Quality Pedigrees Abound at Karaka 2017

New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2017 National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka has impressive depth with a large quantity of siblings and progeny of Group 1 winners.

For the second consecutive year, the National Yearling Sales Series will present a full-sibling to the winner of one of Australia’s richest and most prestigious races. Last year it was a full-brother to the Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire). In 2017 it will be a full-brother to Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel), who was a dominant winner of the A$4 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in Sydney in April. That was her third Group 1 win, having previously claimed the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and Turnbull Stakes (2000m). The star mare’s full-brother will be offered by Blandford Lodge and will go through the ring as Lot 429.

Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral) flew the New Zealand flag proudly during a distinguished racing career, winning 10 races including six at Group 1 level. His first crop of yearlings will sell at Karaka 2017 with 10 featuring in the catalogues, plus the superstar galloper has a three-quarter brother set to go through the ring on Day 1 of the Premier Sale. Presented by Phoenix Park, the colt is catalogued as Lot 135.

Another high-class Kiwi racehorse-turned-sire is Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park), who notched up five Group 1 triumphs among his 12 career wins. He also ran second in a Cox Plate and now stands at Rich Hill Stud, who will offer his half-brother at Karaka 2017. The colt, Lot 98 in the Premier Sale, is by global superstar sire Fastnet Rock.

Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly) also proudly flew the flag in Australia for the New Zealand racing and breeding industry, following up his success in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas with Sydney Group 1 triumphs in the George Main Stakes and back-to-back runnings of the Doncaster Mile. He now stands at Waikato Stud, the former home of his own champion sire O’Reilly who died in 2014. Karaka 2017 features O’Reilly’s final crop of yearlings, including a full-brother to Sacred Falls – Lot 205, from the draft of Waikato Stud.

Tavistock colt, Lot 299, is a half-brother to three individual Group 1 winners – Australian Derby winner Headturner (Anabaa), Caulfield Guineas victor Anacheeva (Anabaa) and Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes heroine O’Marilyn (O’Reilly). The colt will be offered by Ascot Farm.

Lot 176 in the Premier catalogue, from the draft of Cambridge Stud, is also by Tavistock out of Gardenia. That makes him a half-brother to the champion Hong Kong galloper Able One (NZ) (Cape Cross), who won 11 races including the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile and two runnings of the Champions Mile.

And from Cambridge Stud’s impressive draft of fillies is Lot 130 by High Chaparral out of Group 1 winning mare Diamond Like. This filly is a full sister to Group 2 winner Forever Loved from the Eight Carat family.

Legendary racehorse Frankel, the winner of all 14 of his starts including 10 at Group 1 level, has made an incredible start to his stud career. His yearling colt catalogued for last year’s Sale, his first progeny to be sold in Australasia, topped the Sale at an impressive $1.3 million.

At Karaka 2017, a Frankel colt out of the stakes-winning German mare Give Me Five, Lot 181, will be offered by Curraghmore. The yearling is a half-brother to Ascot Gold Cup winner Colour Vision.

Lot 400, from Rich Hill Stud’s draft, is by Jimmy Choux out of Sheila Cheval, making him a half-brother to the 10-time Group 1 winner and dual New Zealand Horse of the Year Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire).

Wentwood Grange will offer a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and now stallion Kermadec (NZ) in Lot 203, who will go through the ring on Day 1 of the Premier Sale.

Lot 431, a half-brother to Spieth (NZ) (Thorn Park), will be presented by Trelawney Stud on Day 2 of Premier. The colt is by Shamexpress (NZ) (O’Reilly) out of Stella Livia (Titus Livius).

Another colt by Shamexpress, Lot 434, and half-brother to three individual Australian group winners – Leebaz (NZ) (Savabeel), Polish Knight (NZ) (Encosta de Lago), and Euro Angel (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) will be offered from the draft of Windsor Park Stud. 

Hallmark Stud will offer Lot 442, a Fastnet Rock half-brother to the dual Group 1 winner Whobegotyou (Street Cry).

In all the Karaka 2017 catalogues feature 36 siblings to Group 1 winners including Shamexpress (Lot 10), Costume (Lot 133), Suavito (Lot 359), Efficient (Lot 366), and Tavago (Lot 381).

There are eight three-quarter siblings to Group 1 winners including O’Marilyn (Lot 162), Descarado (Lot 247) and Rising Romance (Lot 718), as well as Singapore SGP-1 stars War Affair (Lot 178) and Waikato (Lot 545).

Karaka 2017 will also feature the progeny of mares who were themselves superstars on the racetrack.

Cambridge Stud will offer Lot 231, a filly by Fastnet Rock out of Katie Lee (Pins). In a remarkable seven-day period in 2009, Katie Lee became the first horse in history to win both the New Zealand 2000 Guineas and the New Zealand 1000 Guineas. She also won five other black-type races. In a significant pedigree update her first foal to race, Legramor (NZ) (Commands), has had a win and a second in her two starts to date.

Another champion mare with a yearling at Karaka 2017 is Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross), who won 14 races including seven at Group 1 level. She has had two foals to race including Divan (NZ) (Zabeel), who has won three races and has been twice stakes-placed. The Oaks Stud will offer Seachange’s Darci Brahma colt as Lot 392 in the 2017 Premier Sale.

Multiple Group 1 winner The Jewel (NZ) (O’Reilly) sadly died in 2016. She was not served in 2015 and her last foal is a Savabeel colt who will be offered by Phoenix Park as Lot 447 in the Premier Sale. A close relative of this year’s gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think), and from one of New Zealand breeding’s most famous families, The Jewel is the dam of four winners from four foals to race. The Diamond One (Tale Of The Cat) is a five-time stakes winner, while The Glitzy One (Flying Spur) and The Bold One (NZ) (Fastnet Rock) were stakes-placed.

In total there are 21 Group 1-winning dams with progeny at Karaka 2017 including Daffodil (Lot 109), Legs (Lot 255), Say No More (Lot 390), Private Steer (Lot 351), Banchee (Lot 58), Shez Sinsational (Lot 402), and Lashed (Lot 803).

KARAKA 2017 SCHEDULE

• Karaka Million Twilight Meeting: Sunday 29 January
• Premier Sale: Monday 30 & Tuesday 31 January
• Select Sale: Wednesday 1 – Friday 3 February
• Festival Sale: Sunday 5 February

NZB’s Yearling Sales Series catalogues are available on the free iPad application, can be requested from [email protected] or viewed online at www.nzb.co.nz.