We welcomed our most valued team member of Nutrien Equine, Mr Alan Parker to the eastern states! For the first time in the three years he has been our pedigree researcher and all round knowledge base, he hasn’t yet been able to venture to the sales.
Now in 2023, we were so pleased to have him enjoy the Sydney sale and so we asked him to give us his assessment of the day. He asked how many words he could have, we said unlimited! Enjoy his insight and we hope to see you at our Sunshine Stars, Bathurst or Melbourne sale as we continue the super month of sales.
Nutrien Sydney yearling sale an eyeopener
My first Nutrien yearling sale was a remarkable experience across the entire three day of March 3 to March 5 taking in the parade, inspection day and the actual sale.
The sale was held at the William Inglis Riverside Sales Complex which abuts the Warwick Farm racecourse.
The size and scope of the complex was something else right down to the five-star hotel on-site and the sale auditorium which connected the stables to the hotel.
The parade on Friday evening was an upmarket celebration of the Standardbred as spectators were treated to a showing of most of the yearlings while they enjoyed a glass of wine or their favourite beer and sampled the range of gourmet finger food provided courtesy of New Zealand’s Woodlands Stud.
Not sure how the judges singled out a handful of the yearlings for the prizes as the preparers all did an outstanding job in presenting their charges and whetting potential purchasers for what was to follow on the Saturday and Sunday.
Inspection day on the Saturday saw vendors busy getting their charges out and running them up for a host of potential buyers while retaining their sense of humour and then enjoying a drink and barbecue.
With more than 200 lots on offer Sale Day was a marathon across nine hours and the four auctioneers was terrific with Mark Barton and Dane Pearce from Nutrien joined by Cam Bray from New Zealand Bloodstock and Western Australia’s own Darren Macaulay.
Each has their own style and the concept worked well with Darren’s quips when introducing Lot 131, a filly by Captaintreacherous from Miss Brazilian.
After introducing her as a smooth mover Darren finished his spiel with a comment that any more would only be waxing lyrical.
The sale itself had the usual peaks and troughs in terms of momentum and with five lots topping the $100,000 mark and a remarkable $200,000 for a Lot 183 a Captaintreacherous colt from the Bettors Delight mare Return To Me. The next lot into the ring realised $130,000.
Straight after the last lot left the ring Mark Barton announced a sales average of $36,000 with fillies averaging $31,000 and the colts $40,000. Those figures and clearance rates will change in the next few days as a number of the passed in lots are expected to be sold.
In terms of those presenting the yearlings in the ring it would be remiss not to mention Mel Settree from Brooklyn Lodge.
Mel has more energy than the Energizer Bunny, a smile as wide as the Harbour Bridge and a wardrobe bigger than Lady Gaga.
She wore a different outfit for each of the 20 or so lots she led into the ring.
From a personal perspective attending my first Nutrien Yearling Sale was a welcome opportunity to put a face to the names of the staff and others I had only ever dealt with by email or telephone.
Nutrien is a highly successful company because of its staff and a focus on customer service right down to helping vendors get horses off the floats and into their stalls through to helping purchasers get their purchases paid for and off the complex.
They are just horse people helping other horse people.
It was a remarkable weekend with the most positive of vibes around the whole sale.
Watch Alan’s interview with Paul Campbell below: