Call it scribble, chicken scratch or obscure art, Cran Dalgety’s yearling sales catalogue is covered from front to back with important notes.
The Kentuckiana Lodge trainer has been right across New Zealand inspecting the yearlings that will go under the hammer at the National Yearling Sales at Karaka and Christchurch in the coming days.
Cran has completed many private inspections in Auckland before going on the Canterbury and Southland yearling tours.
Covering the country and inspecting hundreds of young horses is all part of the job for a trainer trying to select the elite horses of the years to come.
Though it takes a little bit of balancing with horses in Australia and at home base, Cran wouldn’t have it any other way.
“You have to get out there and get around the farms to run your eye over the horses.”
“They are more relaxed than at the sales where there is a lot of noise and a lot going on.”
“You can read the book back to front and inside out and watch every video of them on the internet, but you can’t beat getting up close and personal with them.”
Cran estimates he has inspected 95% of the yearlings in the sales catalogue and 100% of the horses that are on his radar.
Again, the trainer has been impressed with what he has seen.
“The preparers and the breeders keep lifting the bar each year with their presentation.”
“You certainly have to go into these inspections as a very harsh judge because so many of them are presented to a high standard.”
“We have a specific type we are looking for, so we take a hard look at them and take a few notes.”
“Through all of the inspections I have narrowed down the horses I will be targeting at the sales and it is now up to the market to decide what we will have to pay for them.”
“We have been fortunate enough to take home the ones we have liked in recent years.”
“So we will head along and try to do the same this year.”
With the great run of success Kentuckiana Lodge has had in recent seasons, many owners are looking to reinvest in the next crop of young horses coming through.
Cran and Chrissie have also had interest from new owners wishing to join in the fun.
“We have been having those conversations with a lot of our owners and many are keen to keep the ball rolling after having a bit of fun in the last year or two.”
“There have been some new owners come into the fold which is encouraging for us but also for the game.”
“The mood out there suggests there is some confidence in the opportunities for the Group level horses which of course are the horses we are targeting.”
“All in all, we have most of the homework done, we just need to bring on the sales and get those yearlings knocked down to us.”
New and existing owners interested in taking a share in a yearling with Kentuckiana Lodge can feel free to contact Cran and Chrissie Dalgety
For more information, email c.dalgety@xtra.co.nz or call Cran (027-436-0667) or Chrissie (027-278-9466).
