Santa Monica and Bonham along with Lost And Running has also lifted the quality of mares that the stallion has received.
“This season is just amazing with the quality of mares he has served,” Williams said.
“We’ve got a half-sister to Hong Kong sensation Golden Sixty amongst those mares along with close relations to other Hong Kong champions in Beauty Generation and Werther as well.
“He is just about finished this season and will serve around the 130 mark and has been supported by New Zealand’s biggest breeders along with a number of Australian clients.
“As always, success will be judged on what his progeny goes on to achieve in the sale ring and on the track over the next few years, but I am confident that there is plenty to come for him.”
The two-day Ready To Run Sale commences on Wednesday at 1pm, with the sale conducted virtually from Te Rapa. – NZ Racing Desk
