A Century of National Yearling Sales Success: Australian Derby

Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino), Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) and Shanwah (NZ) (Too Darn Hot) are the three favourites for Saturday’s A$2m Group One ATC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick, where they will attempt to add their names to a proud record of New Zealand National Yearling Sale success.

NZB will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Yearling Sales at Karaka next January. That century of sales has produced no fewer than 34 winners of Randwick’s prestigious classic, including nine since the year 2000 alone.

Those Australian Derby-winning graduates range in price from just $2,400 for the 1971 winner Classic Mission (NZ) (Persian Garden) up to $3.6m for the 2002 winner Don Eduardo (NZ) (Zabeel). The latter still holds the all-time record for the highest price ever paid for a yearling in New Zealand. Another eight Australian Derby winners have come through the Karaka sale ring since Don Eduardo, and they were bought for an average price of $146,875.

Among those 34 Australian Derby-winning National Yearling Sales graduates are some of the most iconic names in the history of the Australasian turf.

 

1929: PHAR LAP

The first New Zealand National Yearling Sale graduate to win the Australian Derby is one of the greatest of them all. Phar Lap (NZ) was born near Timaru in New Zealand’s South Island and was offered at Trentham in 1928, where he was bought for 160 guineas.

The legendary chestnut had 51 starts for 37 wins and five placings. He won 32 of his last 35 races.

Phar Lap won 13 times in his three-year-old season, with his victory in the Derby at Randwick backed up by the likes of the Rosehill Guineas (1800m), VRC Derby (2500m), VRC St Leger (2800m), Chipping Norton Stakes (2000m) and AJC St Leger (2800m). He also ran third in the Melbourne Cup (3200m).

He went on to win 14 of his 16 starts as a four-year-old including the Cox Plate (1900m), Melbourne Cup (3200m), Melbourne Stakes (2000m), St George Stakes (1800m) and Futurity Stakes (1400m). His Melbourne Cup triumph came under a weight of 9 stone, 12 ounces – the equivalent of 62.5kg.

Phar Lap added another Cox Plate as a five-year-old, along with the Underwood Stakes (1600m), Memsie Stakes (1800m), Craven Plate (2000m) and Melbourne Stakes (2000m), and he then ventured to Mexico and won the US$100,000 Agua Caliente Handicap (2000m) in what would be the final start of his extraordinary career.

Phar Lap was among the inaugural inductees into both the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame and the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Respected American publication the Blood-Horse magazine voted him the 22nd greatest racehorse of the 20th century.

 

1931: AMMON RA

The 1931 Derby winner Ammon Ra (NZ) (Lismond) was passed in at the 1930 Sale. He went on to win 17 of his 29 starts, including the Derby, the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Caulfield Guineas (1600m), Chipping Norton Stakes (2000m), Rawson Stakes (1800m) and Futurity Stakes (1400m).

 

1957: TULLOCH

Tulloch (NZ) (Khorassan) was offered by Trelawney Stud at the 1956 Sale, where he was bought by Hall of Fame trainer T. J. (Tommy) Smith for 750 guineas.

In a 53-start career, Tulloch recorded 36 wins, 12 seconds and four thirds. He won the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) as a two-year-old, then added a whopping 14 wins as a three-year-old including the Derby, the Warwick Stakes (1400m), the Rosehill Guineas (2000m), the Caulfield Guineas (1600m), the Caulfield Cup (2400m), the VRC Derby (2500m), the Queensland Derby (2400m), the VRC St Leger (2800m), the Rawson (now Ranvet) Stakes (2000m), the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), the AJC St Leger (2800m), the All Aged Stakes (1600m) and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2800m). Incredibly, 11 of those races now hold Group One status.

Tulloch went on to win another two editions of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes as an older horse, along with other prestigious weight-for-age features such as the Cox Plate (2040m), George Main Stakes (1600m) and Mackinnon Stakes (2000m).

Tulloch was among the inaugural inductees into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, and he was also inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.

 

SUMMERTIME TREBLE

The early 1960s saw a remarkable feat as the stallion Summertime sired three consecutive Derby winners, all bought through the National Yearling Sale.

• 1961: Summer Fair (NZ), bought for 1050 guineas from the 1960 Sale.
• 1962: Summer Prince (NZ), who was a 1500-guineas purchase from the 1961 Sale.
• 1963: Summer Fiesta (NZ), who cost 1600 guineas at the 1962 Sale.

 

1979: DULCIFY

One of the biggest bargains in the history of the New Zealand National Yearling Sales is the $3,250 paid by Colin Hayes to buy Dulcify (NZ) (Decies) in 1977.

