Raising international interest in New Zealand yearlings is one of the main aims of the country’s new standardbred auction house.
New Zealand Bloodstock is already eyeing ways it can stimulate growth as it enters a stagnant market.
One way it hopes to achieve that is by replicating the international marketing and branding that has helped its thoroughbred sales build renowned success.
"There is no reason why the standardbred market or industry cannot be promoted like we do in the thoroughbreds," managing director Andrew Seabrook said.
"The thoroughbred industry has really had to be a fantastic and promoter of its horses, overseas in particular. Our domestic market is pretty weak so we have had to go out and really explore new markets.
"We have spent a lot of time and effort getting buyers to the sale and giving them a really good experience."
Mr Seabrook indicated why New Zealand Bloodstock was re-entering the standardbred market, after two years of considering the move.
"Feedback from breeders, over the last couple of months," he said.
"It probably goes back a couple of years, when we have had the odd breeder say ‘why don’t you get into the standardbred market?’
"Why not? we are in the business of selling horses. We used to sell standardbreds about 30 years ago, so we decided to take the leap, but we do so with absolute commitment."
New Zealand Bloodstock hopes it can provide more credit facilities to buyers than are available at present.
"Credit facilities are very important," Seabrook said.
"We understand it is not easy to buy a ‘spec-on’ horse and pay for it quickly."
The company also plans to widen the standardbred selling market by running 2yr-old sales.
New Zealand Bloodstock had little in the way of standardbred infrastructure but was moving to improve that.
"We don’t have a client database," Seabrook said.
"We are well and truly starting from scratch, but we will work through that, no problems."
