Freshman Sires Set to Shine at Karaka 2024

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series is often the moment when exciting young stallions announce their arrival in the Australasian industry, with huge demand for the debut crops of Almanzor and Super Seth among the notable recent examples. Now another batch of well-credentialled newcomers are about to make their mark at Karaka 2024.

The Book 1 and Book 2 catalogues feature a total of 25 first-season sires – five based in New Zealand, and 20 standing on the opposite side of the Tasman.
 

New Zealand-based sires

HELLO YOUMZAIN

One of the best-performed northern hemisphere sprinters to stand at stud in New Zealand, Hello Youmzain commands a $30,000 service fee at Cambridge Stud.

Hello Youmzain was a five-time winner from 12 career starts, including spectacular Group One sprinting triumphs in Royal Ascot’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) and the Sprint Cup (1200m) at Haydock. He was also a placegetter in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest (1300m) and the Group One Commonwealth Cup (1200m).

A son of the outstanding Irish-based stallion Kodiac, Hello Youmzain comes from a female family loaded with black type. He is a half-brother to two stakes winners and another three black-type placegetters, headed by the Group Two winner and Group One-placed Royal Youmzain (Youmzain).

Hello Youmzain’s first northern hemisphere yearlings have sold for up to 300,000 euros this year, and Book 1 of Karaka 2024 features a quality selection of 45 yearlings from his first New Zealand crop, with another eight catalogued for Book 2.

• Lot 15, from the Curraghmore draft, is a half-sister to the Group One winner Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma), the stakes winners Kuro (NZ) (Denman), Southern Lad (Ocean Park) and Distinctive Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma), and the Group Three-placed Wairau Cove (NZ) (Darci Brahma). The dam Distinctive Lass (Orientate) was stakes-placed and is the dam of seven winners from eight foals to race.
• Lot 325 is a Cambridge Stud colt out of Pretty To Sea (NZ) (Ocean Park), who won the Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and placed in the Group Three Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m), King’s Plate (1200m) and Concorde Handicap (1200m). Pretty To Sea is a half-sister to the Group Two performer Bonny O’Reilly (NZ) (O’Reilly), and also to Dahooil (NZ) (O’Reilly), who is the dam of Australian Group One star Espiona (Extreme Choice).
• The very next yearling in the catalogue is Lot 326, a filly being offered by Landsdowne Park. She is out of Pristino (More Than Ready), who is the dam of three stakes performers including the Group Two winner and Group One-placed Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy).
• Cambridge Stud’s Lot 428 is a filly out of Special Diamond (NZ) (Zabeel). The dam is a full-sister to the record-breaking $3.6m yearling Don Eduardo (NZ) (Zabeel), who went on to be a Group One Australian Derby (2400m) winner and sire. Hailing from the iconic Eight Carat line, Special Diamond is also a three-quarter-sister to Octagonal (NZ) (Zabeel), Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Mouawad (NZ) (Zabeel), Shower Of Roses (NZ) (Zabeel) and Antwerp (NZ) (Sir Tristram).
• Lot 679 is a filly offered by Windsor Park Stud. She is a half-sister to the dual Group One-winning mare Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh).

CIRCUS MAXIMUS

Multiple Group One winner Circus Maximus stands at Windsor Park Stud for a fee of $17,500.

Circus Maximus is one of 99 individual Group One winners by the legendary Galileo, whose influence is being carried on the freakish Frankel and fellow sire sons such as Teofilo, New Approach, Australia and Rip Van Winkle.

The dam of Circus Maximus is the Danehill Dancer mare Duntle, who won at Group Two and Group Three level and placed in the Group One Prix Rothschild (1600m), Matron Stakes (1600m) and Sun Chariot Stakes (1600m). Circus Maximus is one of 16 Group One winners to come from that golden cross of Galileo and Danehill Dancer, with other notables including the likes of Minding, Blue Rose Cen, Tuesday and Subjectivist.

Circus Maximus was a five-time winner on the racetrack, scoring outstanding Group One victories in Royal Ascot’s St James’s Palace Stakes (1600m) and Queen Anne Stakes (1600m), along with the Prix du Moulin (1600m) at Longchamp. He placed in another five Group One races.

