Group One winner Hasahalo sold on gavelhouse.com for $670,000 last month.

Online thoroughbred auction site gavelhouse.com will add another string to its bow next month when it launches Gavelhouse Plus.

“Gavelhouse Plus is an idea that has been bubbling away for a while and the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic gave us the impetus to expedite the project,” gavelhouse.com General Manager Haylie Martin said. 

“Gavelhouse Plus will complement our existing auctions by allowing us to sell one-off, high profile horses at any given time, while also aiding our parent company New Zealand Bloodstock in hosting sales that would traditionally have been held in an auditorium.

“I am sure there are quality mares out there who were destined for breeding stock sales in Australia that are now unable to travel, so this site is the perfect solution.

“Our successful traditional format will continue with our fortnightly thoroughbred auctions and monthly standardbred auctions on their existing sites.” 

New Zealand Bloodstock’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook is excited by the new initiative. 

“This new platform will allow us more flexibility in the selling and buying of horses while rolling in the benefits of enhanced services from the NZB team,” he said.

“Online bloodstock sales are here to stay so we want to be at the forefront of their progression.”

The site is currently under development and is set to launch in mid-May 2020 to host New Zealand Bloodstock’s South Island Sale.

Previously set to be held in Christchurch in April, the sale will now be hosted online with entries closing on Wednesday, May 27, launching on Thursday May 28 and the auction running through until 5 pm on Sunday, June 7.

The Karaka May Sale will follow this lead in the form of an online weanling sale in June. All Lots will be required to have x-rays available for viewing and have the added benefit of being eligible to be nominated for the Karaka Million Series. 

Entries for this sale will open after the South Island Sale and are due on Wednesday, June 10, the auction launches on Thursday, June 11 and bidding will run through until 5 pm on Sunday, June 21.