First Season Sires on Show in NZB National Online Yearling Sale

An exciting new crop of first-season sires turned heads at Karaka 2022 last month, and now New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2022 National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus is giving buyers another chance to get their hands on the first progeny of these promising up-and-comers.

Of the 43 different sires represented in the catalogue, there are six first-crop New Zealand stallions – Ace High, Embellish (NZ), Eminent, Jon Snow (NZ), Ocean Emperor (NZ) and Staphanos.

 

ACE HIGH

Rich Hill Stud’s Ace High was a top-class racehorse, winning the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m), Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), Group Two Hill Stakes (2000m) and Group Three Gloaming Stakes (1800m). He also placed in another three stakes races including the Group One Australian Derby (2400m).

A son of exceptional sire and sire of sires High Chaparral, Ace High has made a favourable impression with his first yearlings this season.

He had 26 yearlings sold during Karaka 2022 for a total of $1,557,000, selling for up to $160,000 and bought by the likes of Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis, Australia’s Tricolours Racing and Syndications, and trainers Lisa Latta, Greg Hickman, Patrick Payne, Bjorn Baker, Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Pike Racing, and Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott.

The National Online Yearling Sale features three yearlings by Ace High – a colt and two fillies.

Lot 25 is a colt out of the stakes-placed mare Devour (NZ) (Bachelor Duke), who is the dam of three-race winner Sir Beets (NZ) (Proisir).

 

EMBELLISH 

Himself a $775,000 purchase from Karaka 2016, Embellish (NZ) was a standout racetrack performer for Te Akau Racing, winning three races headed by the prestigious Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), along with a runner-up result in the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).

By Savabeel and a full-brother to Group One-winning mare Diademe (NZ), there has been a buzz around Embellish since he began his stallion career at Cambridge Stud in 2019.

His Karaka 2022 debut saw 16 yearlings sell for a total of $687,000, secured by respected judges and horsemen such as David Ellis, Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Peter Moody and Stephen Marsh.

Six sons or daughters of Embellish are available in the National Online Yearling Sale.

Lot 32 is a colt out of Fazzle (NZ) (Johar), who won eight races including the Group Two Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). She also placed in the Group One Waikato Sprint (1400m), and she is the dam of four foals to race – five-race winner Blue Glory (NZ) (Foxwedge), plus three placegetters.

Lot 65 is out of Pinotage (NZ) (Pins), a sister to $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) placegetter Felton Road (NZ) (Pins), from the family of Group One stars Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel) and Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci).

 

EMINENT 

A Group One performer in both hemispheres in the famous colours of Pencarrow Stud, Eminent stands at Brighthill Farm.

Eminent is a son of one of the world’s greatest-ever racehorses, Frankel, who won all of his 14 starts including 10 at Group One level. He has continued in a similar vein at stud, named champion British and Irish sire last year and siring Derby winners Adayar and Hurricane Lane.

The dam of Eminent is You’ll Be Mine (Kingmambo), who was a winner at two and placed in the Group One Fillies’ Mile (1600m) at Ascot.

Eminent won three of his 13 starts including the Group Two Prix Guillaume (2000m) and Group Three Craven Stakes (1600m). He also made his mark at the elite level, finishing sixth in the English 2000 Guineas (1600m), fourth in the Epsom Derby (2400m), fifth in the Eclipse Stakes (2000m), third in the Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) and fifth in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (2000m). He later travelled to Sydney, where he ran second in the Group One Ranvet Stakes (2000m).

Eminent had eight first-crop yearlings sold during Karaka 2022, headed by a $250,000 price tag for a half-brother to Group One performer Let’s Karaka Deel (NZ) (Dundeel), bought by Chris Waller Racing and Guy Mulcaster. The purchasers of other Eminent yearlings included Pike Racing, David Ellis and Pitman Racing.

There is one Eminent yearling available in the National Online Yearling Sale. Lot 82 is out of the three-race winner She’s Prismatic (NZ) (Mastercraftsman), a close relative of Group One Flight Stakes (1600m) winner Unearthly (NZ) (Zabeel).

 

JON SNOW

A multiple big-race performer on both sides of the Tasman, Jon Snow (NZ) stands at Clearview Park Stud in Timaru. 

By the high-class former Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Iffraaj, Jon Snow is out of a winning mare by O’Reilly (NZ) who is a half-sister to the multiple stakes winner (Mr) Ubiquitous (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat) and descends from the champion Solveig (NZ) (Imposing). This damline has produced dozens of stakes performers including Group One winner Gallic (NZ) (Zabeel) and trans-Tasman stakes star Floria (NZ) (Savabeel).