Book 1 of Karaka 2024 will showcase 40 first-crop yearlings by Circus Maximus, and there are 13 in the catalogue for Book 2.

• Windsor Park Stud’s colt out of Meir (NZ) (Volksraad) is catalogued as Lot 221. This colt is a half-brother to the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) winner and Group One-placed Dynastic (NZ) (Almanzor).
• Lot 273 comes from the draft of Haunui Farm and is out of O’Maille (NZ) (O’Reilly), an unraced half-sister to Group One performer and sire Savile Row (NZ) (Makfi), as well as Group Two winner Needle And Thread (NZ) (Makfi). O’Maille’s full-sister Charmeuse (NZ) (O’Reilly) is the dam of Group One performer Arrogant (NZ) (Ocean Park). Further down the pedigree page is multiple Group One winner and sire The Gurkha (Galileo), bred on the same Galileo-Danehill Dancer cross as Circus Maximus.
• Brighthill Farm’s Circus Maximus filly will go through the ring as Lot 334. She is a half-sister to the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) winner Aloisia (NZ) (Azamour), being a daughter of the Group Two-placed mare Queen Boudicca (NZ) (Perfectly Ready).
• Lot 399, consigned by Wentwood Grange, is a half-brother to Group One winner (She’s) Licketysplit (NZ) (Turn Me Loose).
• Phoenix Park offers Lot 599, who is out of Bak Da Chief (NZ) (Chief Bearhart). That makes the colt a half-brother to the super-talented dual Group One winner Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle).
   

ANCIENT SPIRIT

The South Island’s stallion ranks have been bolstered with the addition of the well-credentialled Ancient Spirit, who stands at White Robe Lodge for a $7,000 service fee.

Ancient Spirit is by the great Invincible Spirit, a superstar sire in his own right but even better known through the deeds of sire sons such as I Am Invincible and Kingman.

The dam of Ancient Spirit is the Galileo mare Assisi, who has also produced the Group One winner Alson (Areion) and the Group Three winner Aemlilianus (Holy Roman Emperor).

Ancient Spirit was a five-time winner on the racetrack, headed by the Group Two German 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Group Two Oettingen-Rennen (1600m).

The catalogues for Karaka 2024 feature three of Ancient Spirit’s first-crop yearlings in Book 1, plus four in Book 2. All of his Book 1 yearlings are being offered in the White Robe Lodge draft.

• Lot 48 is a filly whose winning dam Erin’s Babe (NZ) (Raise The Flag) is a half-sister to Group One winner Patrick Erin (NZ) (Gallant Guru), Group Three winner Gallant Boy (NZ) (Gallant Guru) and the Group Three-placed Beijing Boy (NZ) (Yamanin Vital).
• Lot 58 is a colt out of Evancho (Shinzig), whose two foals to race have both been winners including Markus Aurelius (NZ) (Ghibellines), who won seven times up to Group Two level.
• The filly catalogued as Lot 676 is out of Coulee (NZ) (Gallant Guru), whose 10 wins included the Group Three White Robe Lodge (1600m) and two editions of the Group Three South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). Coulee’s only foal to race so far is Khor (NZ) (Savabeel), who has had four starts in Australia for a win and two second placings.

KING OF COMEDY

The only son of the sensational Kingman at stud in New Zealand, King Of Comedy stands for a service fee of $7,000 at Novara Park.

Kingman was a racehorse of the highest quality, winning seven of his eight starts including four Group Ones in his all-conquering three-year-old season. The son of Invincible Spirit has carried on in a similar vein at stud, already racking up 10 individual Group One winners including the superstar Palace Pier and Australian elite winners Zardozi and King Colorado.

King Of Comedy is a half-brother to the Group One winner Star Of Seville (Duke Of Marmalade) and the Group Three winner and Group One-placed English Ballet (Danehill Dancer).

In his own racetrack career, King Of Comedy won three times including the Listed Heron Stakes (1600m). He was also a strong-finishing second placegetter in the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes (1600m) at Royal Ascot.

King Of Comedy has two yearlings in Book 1 of Karaka 2024, with another 16 in Book 2.

