Deb’s hours of study pay off but magic moment at the Karaka sale a complete surprise

Debbie Green’s weeks of hard work paid off when Lincoln Farms came away from today’s New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale at Karaka with four cracking colts.

But Green, who did all the hard yards inspecting yearlings in the absence of husband Ray, stuck in Australia, was most excited about the cheapest and unexpected buy.

Despite Lincoln Farms’ boss John Street snaring what she believed was the No. 1 colt of the sale, a beautiful Downbytheseaside - Everlasting Grace colt for $140,000, a racy Art Major - Cullens Princess colt for $95,000 and a strong Bettor’s Delight - Pop Princess colt for $100,000, it was her comparative cheapie which had her bubbling.

Green spent several weeks going to the yearling parades and returning for private viewings at Breckon Farms and Woodlands Stud, and numerous hours checking others on the salegrounds.

Green’s catalogue would almost certainly have had the most detailed notes of any of the buyers bidding on the 138 lots, most with notes on conformation and behaviour and major targets with marks out of 10.

Brains trust … John Street, left, and Ian Middleton talk tactics with Debbie Green at today’s Karaka sale.Green, Street and his business manager Ian Middleton followed the script to the letter, intent on taking home only three or four horses this year after two years of topping the buyers’ list.

When Green went into the auditorium during the bidding on lot 78 it was only out of idle curiosity to see just how much the colt would fetch.

Green thought the Downbythseaside half brother to the stable’s pin-up pacer Copy That would be way out of her reach.

“I thought he’d cost a fortune but when I sat down to watch he was only at $25,000 and then it looked like the hammer was going to come down.

“I just felt my hand going up and next minute he was mine for $30,000.”

Green could hardly contain herself afterwards, posing with photos of the ‘best presented’ garland the horse wore and reminding Woodlands Stud staff how it was the third member of the Lively Nights family she’d bought after bargain weanlings Copy That ($7500) and My Copy ($3000).

Green said the growing colt, who reportedly spends most of his days lying down, was quite big like Highview Tommy three-year-old My Copy, who was a “real sweetie” and had an endearing habit of resting his head on her shoulder.

Hotly contested

Street took a half share in the colt but was most pleased at getting Lot 37, the Downbytheseaside - Everlasting Grace colt, one of today’s few hotly contested yearlings not to end up in Stonewall Stud’s $1.3 million collection of 13.

Click on the hyperlink below to watch the bidding on Lot 37.

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Street said had Green not egged him on, he would have stopped bidding well short of the $140,000 it took to get the colt.

“I thought we might get him for $50,000 or $60,000 and I wouldn’t have carried on if Debbie hadn’t been there beside me. Deb has a great eye for a horse and if she says buy it, I buy it.”

The colt is only the second foal of the Bettor’s Delight mare Everlasting Grace who won six races.

The Downbytheseaside - Everlasting Grace colt cost $140,000.The progeny of second dam Jessie Grace and her daughters fill most of the pedigree page, with big winners like Pacing Grace, Pacing Major, All U Need Is Faith, Aladdin, Virgil and, most notably, Lincoln Farms’ former star pacer American Dealer, now in the United States.

Green said she and Ray both rated him the colt of the sale.

“He has great balance and a beautiful big shoulder and on type he deserved the price tag. I gave him 8.5 out of 10.”

Woodlands studmaster Tony Grayling said the colt was the most looked at horse of his entire draft of 47.

Street was also aggressive bidding on the Art Major colt, Lot 32, after missing out on two earlier prospects.

The Bettor’s Delight - Pop Princess colt cost $100,000.His dam Cullen’s Princess scored a strike only a few hours earlier when her third foal Miki Montana ran second behind True Fantasy in the Harness Million Fillies’ Final at Alexandra Park.

But it was the heavy black type attached to second dam Tosti Girl that clinched the deal, her winners including NZ Cup hero Thefixer and current speedster The Honey Queen.

Green described the colt as having a great front end.

One name stood out on the pedigree age of Lot 104, the Bettor’s Delight colt out of the Mach Three mare Pop Princess, and that was Chachingchaching, the winner of seven races for the stable and another nine in Australia after being sold.

Buying bench strong

NZB Director James Jennings was elated by the participation and strength of the buying bench.

“We are thrilled with the results we achieved and are relieved to have overcome many obstacles in order to host the sale at Karaka,” he said.

“Incredibly, the median was actually a lot higher than last year’s average, which in itself was a record for an Australasian sale.

“There was a good vibe at the complex. We didn’t have the atmosphere we’d usually have due to the COVID-19 Red Alert Level restrictions, but the mood was good.

“It was great to see the quality of the horses offered today and we look forward to the momentum continuing over three days of selling in Christchurch,” Jennings said.