Birchley Back on Karaka Millions 2YO Radar with Dream Roca (NZ)

Two of the three Australian-trained winners of the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) have come from the stable of Liam Birchley, and the Brisbane trainer has his sights set on Ellerslie again.

Birchley tasted Karaka Millions glory with Sister Havana (NZ) (General Nediym) in 2010 and Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing) in 2015, along with a second placing with Sarge In Charge (NZ) (Golan) in 2009. Now he has a live contender for the 2026 edition with Dream Roca (NZ) (El Roca).

Bought by Birchley for $75,000 from Westbury Stud’s draft in Book 2 of Karaka 2025, Dream Roca lifted her career earnings to A$65,200 – and moved into third on the Karaka Millions order of entry – with a dominant performance in the A$85,000 Widden’s Jacquinot First Yearlings 2YO (1000m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

There were some highly rated juveniles among the seven-horse field for Saturday’s race, which was the second career start for Dream Roca following a second placing over 1000 metres at the same course back in October. But Dream Roca outshone her opposition and dashed clear down the straight to win by two lengths.

“The fence was pretty hot on the day of her debut and the favourite drew inside us,” Birchley said. “But with the race experience and being here before, she got the drop on them this time and she was quite professional.

“She’ll head over for the Karaka Millions. She’s fully qualified now, but she’ll probably have another run on the way there. Hopefully we can draw a good gate for the Karaka Millions and give the New Zealanders some curry.

“She’s actually bred to run a mile and beyond, and let’s hope she does. But it’s good for a two-year-old to have that demeanour and not waste too much energy and save it all for when they need it.”

Dream Roca was ridden by Ben Thompson, who is keen to accompany the filly on her trans-Tasman mission.

“I absolutely want to ride her,” he said. “It always fills you with a lot of confidence riding a two-year-old for Liam Birchley, and he’s got another nice one in his hands.

“With a two-year-old, that race experience can count for so much. I just thought she would take natural benefit from her debut, albeit today looked a stronger contest of the unraced horses from the trials, but she’s been here and done it.”

Dream Roca is now vying for favouritism in the TAB’s fixed-odds market for the Karaka Millions 2YO. She holds third spot on the order of entry behind fellow Australian-trained filly Torture (NZ) (Sword Of State), who has A$120,750, and unbeaten Kiwi hope De Armas (NZ) (Ardrossan) with $86,250.

There is now a three-way tie for fourth spot on the order of entry with a trio of two-year-olds having earned $37,275 each – I Am Belle (I Am Invincible), Out Of The Blue (NZ) (Tivaci) and Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express), who scored a smart debut victory in Saturday’s $65,000 DJ Bloodstock 2YO (1100m) at Te Rapa.

“It’s probably no surprise to the team that she did what she did,” co-trainer Lance O’Sullivan said. “We certainly rated her quite highly. With four runners, she was able to relax in front and quicken off the corner. The team certainly likes her and we have got a ticket in the big lottery now.

“Andrew (Scott), myself and the team will go through it and make a decision on where we go from here, but it will be good to have a runner in the Karaka Millions.”

Those impressive Saturday victories by Dream Roca and Dashing Dixie have set the tone for what could be a week of big movement on the Karaka Millions 2YO order of entry.

The richest prize of the New Zealand two-year-old season to date will be handed out at Trentham on Saturday with the running of the $175,000 Group Two Windsor Park Stud Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m). That race is worth $100,625 for first, $32,375 for second and $15,750 for third, and all of those amounts will earn Karaka Millions-eligible runners a place among the top 14 positions on the order of entry.

The 2026 Karaka Millions 2YO will be run at Ellerslie on January 24, as part of a star-studded twilight card that also features the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), the $700,000 Group One Sistema Railway (1200m), the $1m Group Three Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m), the $250,000 Group Three Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and the $100,000 Jo Giles Stakes (1400m).

Karaka Millions night serves as the perfect curtain-raiser for the 100th edition of the New Zealand National Yearling Sale, which gets underway the following day. Book 1 of Karaka 2026 takes place on January 25 and 26, followed by Book 2 on January 27 and the new Karaka Summer Sale on January 29.