Karaka Million Campaign Underway

Australasia's first two-year-old event of the new season also heralded the launch of the battle for the 2011 one million dollar Karaka Million.

The Danfive @ Grangewilliam 800 at Wanganui on Saturday saw the Pins colt Antonio Lombardo run second behind stablemate Alvesta, but with Alvesta not eligible for the big race, it's Antonio Lombardo who gets the first money on the board in the fight to make the fourteen-horse Karaka Million field.

Both colts are trained by seasoned Karaka Million trainer, Peter McKay, who won the first Karaka Million in 2008 with Vincent Mangano (No Excuse Needed x Rationable). McKay also had the unplaced runner Sacramento in the 2009 field, but returned to glory in 2010 with his charge Joey Massino (O'Reilly) winning the inaugural $200,000 Karaka 3YO Mile.

Remarkably McKay's winning duo of Vincent Mangano and Joey Massino are half-brothers, both bred by Waikato Stud and bought from the Karaka Premier Sale for $80,000 and $140,000 respectively.

In January this year the third Karaka Million victor was the Queensland raider, Sister Havana (General Nediym x Ultima Vita), a $40,000 purchase from the Karaka Select Sale by Aquanita Racing. Trained by Liam Birchley with Stathi Katsidis aboard, the filly was the only starter to venture across the Tasman to contest the one million dollar prize pool.

The 2011 Karaka Million and Karaka 3YO Mile will take place at the Auckland Racing Club's Ellerslie racecourse on Sunday 30 January, providing the feature events of the six-race Twilight Meeting on the eve of the Karaka Premier Sale.

The final field for the Karaka Million 2YO (Res.L) (1200m) will be determined according to prize money won, with the Karaka 3YO Mile field determined by ratings.

Full details of the calendar of two-year-old races leading up to the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting can be found here on the New Zealand Bloodstock website, together with the up-to-date Order of Entry.