Karaka Graduates Light Up Kranji’s Two Decades

Dozens of exceptional racehorses have graced Kranji’s turf between its opening in 2000 and the final Singapore race meeting last weekend, and many of those equine marvels have been sourced from New Zealand. 

Between 2003 and 2023, Singapore’s coveted Horse of the Year Award has been won on no fewer than 13 occasions by graduates of NZB sales at Karaka. Fellow Kiwi-bred star Bocelli (NZ) (Lord Ballina) also claimed Horse of the Year honours in 2001. 
 

2003 – ZIRNA (NZ) 

• Deputy Governor – Riverly Lass (by Gleam Machine) 

• Bred by Jim Campin. 

• 

  Offered by Chequers Stud at the 2000 Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka, where Stephen Autridge bought her for $40,000. 

• Raced in the blue and white colours of Westbury Stud’s then-owner Eric Watson. 

• Won four races in New Zealand, culminating in the Group One New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha in March of 2003. 

• Later recorded three wins and two placings from only five starts in Singapore, earning more than S$1.29m. 

• Completed a rare treble of victories in the S$145,000 Singapore Derby Trial (1600m), the $340,000 Raffles Cup (1800m) and the S$1.45m Singapore Gold Cup (2200m). Also ran second in the S$250,000 Patron’s Bowl (1400m) and third in the S$600,000 Singapore Derby (2000m). 

• Later competed in Dubai, where she finished fifth in the Melbourne Trophy (1600m) and sixth in the Al Rashidiya Stakes (1700m). 

• Voted Singapore’s Horse of the Year and Champion 4YO Female in 2003. 

• Went on to be an influential broodmare, producing seven winners from nine foals to race including the multiple Australian stakes winner Crafty Irna (Starcraft) and Group Three-placed Zing (Zoutar). She is also granddam of another three black-type performers. 
   

2005 – BIG EASY (NZ) 

• Spinning World – Nicole’s Niner (by Forty Niner) 

• Bred by J R & M A Mugavin 

• Offered by Waikato Stud at the 2003 Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka, where he was bought for $35,000 by Bruce Wallace. 

• Relocated to Singapore after showing promise in two New Zealand trials under the name Currency. 

• Lined up in 75 races in Singapore, winning 10 and placing in another 18. Earned more than S$1.36m. His wins came over distances ranging from 1200 to 2000 metres. 

• His wins included the S$300,000 Raffles Cup (1800m), S$180,000 Singapore 3YO Challenge (1600m), S$110,000 Singapore Guineas (1600m) and S$110,000 Three Rings Trophy (1400m).  

• He also placed in the S$1.2m Singapore Gold Cup (2200m), the S$900,000 Singapore Derby (2000m), the S$300,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) and the S$110,000 Stewards’ Cup (1400m). 

 

2007 & 2008 – WHY BE 

• Success Express – Charybdis (by Royal Academy) 

• Bred by L & S Tall 

• He is the second Chequers Stud graduate on this list, and the second one purchased by Bruce Wallace. Offered at the 2004 Select Yearling Sale at Karaka, he was bought for just $26,000. 

• A three-time trial winner in New Zealand, he relocated to Singapore and had 52 starts for 21 wins, 12 placings and more than S$2.02m – over 70 times his purchase price. 

• His wins included the S$500,000 Lion City Cup (1200m), S$225,000 Singapore 3YO Challenge (1200m), S$200,000 Kranji Sprint (1200m), S$200,000 Singapore 4YO Sprint (1200m), S$90,000 Singapore Juvenile Championship (1200m) and three editions of the S$200,000 Fischer Stakes (1200m). 
   

2012 & 2013 – SUPER EASY (NZ) 

• Darci Brahma – Parfore (by Gold Brose) 

• Bred by Mike Ryan. 

• Offered in Esker Lodge’s draft at the 2010 Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka, where Blue Sky Thoroughbreds secured him for $140,000. 

• Started his career with three starts in New Zealand. He was a debut winner at Trentham, beating subsequent Group One winner Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock), then ran second in the Group Three Eclipse Stakes (1200m), beaten by a nose by that season’s champion two-year-old Anabandana (Anabaa). His only other start on Kiwi soil produced a close fourth in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m). 

• Went on to have 18 starts in Singapore, winning 14 and placing in another four. He earned over S$2m in prize-money. 

