Karaka Million: Birchley Back for More

The first Australian competitor for the $1,000,000 Karaka Million has been confirmed, and again the assault has been lead by Queensland-based trainer Liam Birchley.

Last year Birchley staged his Karaka Million assault with his $110,000 Karaka Select Sale purchase, Sarge in Charge (Golan) who finished second behind The Heckler.

Again combining with Aquanita Racing, Birchley looks to have serious ammo this year in Sister Havana (General Nediym x Ultima Vita, by Canny Lad) who destroyed a maiden field of two-year-olds in Brisbane on 2 January, winning by four lengths over Celestial Charger (Charge Forward), and ten lengths ahead of third placed D'Jet (Jetspur).

The win took her earnings to A$8,000 (approx NZ$10,000) and looks to have guaranteed her a spot in New Zealand's richest juvenile race set for Ellerslie on 31 January.

Purchased by Aquanita from Bob and Glenda Skinner's Shelby Park for $40,000 at the Karaka Select Sale, Sister Havana's only other start was her debut performance for seventh behind highly rated Gybe (Fastnet Rock) in the 13 horse Listed Gimcrack Stakes field.

From a well noted fast and precocious family, Sister Havana is half-sister to Group placed Hong Kong sprinter Tchaikovsky (Snippets) with further family relations including 2009 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward for Effort (Exceed and Excel) and stakes winning juvenile fillies Catnipped, Chuckle, and Miss Prospect.

Sister Havana is set to run again in Australia before making her way to New Zealand where she will be based, like Sarge in Charge, at Pukekohe Park.

Apart from Sister Havana moving into eighth position in the Karaka Million order of entry, other top 14 movement came from solid performances in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) on New Year's Day.

Banchee (Oratorio x Miss Jessie Jay, by Spectacularphantom) finished fast for second in the event which jumped her to fourth position in the overall standings with $19,550 in earnings.

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�General Nediym, sire of three of the Top 10 juvenile stake-earners�in the 2010 Karaka Million

Third and fourth place-getters in the Group 3 Eclipse, Everlasting (General Nediym x Tristachine, by Sir Tristram) and Big River (General Nediym x Zoilus, by Maroof), both strengthened their positions with Big River the current top earner with $33,025, and Everlasting in third spot with $20,150.

Click here for the latest standings in the 2010 Karaka Million Order of Entry with just six two-year-old events left on the New Zealand racing calendar between now and 31 January, 2010.

Ill-fated leading sire General Nediym, with three of the top 10 Karaka million entrants, has proven again that he is a superior juvenile producing stallion and has his last couple of yearling crops selling over the next two years.

Karaka 2010 will see five colts by 'The General' offered, four in Premier and one in the Select Session.

Amongst these are a colt out of stakes-winning mare Candy (Lot 313), colts out of well related Danehill mares Miss Debonair (Lot 51) and Entrust (Lot 392), the first foal of Penny Gem's (Pentire) six time winning full-sister Gemstone (Lot 418), and from Bluegables, a three-quarter brother to Au Chocolat (General Nediym) and Isurava (General Nediym) at Lot 828.