Early Look at First-Season Sires in NZB National Weanling Sale

One of the most exciting features of the NZB National Weanling Sale every year is the sale ring debuts of a new wave of first-season sires, and this month’s 2026 edition at Karaka will be no different.

The catalogue for the NZB National Weanling Sale features two weanlings from the first crop of Chaldean, two by Hilal, six by Mr Mozart and two by Paddington.

 

CHALDEAN

The only Group One-winning two-year-old by the legendary racehorse and sire Frankel at stud in the southern hemisphere, Chaldean shuttles to Cambridge Stud and will stand for a $35,000 service fee in the upcoming breeding season.

Chaldean won four consecutive races as a two-year-old including the Group Three Acomb Stakes (1400m), Group Two Champagne Stakes (1400m) and Group One Dewhurst Stakes (1400m). His Dewhurst victory came in the second-fastest time ever recorded in the prestigious juvenile feature.

As a three-year-old, Chaldean won the Group One English 2000 Guineas (1600m), following in his father’s footsteps and completing the Dewhurst-2000 Guineas double.

One of 41 individual Group One winners sired by Frankel, Chaldean is among eight winners from eight named foals out of the outstanding broodmare Suelita (Dutch Art). Alongside Chaldean, Suelita is also the dam of Group Two winner Alkumait (Showcasing), Listed winner and Group One placegetter Get Ahead (Showcasing), Listed winner The Broghie Man (Cityscape) and the stakes-placed Gloves Lynch (Mukhadram).

Chaldean’s first European foals averaged the equivalent of NZ$260,000 and sold for up to NZ$580,000.

Chaldean’s first-crop progeny in the 2026 National Weanling Sale are Lot 3, a colt out of the two-race winner and Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) fourth placegetter Novashow (NZ) (Showcasing), and Lot 54, a filly that is the first foal out of the winning mare Top Note (NZ) (Burgundy).

 

HILAL

Grangewilliam Stud’s Hilal is by the great Fastnet Rock and is a half-brother to the Group One Golden Slipper (1200m) and Galaxy Handicap (1100m) winner Marhoona (Snitzel).

Hilal’s unraced dam Salma (Encosta De Lago) has produced four stakes winners from four foals to race, with Salateen (I Am Invincible) and Trojan Harbour (Harbour Watch) both successful at Listed level. Salma’s pedigree page features champion stallion Redoute’s Choice and fellow sires such as Platinum Scissors, Manhattan Rain, Echoes Of Heaven, Rubick, Niagara, Hurricane Sky, Umatilla and Al Maher.

Hilal himself was a Group One performer at the ages of two, three and four, beginning with runner-up finishes behind Anamoe (Street Boss) in the Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and behind Captivant (Capitalist) in the Champagne Stakes (1600m).

As a three-year-old, Hilal won the Group Two Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) and the A$1m Bondi Stakes (1600m), ran second to Anamoe in the Group Two Hobartville Stakes (1400m), and finished third behind Converge (Frankel) and Anamoe in the Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m).

Hilal added another Group One performance to his record as a four-year-old, finishing fourth in the Winx Stakes (1400m) behind Anamoe, Fangirl (Sebring) and Profondo (Deep Impact).

The catalogue for the National Weanling Sale features two first-crop progeny of Hilal. Lot 36 is a filly out of the winning mare Smile (NZ) (Showcasing), while Lot 100 is a colt out of Drama Series (Pierro), from the family of Group One winners Episode (Scenic) and First Seal (Fastnet Rock).

 

MR MOZART

New Zealand’s stallion ranks have been boosted in recent seasons by a number of well-performed sons of the exceptional sire and sire of sires Snitzel, such as Sword Of State, Return To Conquer and Highview Stud’s exciting prospect Mr Mozart.

By Snitzel out of the Group Three winner and Group Two-placed Euro Angel (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), Mr Mozart was a debut winner as a two-year-old and returned at three to win four races including the Group Two Peter Pan Stakes (1500m). The runner-up in that race was Group One Flight Stakes (2000m) winner Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci).

Mr Mozart also won the Group Three Doncaster Prelude (1500m), Group Three Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) and Listed Exford Plate (1400m), beating multiple Group One winner Artorius (Flying Artie) in the latter event. Mr Mozart’s three placings included the Group Two Bill Stutt Stakes (1600m) and Group Two Theo Marks Stakes (1300m).

Mr Mozart served more than 160 mares across his first two seasons at Highview, and his first crop will be well represented at Karaka this month with six weanlings in the catalogue.

• Lot 5 is a filly out of O’Pristine (NZ) (O’Reilly), from the family of NZB Filly of the Year Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy).
• Lot 10 is a filly out of four-race winner Penthouse Kitten (NZ) (Pentire).
• Lot 25 is a filly out of Respect (NZ), an unraced Savabeel mare who is a full-sister to Group performers Live And Free (NZ) (Savabeel) and Clementina (NZ) (Savabeel). Respect’s only foal to race is the winner Respectabelle (NZ) (Belardo).
• Lot 78 is a colt out of the two-race winner Bravissimo (NZ) (Showcasing), with a pedigree page that features Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress), Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), Sovereign Red (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Gurner’s Lane (NZ) (Sir Tristram) and Trichelle (NZ) (Sir Tristram).
• Lot 83 is a colt out of Carlisle Bells (NZ) (Iffraaj), an unraced granddaughter of multiple Group One winner Tall Poppy (NZ) (Kaapstad).
• Lot 132 is a filly out of the five-race winner and Listed-placed Lipstick Lover (I Am Invincible), who is the dam of Hong Kong winner Magnificent Nine (Toronado) and Australian winner Readyinfive (Toronado).

 

PADDINGTON

Windsor Park Stud shuttle stallion Paddington made a huge impression winning seven races in his 10-start career, including an unprecedented sequence of four consecutive Group One wins in the space of 68 days in his three-year-old season.

He was trained by Aidan O’Brien to win the Irish 2000 Guineas (1600m), then added the St James’s Palace Stakes (1600m), Eclipse Stakes (2000m) and Sussex Stakes (1600m). He was Champion Miler in GB and Ireland and Joint Champion 3YO in Ireland in 2023, and he had a World Thoroughbred Ranking of 124.

Paddington is a son of the outstanding stallion Siyouni, whose long list of stakes-winning progeny includes other Group One stars such as Laurens, St Mark’s Basilica, Tahiyra, Ervedya, Amelia’s Jewel and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) hero Sottsass. Siyouni is now making his mark as a sire of sires, with St Mark’s Basilica already producing the unbeaten triple Group One winner Diamond Necklace from his first crop.

All of Paddington’s first four dams are either stakes winners or Group One performers, and his dam sires are Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe or Kentucky Derby winners.

Paddington features twice in the 2026 National Weanling Sale catalogue. Lot 116 is a half-sister to Listed William Crockett Stakes (1200m) winner Dream Queen (NZ) (Super Easy), while supplementary entry Lot 141 is a half-brother to three winners including Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) winner Lion’s Roar (NZ) (Contributer).

 

NZB's National Weanling Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre on Thursday 25 June 2026 from 11am (NZT).

All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series featuring the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).

For more information about the Sale, contact NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email [email protected].