• Won all of his first 12 starts in a row in Singapore, including the S$350,000 EW Barker Trophy (1400m), the S$200,000 Three Rings Trophy (1400m), the S$250,000 Singapore 3YO Sprint (1200m), the S$350,000 Singapore 3YO Classic (1400m), the S$500,000 Singapore Guineas (1600m), the S$200,000 Paititi Gold Trophy (1200m) and the S$200,000 Jumbo Jet Trophy (1400m). 

• Surprisingly beaten into second in the S$500,000 Kranji Mile (1600m), he later added the S$500,000 Lion City Cup (1200m) and S$500,000 Patron’s Bowl (1600m) to his trophy cabinet. He also placed in the S$1m Group One KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) and the S$300,000 Stewards’ Cup (1400m). 

• Never out of a place at Kranji, he also ventured to Hong Kong and finished sixth in the HK$3m Group Two Jockey Club Sprint (1200m). 

• Voted Singapore’s Horse of the Year in 2012 and 2013, he was also Champion 3YO in 2012 and Champion Sprinter in 2013. 

• Later embarked on a stud career, which has so far produced 104 winners from only 180 runners. His seven individual stakes winners include Group One winner Bonny Lass (NZ) and Group Three winners Prom Queen (NZ), Sheezallmine (NZ), Easy Eddie (NZ) and Super Strike (NZ). 

 

2014 – WAR AFFAIR (NZ) 

• O’Reilly – Kristique (by Kris S.) 

• Bred by Trelawney Thoroughbred Ltd. 

• Offered in the Trelawney Stud draft at the 2012 Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka, he was a $70,000 purchase by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis. 

• Won a trial in New Zealand before heading to Singapore, where he had 43 starts for 16 wins, five placings and S$3.1m in stakes. 

• He recorded 12 black-type wins including the S$500,000 Singapore Guineas (1600m), S$500,000 Patron’s Bowl (1600m), S$500,000 Kranji Mile (1600m), S$500,000 Raffles Cup (1800m), S$500,000 Lion City Cup (1200m), S$325,000 Golden Horseshoe (1200m) and $260,000 Stewards’ Cup (1400m). 

• Placed in another four stakes races including the S$1.15m Singapore Derby (2000m). 

• Horse of the Year and Champion 3YO in Singapore in 2014. He was also voted Champion 2YO in 2013 and Champion 4YO and Champion Miler in 2015. 

 

2016 – DEBT COLLECTOR (NZ) 

• Thorn Park – Prompt Payment (by In The Wings) 

• Bred by Windsor Park Stud, who offered him at the 2014 Select Yearling Sale at Karaka. He was bought for $30,000 by Michael Wallace. 

• Later reoffered by Prima Park at the 2014 Ready to Run Sale, where Cliff Brown Racing secured him for $120,000. 

• From 24 starts in Singapore, he picked up 12 wins, four placings and more than S$3.1m. 

• Won the S$1m Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m), the S$700,000 Kranji Mile (1600m), the S$500,000 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m), the S$500,000 Singapore Guineas (1600m) and two editions of the S$700,000 Raffles Cup (1800m). 

• Voted Horse of the Year, Champion 3YO and Champion Miler in Singapore in 2016. Also voted Champion Older Horse and Champion Miler in 2018. 

 

2017 – INFANTRY (NZ) 

• Tavistock – The Nightingale (by Stravinsky) 

• Bred by legendary former Cambridge Stud owners Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan. Sir Patrick, who sadly died in early 2023, now has the Sir Patrick Hogan Auditorium at Karaka named in his honour. 

• Infantry was offered by Cambridge Stud at the 2013 National Weanling Sale at Karaka, where he was bought for just $7000 by Ms A Rutten. 

• In a Singapore career that spanned 26 starts, Infantry recorded nine wins and 10 placings. He earned more than S$1.9m. 

• Infantry won the S$1.15m Singapore Derby (2000m), the S$700,000 Kranji Mile (1600m), S$350,000 Merlion Trophy (1200m) and S$200,000 Moonbeam Vase (1800m). He was also a six-time placegetter at black-type level. 

• Voted Singapore’s Horse of the Year, Champion 4YO and Champion Miler in 2017. 

 

2019 – I’M INCREDIBLE 

• Lope De Vega – Moment In Time (by Archway) 

• Bred by Patinack Farm. 

• Offered by Curraghmore at the 2016 Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka, where Aquis Farm bought him for $260,000. 

• Lined up in 18 races in Singapore and recorded six wins and a second. Earned S$672,047 in stakes. 

• Recorded five consecutive wins during an exceptional 2019 campaign, including the S$800,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m), the S$175,000 Committee’s Prize (1600m) and the S$150,000 El Dorado Classic (2000m). 

