Chris Rutten purchased Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) runner Avonallo out of Little Avondale Stud’s draft at Karaka last year, and he is hoping he has bought another candidate for the rich juvenile feature from the Wairarapa nursery.

The Horowhenua bloodstock agent secured lot 626, the Time Test colt out of Rorippa, a half-sister to Group One performer Gorky Park, with a final bid of $115,000 and Rutten said he was a standout yearling amongst his sire’s yearlings at the sale.

“He is one of the best Time Test’s I have seen and he looks like he has a good attitude and a good brain on him,” Rutten said.

“He is a good mover, so I am happy to have a go with this horse.”

Rutten was active at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 sale, purchasing six yearlings for a number of international clients, and said the demand for the better yearlings was strong.

“I was an underbidder on a lot of horses, I helped NZB along,” Rutten quipped.

“I am very happy with what I bought in Book One.

“It has been very strong for the good horses. Everyone might have thought it was going to be softer than it was, but it wasn’t for those quality horses.”

Little Avondale Stud principal Sam Williams was pleased with the result and he is hoping the colt can replicate Avonallo’s deeds on the track.

“He was on the market right from the word go. I knew there were a lot of people on him, he had something like 16 hits on his x-rays,” Williams said.

“He is physical and tough. Everything you threw at this horse he would take. He was one of the more precocious Time Test’s that we fronted.

“He is a horse that wouldn’t surprise you if we did see him running around Ellerslie in 12 months’ time.”

Williams was also happy that the colt was being retained by Rutten, who has a strong record on Karaka Million night, winning the two-year-old edition with Vespa, and 3YO Classic (1600m) with Scott Base.

“Chris breaks in all of our horses. He does a really professional job and he is a wonderful horseman,” Williams said.

The sale has surpassed Williams’ expectations so far and he is hoping that momentum will continue well into the Book 2 sale.

“We had lot 580, a Per Incanto filly, she sold for $60,000 (earlier today) and another Per Incanto filly (lot 735) sold for $170,000 late in the piece,” Williams said.

“People still need horses in their stables and a lot of people had missed out as Book 1 was really strong, with a clearance rate of 81 percent.

“NZB have done a fantastic job with their new platform and trying to get as many people involved as possible and gather information.” –