Racing: Andrew Forsman wins sale-topping bidding duel to get smart Savabeel colt

The top seller today was a Savabeel colt out of O'Reilly mare Maxmara, from Ohukia Lodge's draft. Photo / Supplied

Fresh off a successful Melbourne spring carnival, Andrew Forsman made a splash at Karaka today when landing the sale topper on day one of New Zealand Bloodstock's 2022 Ready To Run Sale.

The Cambridge trainer was taken by a Savabeel colt out of O'Reilly mare Maxmara, from Ohukia Lodge's draft.

He was intent on taking the colt home and while he was caught in a bidding duel with Cranbourne trainer Trent Busuttin, he came out on top with a final bid of $575,000.

"I loved him," Forsman said. "I thought he was the standout horse of the sale. He came here in really good order, and I thought he breezed-up really well.

"He was a quality colt. I like the way he moved and everything about him, plus he has got a great pedigree with the Savabeel — O'Reilly cross and a good family.

"He has been well raised and handled by Jamie and Chanel [Beatson], so he has had every opportunity until now and he is basically ready to go."

Forsman has been associated with a number of quality offspring of Savabeel over the years, more recently Group 1 winner The Chosen One, and Mr Maestro, who won the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) and Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m) in Melbourne this spring.

"This guy has all the good qualities I have seen in the good Savabeels we have trained," Forsman said.

"He was a very good mover and he seemed to have a very good temperament too. Everything I saw of him, he handled everything really well.

"He had a real quality about him and they [Savabeels] are good, quality racehorses."

Forsman is looking forward to racing the horse in the future for both current and new stable clients.

"We have got some people already involved but are welcoming new owners," he said.

"I am sure he will sell himself. He is a quality horse and I thought he was good buying."

The sale represented a strong pinhooking result for Ohukia Lodge, who bought the colt for $160,000 as a yearling at Karaka from the draft of Waikato Stud.

Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung and trainer Francis Lui teamed up to buy subsequent Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty at the 2017 Ready To Run Sale, and they hope they have struck gold once more at this year's edition.

The pair went to $300,000 to secure Golden Sixty out of Riversley Park's draft and five years later Leung had to extend to $500,000 to secure an Exceed And Excel colt from the same farm's draft.

"A couple of years ago we were lucky to secure Golden Sixty here, so I hope we get another one for Francis," Leung said.

- NZ Racing Desk