• Lot 257, a colt from the draft of Phoenix Park, is a half-brother to the stakes performers Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini) and Naval Fleet (NZ) (Declaration Of War).
• Wentwood Grange has a colt catalogued as Lot 322. He is out of the Listed James HB Carr Stakes (1400m) and Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) placegetter Potions (Encosta De Lago).
• Lot 775, offered by Phoenix Park, is out of a stakes-placed three-quarter-sister to the triple Group One winner Explosive Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry).
• Lot 1051 is a half-brother to the Group Two winner, Group One placegetter and black-type producer Xpression (NZ) (Showcasing).

BANQUO

Bringing a torrent of speed both on his pedigree page and on the racetrack, Banquo has joined the star-studded roster at Waikato Stud with a service fee of $3,000.

Banquo is by one of Australia’s top stallions in Written Tycoon, who is the sire of 58 stakes winners including a dozen at Group One level. His progeny include elite performers such as Coolangatta, Capitalist and Ole Kirk.

Banquo is out of the winning Flying Spur mare Noondie, who is also the dam of Banquo’s Group One-winning full-sister Booker (Written Tycoon). Booker’s four wins included the Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m), the Group Two Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) and the Group Three Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m). She has since been retired to stud, and her first foal – a yearling colt by I Am Invincible – sold for A$2.5m earlier this year.

Himself a A$600,000 yearling, Banquo won the Listed Springtime Handicap (1400m) and placed in the Group Two Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m), Group Two Autumn Stakes (1400m) and Listed Victorian Sprint Final (1200m).

Buyers will have access to four of Banquo’s first-crop yearlings in Book 2 of Karaka 2024.

• Lot 848 is out of a half-sister to Secret Liaisons (NZ) (T.V. Heart Throb), who won the Listed James HB Carr Stakes (1400m) and is the dam of Group One winner Reigning To Win (King Of Kings).
• Lot 1043 is a son of the winning So You Think (NZ) mare War Piglet, who is a three-quarter-sister to the multiple stakes winner Theanswermyfriend (High Chaparral).

 

Australian-based sires

The catalogues for Karaka 2024 also feature the progeny of an outstanding selection of Australian-based first-season sire talent.

The sires represented include Group One winners Admire Mars, Bivouac, Cool Aza Beel (NZ), Earthlight, Farnan, Fierce Impact, Ghaiyyath, King’s Legacy, Lucky Vega, Ole Kirk, Russian Camelot, Tagaloa and Wootton Bassett.

Cool Aza Beel is coming full-circle, having himself been offered in Book 1 of Karaka 2019 as a yearling. He was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $150,000 from the draft of Fairdale Stud, and he won four of his six starts and more than $700,000 in stakes. His biggest victories came in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m). He was later retired to stand at Newhaven Park.

This new crop of Australian-based sires includes several winners of renowned stallion-making races. Farnan won the Group One Golden Slipper (1200m) in March of 2020, while King’s Legacy completed an autumn Group One two-year-old double in the Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m).

Ole Kirk was Group One-placed as a juvenile, then went to a new level the following spring with brilliant victories in the Golden Rose (1400m) and Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

Godolphin star Bivouac also won the Golden Rose, along with Group One sprint triumphs in Flemington’s Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and Darley Sprint Classic (1200m).

The Irish-bred Russian Camelot was technically still a two-year-old when he won the Group One South Australian Derby (2500m) in the autumn of 2020. He later added the Group One Underwood Stakes (1800m) and placed in the Cox Plate (2040m), Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Caulfield Stakes (2000m).

Tagaloa was a scintillating winner of Melbourne’s most prestigious two-year-old race, the Blue Diamond (1200m) at Caulfield in February of 2020. He placed in the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) as a three-year-old.

Wootton Bassett is a familiar name in these parts of the world due to his outstanding sire son Almanzor, who headlines the roster at Cambridge Stud. Wootton Bassett himself was a French Group One winner as a two-year-old, and he retired to stand in France in 2012. Almanzor is the best of nine Group One winners for the Iffraaj stallion, who began shuttling between Coolmore’s Irish and Australian operations in 2021.

View the full Book 1 Catalogue here and Book 2 here.