High-flying Vendors Present Quality Drafts

Sire power, impeccable female bloodlines and the enviable reputation of the New Zealand thoroughbred’s performance on the track are set to combine in NZB’s Karaka May Sale.

Heading into the 2018 Sale, 51 vendors from across the country have a selection of 518 weanlings, yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced stock, racehorses and broodmares set to be presented to domestic and international buyers.

Hawera-based vendor Dan Myers took top billing by both aggregate and average in the 2017 Sale with an aggregate of $862,700, and average of $45,405, for 19 weanlings sold. His Holy Roman Emperor colt (Lot 217) topped the Sale at $175,000 with Australian agent Andrew Williams Bloodstock placing the final bid. Selling his entire foal crop, Myers has another 20 quality weanlings in the 2018 catalogue with all signs pointing towards another successful draft.

Featuring extensively as leading vendor at the Sale over the years, Curraghmore have continuously offered quality drafts with a focus on weanlings. Last year the stud sold 18 horses for total receipts of $670,500 including the second top lot – a Savabeel colt (Lot 30) with Andrew Williams Bloodstock also the buyer. A wide ranging line-up of proven and young sires will be well represented in Curraghmore’s draft of 30. Again featuring mostly weanlings, he will also offer a significantly larger yearling draft with nine catalogued as well as two racehorses and six broodmares.

The small Pukekohe operation Cambria Park presented 17 horses at last year’s Sale. A colt by Savabeel (Lot 22) fetched $120,000 and their broodmare In the Rain (High Chaparral) (Lot 391) who had been served by Ocean Park went for $60,000. At the top end of vendors by aggregate, their 15 horses sold for total receipts of $489,250. Another well balanced draft of weanlings, yearlings, racehorses and broodmares will make up the 14 horses set to be consigned by Cambria Park.

Experienced vendors Haunui Farm and Brighthill Farm, who have both produced phenomenal results at the Sale in recent years, will offer the largest drafts this year. While they are big in size, they are also big in quality.

Haunui Farm’s resident sires have had a strong season on the track with Iffraaj producing international Group 1 winner Gingernuts (NZ) and Showcasing producing Group 2-winning filly Xpression (NZ). Their graduates of the Sale have also delivered results this season with So Far Sokool (NZ) (Showcasing) winning the Listed Bendigo Stakes and Pendleton (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) winning the Listed Dunedin Gold Cup. Their draft of 39 – including weanlings, yearlings and broodmares, will feature Iffraaj, Showcasing and their late sire Ferlax along with other standout sires.

Well-known for their quality selection of weanlings and broodmares, Waikato-based nursery Brighthill Farm have again bought together a strong 37-lot draft with weanlings by promising sires, including their very own Dalghar who produced Karaka Million 3YO Classic winner Scott Base (NZ), and winning mares who have been served by exciting young sires.

Stakes-winning graduates of the Sale have put focus on several vendors giving them the perfect assistance when it comes to offering up a 2018 draft.

At the top of the list comes Blandford Lodge whose star graduate Ladies First (NZ) (Dylan Thomas) is a last start winner overcoming a wide run to claim the Group 1 Auckland Cup. Selling out of the Yearling session for $8,000 she has won more than 60 times here purchase price. Other graduates of the farm include $12,000 weanling Guns at Five (NZ) (Duelled) who is a dual stakes winner and multiple Group performer. This year they have put together a draft of nine weanlings and broodmares.

Rich Hill Stud enjoyed Group 1 success with their classy graduate I Am a Star (NZ) (I Am Invincible) who won the Group 1 Myers Classic at Flemington. She came back to winning form in this seasons Group 2 WH Stocks Stakes notching up her seventh career win. Their $600 weanling graduate Courte Zarindi (NZ) (Any Suggestion) also sealed the 2017-18 Southern Filly of the Year title with a victory in last weekend’s Listed NZB Warstep Stakes. Rich Hill Stud will offer a draft of 24 weanlings, yearlings and broodmares including young stock by resident sires Jimmy Choux, Shocking, Proisir and the late Pentire.

Dual Group 1 winner Puccini (NZ) (Encosta de Lago) was offered at the Sale by Monovale Farm and fetched $175,000 as a weanling. Scoring a total of seven Group wins, the Champion 3YO in New Zealand now stands at Mapperley Stud. Monovale Farm have a boutique draft of seven weanlings lined up for the Sale.

Earlier in the year Bradbury Park’s winning graduate Belle du Nord (NZ) (Reliable Man) placed second in the Group 1 Levin Classic after a strong two-year-old campaign where she was runner up behind Champion 2YO Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes. The filly was consigned in the Yearling session where she fetched $50,000, and Bradbury Park will again offer a quality selection of 21 weanlings, yearlings and broodmares.

Boutique operation Poplar Lodge have appeared throughout NZB Sales previously, but this year they will make their debut appearances into the Karaka May Sale presenting a draft of three weanlings and one broodmare.

A total of 51 vendors will be offering their drafts for Sale at Karaka on 7 and 8 May. Selling commences at 10am each day with 158 lots catalogued including the progeny of 141 sires. There are siblings to 23 Group 1 winners while 10 lots are out of Group 1-winning dams.

All yearlings offered will now be eligible to be nominated for the Karaka Million Series which comprises of two $1 million races – the Karaka Million 2YO and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic, as well as the $100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup for the remainder of their careers.

You can view the catalogue online or request a copy from Faye Hunt at reception@nzb.co.nz. For travel and accommodation information contact Harry King at Harry.King@nzb.co.nz.