Because the co-owner of the South Auckland mega nursery has been here before and it didn’t go quite as he expected.
Woodlands will be bringing 32 yearlings to the sale on February 16, including one of the superstar lots in the Captain treacherous colt out of champion mare Adore Me.
It is one of the most popular families in Australasian harness racing, littered with champions, so Lot 46 will be one of the most anticipated youngsters sold all week.
“We have a draft of 32, of which 28 are colts,” says Grierson.
“Some of the heavy hitters have told us this is one of the best drafts they have ever seen and we are very proud of them.
“But three or four years ago we got a lot of comments like that and I remember we had an average sellout that year.
“People came up to us afterwards and said, ‘we loved this horse, but we thought it would cost too much.’
“There can sometimes be such an attitude with this really well-bred breed, but the reality is we take them there to sell.
“A successful sale this year would be if all 32 find beautiful homes so people have to come and look at them, we are sellers.”
The Adore Me foal is an embryo transfer and although he is a November 16 foal in the harness race, with yearlings sold at the sale not racing until at least a year after the fall of the hammer, later foals realistically no longer matter.
He’s an upstanding colt with the looks of the family, so he’s going to make some serious money on Monday week.
While Woodlands is home to the king, Bettor’s Delight, who won Stallion of the Year again at the annual awards in Christchurch on Saturday, they are represented at Karaka by a whole host of stallions.
Gambler’s delight has nine in their draft, but they have plenty Down on the coast And Dear Lou as well as yearlings from Lather Up, American Ideal, Stay Hungry and just the one trotter in Lot 126 from What The Hill, which won the trotting stallion of the year award.
The Karaka Auction will host a parade day on Sunday, February 15 with 133 lots cataloged for the following day before the Christchurch Auction hosts its parade day on February 17, with that sale now condensed into one day on February 18.
Through Michael Guerinfor Harness Racing New Zealand
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