Following the announcement of the sale of Kevin and Joanna Hickman’s Valachi Downs last week, the bulk of the farm’s stock will be offered unreserved in two Gavelhouse Plus sales towards the end of this month.
The sale will be the most significant New Zealand dispersal since that of Ra Ora Stud in 2001 and will include high-class Northern and Southern Hemisphere-bred mares.
The broodmares will be the first to go live with the 51 Lot sale launching at the conclusion of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale on 17 June in which 20 quality youngsters from the farm have been added as supplementary entries.
One of the stars of the show will be the Galileo mare Baggy Green who is in foal to Ocean Park and is therefore carrying a full sibling to four-time Group One winner and recent $3.1 million mare Tofane. Baggy Green’s yearling full-sister to Tofane will be offered in the subsequent young and racing stock sale.
“Buyers have the opportunity to tap into some beautiful bloodlines that have been carefully curated by Kevin over the years,” commented General Manager Gareth Downey.
“There has been a lot of refinement of the broodmare band carried out over the last two years, and it is now the band we were going to operate for the continuation of Kevin’s breeding and racing dreams going forward. That is now not to be, and this presents a rare opportunity for buyers to purchase the entire breeding stock of a significant breeding operation.”
“The pregnancies being carried by the mares have been very carefully planned based on pedigree, type, temperament and commercial appeal. There is no doubt this crop of foals to be born in 2022 would have gone on to produce an excellent yearling sale for Valachi Downs in 2024 and there are excellent opportunities here for discerning buyers.
“We all know of Kevin’s great passion for this industry and have been privileged to share this with him in the operation of Valachi Downs and will follow the results of all these horses with much interest in the years ahead. Kevin’s legacy will unfortunately not continue through Valachi Downs itself, but it will live on through these horses.”
Covering sires represented in the broodmare sale include Almanzor, Ardrossan, Brutal, Circus Maximus, Darci Brahma, Hello Youmzain, Ocean Park, U S Navy Flag, Redwood, Ribchester, Savabeel, Savile Row, Sweynesse, Telperion, Time Test, Vadamos, Vanbrugh, Vespa and War Decree.
The mares will be available for inspection by appointment at the stud from Monday 20 June and the sale will close from 7pm (NZT) on Friday 24 June. Pedigrees for those wanting to start research before the catalogue launches will be available in advance.
The young and racing stock catalogue will launch at the conclusion of the broodmare sale and will run through until 7pm (NZT) on Friday 1 July.
Any remaining stock will be offered in gavelhouse.com’s general fortnightly sale that will close on 25 July.
