Karaka Million Field Starting to Take Shape
9 January 2009
The competition to make the field for the $1,000,000 Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie is hotting up with just fivetwo-year old only races remaining in New Zealand before the 25 January feature.
With the order of entry for the 14 horse-race determined by the prizemoney won, the next seventeen days leading up to the second running of New Zealand's richest two-year-old race will see many trying to boost their chances of a start.
With this in mind attention turns to the New Zealand Bloodstock-sponsored Countdown to Karaka 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie this Saturday which boasts a field chock full of Karaka Million hopefuls with twenty entrants, nineteen of which are nominated for the race.
The entire current fourteen-horse field is Karaka Million eligible, with The Heckler, Mexican Rose (Volksraad - Down View, by Gone West) and Corsage (Volksraad - Spray, by Entrepreneur) seeking to maintain their position in the current top fourteen in the order of entry, while the remainder of the field will be chasing the $9,000 first prize to give themselves a chance of making the final field.
Currently heading the Karaka Million order of entry is Group 3 Eclipse Stakes winner Katie Lee (Pins - Miss Jessie Jay, by Spectacularphantom) with $79,175 in accumulated stakes earnings, while confirmed Australian entrant Sarge in Charge (Golan - Dainty, by Fairy King) sits in second position with A$42,000. The top of the leader board is not where the action is taking place however. It is current seventh place, The Heckler (Lucky Owner's - Comedy Caf, by Rory's Jester), and entrants below him that will be pushing to maintain or gain a position in the field.
The current top fifteen are in the following positions:
1. Katie Lee (Graeme Rogerson, Scott Lucock, and Royden Bergerson): Has recovered well after winning the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and will race next in the Karaka Million.
2. Sarge In Charge (Liam Birchley): Will have his next start in the Karaka Million on 25 January.
3. Winter King (David Payne): A decision on whether this colt will fly over to contest the race is yet to be confirmed.
4. Optimizing (David Hayes): A decision on whether this filly will fly over from Australia to contest the race will be made early next week.
5. Brazilian Princess (Alan Bailey): Will not make the trip from Australia to New Zealand to contest the race.
6. Sacramento (Peter McKay): Has recovered well after finishing second to Katie Lee in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and will race next in the Karaka Million.
7. The Heckler (Murray and Bjorn Baker): Races at Ellerslie on January 10 in the Countdown to Karaka 2YO (1200m), Race 3 at 1.22pm. All going well he will then line up in the Karaka Million.
8. Ransom Success (Mark Walker): Has travelled up from the South Island and is set for the Karaka Million on January 25.
9. Rachine (Andrew Scott): Will have her next start in the Karaka Million on 25 January.
10. Dawned (Anthony Cummings): Will not make the trip from Australia to New Zealand to contest the race.
11. Mexican Rose (Bruce Wallace): Races at Ellerslie on January 10 in the Countdown to Karaka 2YO (1200m), Race 3 at 1.22pm.
12. Bewitch (Andrew Scott): Will have her next start in the Karaka Million on 25 January.
13. Corsage (Mark Walker): Races at Ellerslie on January 10 in the Countdown to Karaka 2YO (1200m), Race 3 at 1.22pm.
14. Belle De Jeu (Moira Murdoch): Will have her next start in the Karaka Million on 25 January.
15. Veldt (Murray and Bjorn Baker): Will contest the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham on January 17. He will then contest the Karaka Million providing everything is in place.
The Karaka Million, the curtain raiser to New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sales Series (26 January - 2 February), will be held at Auckland Racing Club's Ellerslie Racecourse on 25 January with the action packed six-race Twilight Meeting starting at 4.30pm.
The sale will offer 1710 young thoroughbreds including a half sister to current Karaka Million Order of Entry leader Katie Lee at Lot 129. Part of the Hallmark Stud draft the bay filly is by first season sire and triple Group 1 winner Oratorio (Danehill) out of Group 3 winner Miss Jessie Jay.
All graduates of the 2009 National Yearling Sales Series are eligible to be entered for the 2010 Karaka Million plus the 2011 $200,000 Karaka 3YO Mile.