It's the biggest week of the year for the New Zealand bloodstock industry with the annual Karaka horse sales kicking off today.
The event has grown to attract around 800 international visitors on top of Kiwi buyers and sellers.
The success of our horses on international race tracks is a big draw card, even attracting representatives of Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed.
Last year's horse sales totalled $97 million dollars, up $15 million from the year before - and of that, 60 per cent were from international buyers.
New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Andrew Seabrook says our biggest market has always been Australia - since 1972, when we sold them Pharlap, of course. Last year they spent $37 million.
"Hong Kong has traditionally been our second biggest market," he says. "They'll spend something like $15 million plus this week. And then Singapore, Malaysia and China is big for us too."
That's good news - not only for the bloodstock industry, but also for Auckland's tourism and hospitality industry.
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