 

2020 – INFERNO 

• Holy Roman Emperor – Spina Rosa (by Redoute’s Choice) 

• 

  Bred by Westbury Stud. 

• A member of Westbury Stud’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2018, Inferno was bought by Cliff Brown Racing for $140,000. 

• From only nine starts in Singapore, Inferno had eight wins and a second placing. He earned S$907,672. 

• His wins included the S$400,000 Singapore Guineas (1600m), the S$400,000 Lion City Cup (1200m), the S$250,000 Singapore 3YO Classic (1400m), the S$250,000 Golden Horseshoe (1200m) and the S$175,000 Saas Fee Stakes (1200m). 

• He went on to compete Australia under the name The Inferno, where he has added more than A$1m to his career earnings including a victory in the A$300,000 Group Two Ian McEwen Stakes (1000m) and a second placing in the A$1m Group One Moir Stakes (1000m). 

• Voted Singapore’s Horse of the Year, Champion 3YO and Champion Sprinter in 2020. He was also Singapore’s Champion 2YO in 2019. 

 

2022 & 2023 – LIM’S KOSCIUSZKO 

• Kermadec – Jacquetta (by Keeper) 

• Bred by Trelawney Stud and Cherry Taylor. 

• Trelawney Stud offered the superstar in Book 1 of Karaka 2019, where he failed to meet his $75,000 reserve. He later returned to Karaka in Trelawney’s draft for the Ready to Run Sale, where he failed to meet his $60,000 reserve. 

• Arguably one of the greatest to ever race in Singapore, he has had 28 starts at Kranji for 22 wins, four second placings and more than S$3.5m in stakes. 

• Lim’s Kosciuszko has scored a dozen wins at black-type level, including three wins in the S$300,000 Lion City Cup (1200m), a win in the S$1m Singapore Gold Cup (2000m), and another eight victories in between those two extreme distances. 

• The champion racehorse has earned more 50 times his reserve at Karaka 2019, and 60 times his reserve at the Ready to Run Sale. 

• As well as being voted Singapore’s Horse of the Year in both 2022 and 2023, he was also Champion 4YO and Champion Sprinter in 2022. He completed a clean sweep of the distance categories in 2023, being named Champion Sprinter, Champion Miler and Champion Stayer. 

 

Another champion Singapore racehorse that belongs in this summary is the mighty Waikato (NZ) (Pins).  Bred by Amadi Park, he was offered by Highview Stud at the 2005 Premier Yearling Sale and bought by legendary trainer Laurie Laxon for $50,000. Waikato had 76 starts for 19 wins, 24 placings and more than S$3 million in stakes.  His major victories included the Kranji Mile (1600m), Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), Saas Fee Stakes (1400m), Singapore 4YO Sprint (1200m) and twin triumphs in the Jumbo Jet Trophy (1400m). He was voted Champion Older Horse in Singapore in 2008, 2009 and 2011, Champion Older Miler in 2009 and 2010, and Champion Middle Distance Horse in 2010. 

 

A force to be reckoned with on the buyers’ bench 

Those incredible results have drawn Singapore buyers to Karaka in big numbers throughout the last couple of decades. 

The major buyers during that period include: 

• Shane Baertschiger, who bought 28 horses from the Ready to Run Sale between 2011 and 2020, spending more than $2.9m. 21 of those purchases went on to win races, including black-type performers Faaltless (Faltaat) and Blue Swede (NZ) (O’Reilly). 

• Cliff Brown bought 25 horses from NZB sales during his Singapore training career, spending over $1.86m. 20 of those purchases won races, headed by champions Debt Collector (NZ) (Thorn Park) and Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor). His other notable purchases included the stakes winner Boomba (NZ) (Showcasing) and stakes-placed Magstock (NZ) (Tavistock) and Could Be Pearls (NZ) (Alamosa). 

• Michael Clements, who signed for more than $2.5m worth of purchases from Karaka over the last couple of decades. His notable Karaka recruits include stakes winners Alibi (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Totality (NZ) (Danroad), Tannhauser (NZ) (Tavistock). 

 

While Saturday’s race meeting closed out a 180 year plus history of racing in Singapore, NZB’s Director of Business Development Mike Kneebone continues his association with the jurisdiction. 

“On my most recent visit, it was great to check in with the remaining trainers there and wish them the best of their next endeavours, whether that be Malaysia, Australia or New Zealand.” 

“There are many of our good clients in Singapore who wish to continue racing and breeding, despite the close of their domestic racing industry and I look forward to maintaining these relationships going forward.”