Michael Rist
Cambridge couple, Nick Fairweather and Nicole Brown, got their 2018 Karaka Yearling Sale adventure off to the best possible start on Sunday evening when their Ocean Park filly sold for $130,000.
The couple are represented by a sale draft of six individuals with five of these selling during the Book 1 catalogue. The consignment is the first they have taken to Karaka under their newly minted Carlaw Park brand that was established 14 months ago.
“Nicole’s parents, Peter and Roslyn, were looking for a lifestyle change so they bought a block of land just outside of Cambridge,” Fairweather said.
“Nicole and I lease a portion of the property for use by Carlaw Park which was established primarily as an agistment facility for horses in training. We have started off with horses for Marcus Corban, Kiltannon Stables and Tony Pike and things have progressed incredibly well.
“In the past we have also pin-hooked a few horses and these have gone through either the Yearling or Ready To Run Sale under the Kiltannon Stables banner.
“This year several of our good clients approached us to see if we would take a draft under our own steam. We had two of our own to sell so decided to take the plunge.”
First up for the pair was Lot 82, the Ocean Park filly that Australian based client, Stan Saric, had sourced from the gavelhouse.com auction site for $18,000 in September last year. Purchased by leading Victorian trainer, Darren Weir, the showy filly is a half-sister to promising Savabeel three-year-old Johnny Vinko who Saric races out of the Cranbourne stable of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
“Stan bought the filly from gavelhouse.com and asked us to take a look at her,” said Fairweather.
“It was the Johnny Vinko connection that attracted Stan to her and once we saw her in the flesh we really liked her.
“We recommended that he put her through the yearling sale, applied for Book 1 and got in which was a great start and now we have had a tremendous result.”
Fairweather and Brown were back in action on Day Two of the sale with Lot 180, a Tavistock filly who is a half-sister to Gr. 1 Easter Stakes (1600m) winner Sound Proposition, who went to the $80,000 bid of Peter Moody.
They will offer a further two individuals on Tuesday including a Proisir colt, Lot 343, which is the first of the two yearlings part-owned by the pair to step into the ring. – NZ Racing Desk