Dulcify went on to earn more than A$500,000 in stakes, recording 10 wins and five placings in an outstanding 21-race career. Hayes, an inductee into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, rated Dulcify the best horse he ever had.

Dulcify’s most memorable performance came in the prestigious Cox Plate (2040m) in 1979, which he won by a record margin of seven lengths. He was also a Derby winner at both Randwick and Flemington, along with other major victories in the Australian Cup (2000m), Rosehill Guineas (2000m), Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) and Turnbull Stakes (2000m). Dulcify was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2024.

 

1985: TRISTARC

Only five fillies have won the Derby since 1900, and one of them was the 1985 winner Tristarc (NZ) (Sir Tristram). Bred by Sir Patrick Hogan and offered by Cambridge Stud at the 1983 Sale, Tristarc was bought for $135,000.

Tristarc won five Group One races – the Derby, the Underwood Stakes (2000m), the Caulfield Stakes (2000m), the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

 

1996: OCTAGONAL

Octagonal (NZ) (Zabeel) was one of Australia’s best and most popular gallopers of the 1990s and was a $210,000 purchase from Karaka in 1994, where he was offered by his breeders Cambridge Stud.

Octagonal had 28 starts for 14 wins, seven seconds and a third, earning A$5.89m for his owners Jack and Bob Ingham – almost 30 times his purchase price.

With his dark colour cutting a stark contrast with his owners’ cerise silks, Octagonal rose to prominence as a two-year-old when he won the Group One Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and was runner-up in the Group One Golden Slipper (1200m).

Octagonal’s seven wins as a three-year-old included the Group One Cox Plate (2040m), Canterbury Guineas (1900m), Rosehill Guineas (2000m), Tancred Stakes (2400m) and Australian Derby. He also ran third in the Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and second in the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m).

As a four-year-old, Octagonal won the Group One Underwood Stakes (1800m), Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), Australian Cup (2000m) and Tancred Stakes (2400m). He also ran second in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

Octagonal went on to a successful career at stud, where his progeny included the 11-time Group One winner and even more influential stallion Lonhro.

 

2004: STARCRAFT

Breeders Waikato Stud offered Starcraft (NZ) (Soviet Star) at the 2002 Premier Sale at Karaka, where he was bought by bloodstock agent Robt Dawe for $80,000.

The flashy chestnut went on to win Group One races in four different countries in a globe-trotting career that produced 11 wins, seven placings and more than $3m from 22 starts.

Starcraft was runner-up in the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) before an autumn Group One double in Sydney’s Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) and Australian Derby.

Later in 2004, Starcraft returned to the country of his birth as a spring four-year-old and produced a stunning finish from the back of the field to win the Mudgway Stakes (now Tarzino Trophy, 1400m) at Hastings. That spring campaign also produced a victory in the Group Two Stoney Bridge Stakes (now Group One Arrowfield Stud Plate, 1600m), followed by placings in the Group One Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m) and Cox Plate (2040m), the latter won by Savabeel.

Starcraft then relocated to the northern hemisphere, where he was trained by Luca Cumani at Newmarket. He won the Group One Prix du Moulin (1600m) at Longchamp and the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1600m) at Newmarket.

Starcraft later sired the Group One winners Star Witness and We Can Say It Now, and he is a member of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.

 

2011: SHAMROCKER

The only filly to win the Australian Derby in the last 35 years, Shamrocker (NZ) (O’Reilly) was a $65,000 purchase by trainer Danny O’Brien from the 2009 Select Sale at Karaka.

Shamrocker’s 18-start career produced four wins, four placings and A$1.97m in stakes. She completed a rare double as a three-year-old, beating the colts and geldings to win both the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington and the Australian Derby at Randwick. She also placed in the Group One VRC Oaks (2500m), Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Australian Oaks (2400m).

 

2015: MONGOLIAN KHAN

The mighty Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor) was a $140,000 purchase from the 2013 Select Sale, then returned to Karaka later that year and was sold for $220,000 in the Ready to Run Sale.

Mongolian Khan was a two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year and earned himself a unique place in racing history with his wins in the Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m), Australian Derby (2400m) and Caulfield Cup (2400m). He was the first horse ever to win all three, and only the second to do the Derby double after Bonecrusher (NZ) (Pag Asa) in 1986.

In a career cut short by injury, Mongolian Khan had 17 starts for eight wins, a placing and $4.15m in stakes – almost 30 times his $140,000 purchase price as a yearling.

 

NINE SINCE 2000

National Yearling Sale graduates have had a stellar run in the Australian Derby in the last quarter-century, collecting nine wins since the year 2000.