Jon Snow himself was offered by Haunui Farm at Karaka 2015, where his co-trainer Andrew Forsman bought him for $65,000. He won four of his 23 starts and earned over $2 million in stakes.

His biggest triumph came in the Group One Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick, while he also won the Group Two Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and Group Three JRA Cup (2040m). His long list of big-race placings included the Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m), Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), Zabeel Classic (2000m), Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and Levin Classic (1600m).

Four yearlings by Jon Snow were sold at Karaka 2022 for a total of $113,000, going to stables such as Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott’s Wexford Stables.

Three Jon Snow yearlings are in the catalogue for the National Online Yearling Sale.

Lot 59 is a colt out of the unraced Natural Glow (NZ) (Natural Destiny), a half-sister to the stakes performers Croatia (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat) and Global Beauty (NZ) (Highly Recommended).

 

OCEAN EMPEROR 

Weowna Park’s Ocean Emperor (NZ) is by the legendary Zabeel (NZ) out of Tootsie (NZ) (Pins), who won seven races including the Group Three Mannerism Stakes (1200m) and Listed Supa Centa Sprint (1200m). Tootsie also placed in the Group One Telegraph Handicap (1200m), and her close relatives include Group Two winner Legless Veuve (NZ) (Pins) and the dams of Group One stars Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel).

Ocean Emperor is the best of four winners out of Tootsie, who is also the granddam of this season’s Group One Flight Stakes (1600m) heroine Never Been Kissed (Tivaci).

From 28 starts, Ocean Emperor recorded nine wins and five placings. He won the Group Two Tauranga Stakes (1600m) twice, along with the Group Two Japan-NZ International Trophy (1600m).

Himself a $450,000 purchase from Karaka 2013, Ocean Emperor has two fillies from his first yearling crop in the National Online Yearling Sale catalogue.

Lot 62 is out of a winning More Than Ready mare whose dam is a half-sister to the champion racehorse and highly successful sire So You Think (NZ).

 

STAPHANOS 

Novara Park’s Staphanos is a son of the Japanese phenomenon Deep Impact, a world-class racehorse who has gone on to be champion sire in Japan for all of the last 10 years in succession. His 184 individual stakes-winning progeny include Group One headline acts such as Gentildonna, Contrail, A Shin Hikari, Loves Only You, Gran Alegria, Fierce Impact, Profondo and many more.

The dam of Staphanos is Kokoshink (Kurofune), a full-sister to the stakes winner Golden Hind (Kurofune). Herself a three-race winner, Kokoshink is the dam of six winners including two black-type performers. Staphanos is the best of those, while Finift (Deep Impact) placed at Group Three level.

Staphanos raced from the age of two to seven, winning four of his 31 starts including the Group Three Saudi Arabia Royal Cup Fuji Stakes (1600m). He was also a five-time Group One placegetter in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), Hong Kong Cup (2000m), Osaka Hai (2000m) and two editions of the Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m).

During Karaka 2022, 14 yearlings by Staphanos were sold for a total of $950,500. A half-sister to the multiple Group One winner Explosive Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) was bought by Chris Waller Racing and Yes Bloodstock for $250,000, while a half-sister to the stakes performer Explosively (NZ) (Sweynesse) was a $200,000 purchase by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis.

Other purchasers of Staphanos yearlings included Paul Moroney, Lisa Latta, Allan Sharrock and Ben Kwok.

Two yearlings by Staphanos are being offered during the National Online Yearling Sale.

Lot 23 is a filly out of Dawn Chorus (NZ) (Ekraar), an unraced daughter of the Listed winner and Group One Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m) runner-up Tui Song (NZ) (Centaine).

 

Bidding will run for a two-day period, commencing on Monday 18 April at 9am (NZT), with the first lot closing on Wednesday 20 April at 6pm (NZT). Buyers must register on Gavelhouse Plus in advance in order to gain bidding approval.

All lots purchased from the National Online Yearling Sale are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Million Series. Just nine short months after they make their virtual sale-ring debut, graduates of the online sale can compete for a share of the $1m Doubletree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) in their three-year-old season, and then the $100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup (2200m) for the remainder of their careers.

All horses will be inspected by NZB Agents who are available to assist buyers with enquiries and buyers can also contact vendors to arrange their own on farm/private viewings. View the 2022 National Online Yearling Sale parade schedule here.

Vendors have supplied photos and video footage to give prospective buyers the best possible information about each lot on offer. View a full list of vendor contacts here.

View the 87-lot catalogue on Gavelhouse Plus here.