The annual Southern Bred Southern Reared yearling sales tour offered potential buyers a jam-packed road trip across the two provinces during which they got to run their eyes over 43 yearlings.
Trainers checking out the perfectly presented stock included northerners Robert Dunn, Brent Mangos and Ray Green as well as Cantabrians Cran Dalgety, Ken Barron and Regan Todd.
The yearlings will go under the hammer at the national standardbred yearling sales in Christchurch on February 13 and 14.
Peter Lagan, of sales company PGG Wrightson, said he was impressed with this year's consignment of southern yearlings.
''It has been a good day out.
''I'd say the quality of the yearlings down here is of a high standard - they are always good down here.''
Lagan said it was not difficult to predict which horses would sell well at the sales.
''It is like anything. The well-bred ones and the well-presented ones will sell well.''
The market was showing positive signs, less than two weeks out from the sale.
''I think it will be pretty good. I think it will be as good as last year - I can't see it going backwards,'' Lagan said.
''There is a lot of interest from Australia now and local interest is pretty good.''
