Stravinsky filly leads the way in New Zealand Select Sale

A filly by Stravinsky topped Thursday's

opening

session of the New Zealand Select Yearling Sale at Karaka. Kevin Hickman signed

the ticket at

NZ$130,000 for the bay, Lot No. 603, from the consignment of Bluegables Farm. She was

produced by the Flying Spur mare Stilts.

Close on the topper's heels

was Lot 536,

a filly from Waikato Stud who sold for NZ$125,000 to Paul Moroney Bloodstock.

The bay is

by Pins out of Roaring Meg (Centaine). The top-priced colt

Thursday was Lot

792, a chestnut from the first crop of Van Nistelrooy who sold for NZ$120,000 to

Kieran

Moore Bloodstock. Trelawney Stud consigned the youngster, who is out of the *Sir Tristram

mare Debora.

Overall, the opening session compared favorably with the

numbers

achieved in 2005. A total of 195 lots (77 percent) sold for an aggregate

NZ$7,218,750, an

average of NZ$37,019 and a median of $30,000. Last year, 175 lots sold (72

percent) for

NZ$6,832,500, giving an average of NZ$35,640 and a median of NZ$30,000.

The sale

continues Friday and may be viewed live on www.nzb.co.nz.