• 2002: Don Eduardo
• 2004: Starcraft
• 2007: Fiumicino (NZ) (Zabeel), who was a $425,000 purchase from the 2005 Premier Sale at Karaka. He won seven races and more than A$3.1m in stakes, including a second Group One victory in the Tancred Stakes (2400m) as a five-year-old.
• 2009: Roman Emperor (NZ) (Montjeu), who was bought by master trainer Bart Cummings for $240,000 from the 2007 Premier Sale. He followed his Derby triumph with a second placing in the Group One Caulfield Cup (2400m) the following spring. He earned a total of A$1.41 million from his 20-start career.
• 2011: Shamrocker
• 2015: Mongolian Khan
• 2016: Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock), who was a $60,000 purchase from the Cambridge Stud draft in the 2014 Premier Sale. He won four of his 16 starts and more than A$1.64m.
• 2017: Jon Snow (NZ) (Iffraaj), whose co-trainer Andrew Forsman bought him for $65,000 from the 2015 Select Sale. He recorded four wins and eight placings from 23 starts, earning over $2.1m. He was also a Group One placegetter in the Levin Classic (1600m), New Zealand Derby (2400m), Underwood Stakes (2000m), Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Zabeel Classic (2000m).
• 2021: Explosive Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry), who was a $100,000 purchase by Moody Racing from Book 1 of Karaka 2019. He went on to earn than A$3.1m from a 20-start career. His remarkable three-year-old campaign also included victories in the Listed Tasmanian Derby (2200m) and Group One South Australian Derby (2500m), and he carried on to Brisbane for a third placing in the Group One Queensland Derby (2400m). He returned to Randwick to win the Group One Sydney Cup (3200m) as a five-year-old in 2023.

These nine horses have been part of an outstanding recent record in the Australian Derby for horses either bred or sold in New Zealand. Since 1996, 15 Australian Derby winners have had the (NZ) suffix.

They include the supreme racehorse and sire Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral), whose win in the 2013 Australian Derby was one of six Group One victories in a 19-start, 10-win career. He banked more than A$5m.

The 2014 winner was Criterion (NZ) (Sebring), who earned more than A$7m and was a four-time Group One winner. He placed in another 10 Group One races including the Cox Plate (2040m), Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Hong Kong Cup (2000m).

 

THE CLASS OF 2025

That New Zealand influence is set to be strongly felt once again in Saturday’s 164th running of the Australian Derby at Randwick, with a field that includes five Karaka yearling graduates. They were bought for an average price of $275,000.

• The number-one saddlecloth will be carried by the last-start Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) hero Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino). Victory on Saturday would see him join Bonecrusher (NZ) (Pag Asa) and Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor) as only the third horse in history to complete the trans-Tasman Derby double. Willydoit was bred by Westbury Stud owner Gerry Harvey and offered by Westbury in Book 1 of Karaka 2023, where co-trainer Shaun Clotworthy bought him for $75,000. He has had six starts for four wins and a placing, earning $847,415. His New Zealand Derby victory was a spectacular staying performance after jumping from gate 14 and being caught wide around the first turn. He pressed forward and took the lead down the back straight, running his 15 rivals into the ground.
• Shanwah (NZ) (Too Darn Hot) was a $750,000 purchase from Trelawney Stud’s Book 1 draft in Karaka 2023. He has won four of his eight starts and A$558,975. He has turned a corner since being gelded, winning his last four races in succession including the Group Two Autumn Classic (1800m) and Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (2040m).
• New Zealand Derby third placegetter Golden Century (NZ) (Pierro) was a $200,000 purchase from Pencarrow Stud’s Book 1 draft in Karaka 2023. He is still a maiden from eight starts, but has placed in five of them including his gallant third in the New Zealand Derby. He also finished fourth in the Group Two Waikato Guineas (2000m). Golden Century has so far banked more than $140,000.
• Imperialist (NZ) (Churchill) was offered by Curraghmore in Book 1 of Karaka 2023, where Chris Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock bought him for $170,000. He has earned A$238,475 from a 10-start career that has produced a win in the Listed The Phoenix (1500m) along with placings in the Group Two Autumn Classic (1800m) and Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (2040m).
• The filly Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) was bought for $180,000 from Rich Hill Stud’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2023. She has had nine starts for three wins, three placings and A$976,775 in stakes. She scored back-to-back Group Three wins in the Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) and Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) in the spring, and since then has produced strong finishes for second in the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m), third in the Group Two Hobartville Stakes (1400m), fourth in the Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) and second in the Group One Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

Fellow Australian Derby contenders King Of Thunder (NZ) (Tivaci) and Deal N Dash (Dundeel) are graduates of the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka.

The 2025 Australian Derby will be run as Race 9 at Randwick on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 5.15pm local time (7.15pm NZT).