Bloodstock agent Bevan Smith has been wearing multiple hats at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale breeze-ups at Te Rapa this week.
Not only has he been keeping a close eye on trying to pick out the next star for his stable of clients, he has also been helping out stride analyst Jay Kilgore from Data Track International, with the American unable to attend the breeze-ups as a result of COVID-19 border restrictions.
“He usually comes down to the breeze-ups and to the Ready to Run Sale to conduct his stride analysis on the breeze-up horses,” Smith said.
“What that entails is collecting our own video, putting it through software programming and Jay comes up with not only stride length but more importantly a thing called the BreezeFig, which takes into account the body size ratio to stride length.
“A small horse with a big stride is going to outperform a big horse with a medium-sized stride.
“There are a few extra inputs that go into the stride analysis and getting that BreezeFig, and it is a very helpful number at these two-year-old sales.”
Smith said Kilgore’s services have continued to grow in demand over the last decade.
“Jay has been coming down here for near on 10 years for the sale and it is gaining more momentum,” Smith said.
“I think it was something that was ahead of its time 10 years ago and people are really embracing data to have something to base a reason behind buying a horse.
“It seems to really resonate with trainers and syndicators selling shares in horses because as we are becoming a more technology-based world it is giving owners something quantifiable as to why they should buy into a horse.”
While busy filming the breeze-ups, Smith said he has also been able to inspect the two-year-olds in the parade ring prior to their gallops.
“I am running up and down the stairs between the camera and inspecting the stock out the back and watching them gallop up the straight,” he said.
“I am getting a fair idea as to what is in the sale and I am making a few notes and observing what these horses are doing, and how their attitudes and temperaments are.
“It’s a juggling act between the two but it’s killing two birds with one stone.”
Smith said he has been impressed with what he has seen at the breeze-up sessions and believes there are horses at the sale for every market.
“What stands out every year is the quality job the vendors are doing,” he said.
“The horses are presented great, they all look healthy and are running up professionally. That is a credit to the vendors, they do a great job, we know the quality of horsemen here in New Zealand is great.
“I think there are horses here that are tailor-made for the Asian market and then Australia as well. We know the sale has a great record in races like the Derbys and I think those staying type of three-year-olds are here. There is something here for everyone.”