Karaka 2017 to Showcase the Cream of the Australasian Sire Crop

16 January 2017

2016 Premier Sale Topper - Lot 455, Frankel x Our Echezeaux
2016 Premier Sale Topper - Lot 455, Frankel x Our Echezeaux

All of the biggest names in New Zealand and Australia’s sire ranks will be represented in force at the upcoming 2017 National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka.

Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel had a boomer of a Sale in 2016, amassing an aggregate of $11.545 million in the Premier session alone. Last season’s champion sire in terms of domestic, Australasian and worldwide earnings, and the leading sire again so far in 2016-17, Savabeel will again be represented by an impressive crop of 64 yearlings in the Premier catalogue.

Another sire with significant representation at Karaka 2017 is Cambridge Stud’s Tavistock, who sired three Derby winners last season – Tarzino (NZ) in the Victoria Derby, Tavago (NZ) in the Australian Derby and Werther (NZ) in the Hong Kong Derby. Tavistock has 56 yearlings in the 2017 Premier Sale.

Poised to make an impact at Karaka is legendary racehorse Frankel, the winner of all 14 of his starts including 10 at Group 1 level, has made an incredible start to his stud career. His winning record includes the Group 1 Ascot Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot Champion Stakes, and York International Stakes. Frankel has sired 44 runners, with 18 winners who have collectively won 31 races, six of them at stakes level including Japanese Group 1 winner Soul Stirring.

His yearling colt catalogued for last year’s Sale, his first progeny to be sold in Australasia, topped the Sale at an impressive $1.3 million. At Karaka 2017 a Frankel yearling will be offered by Curraghmore and is out of the stakes-winning German mare Give Me Five. The yearling is a half-brother to Ascot Gold Cup winner Colour Vision.

For Waikato Stud this Sale will carry special significance as it will mark the final yearling crop of the late O’Reilly to go through the sale ring at Karaka.

A multiple Group 1 winner on the racetrack himself, O’Reilly has sired 85 individual stakes winners including more than a dozen at the highest level.

His star performers around the world include the likes of War Affair (NZ), Sacred Falls (NZ), Silent Achiever (NZ), Shamexpress (NZ), Shamrocker (NZ), The Jewel (NZ) and Alamosa (NZ).

O’Reilly’s progeny have earned more than $128 million in prize-money worldwide.

His final Karaka crop features 43 Lots in the Premier session, including Lot 205, a brother to Sacred Falls offered by last year’s leading vendor Waikato Stud. Another is Lot 10, a brother to Shamexpress to be offered by Beltana Stud.

Shooting to the top of the Australian sires table over the weekend was I Am Invincible with his progeny running at an impressive 49% winners to runners. Among those winners is Group 1 VRC Myer Classic winning filly I Am A Star (NZ). Three I Am Invincible yearlings will go under the Hammer at Karaka 2017.

Popular Australian sire Snitzel has nine yearlings catalogued in Premier Sale. The Arrowfield-based stallion sired Cox Plate winner and champion 3YO colt Shamus Award, along with multiple stakes winners Hot Snitzel, Snitzerland, Sizzling and Sweet Idea. Lot 25 is a Snitzel colt from the esteemed Eight Carat family and is to be offered by Cambridge Stud.

Fastnet Rock has been a constant presence among the leading sires at Karaka in recent years, and 2017 is set to be more of the same with 14 well-bred yearlings in the Premier catalogue. Currently fourth on the Australian leading sires table and eleventh on the New Zealand table, his crop of yearlings being presented at Karaka 2017 include a half-brother to five time Group 1 winner Jimmy Choux (Lot 98), a daughter of champion 3YO Katie Lee (Lot 231), and a colt out of a winning daughter to Broodmare of the Year Parfore (Lot 173).

Other sires represented in the Sale include Burgundy, Choisir, Darci Brahma, Dalghar, Exceed and Excel, Foxwedge, High Chaparral, Hinchinbrook, Iffraaj, Jakkalberry, Lonhro, Makfi, Medaglia d’Oro, Ocean Park, Pentire, Per Incanto, Pierro, Pins, Power, Redoute’s Choice, Redwood, Reliable Man, Rip Van Winkle, Sebring, Shamexpress, Shocking, Star Witness, Stratum, So You Think, Super Easy, Written Tycoon and Zacinto.

KARAKA 2017 SCHEDULE

NZB’s Yearling Sales Series catalogues are available on the free iPad application, can be requested from reception@nzb.co.nz or viewed online at www.nzb.co.nz.