Karaka Million Nominated 2YOs Take Te Rapa Quinella

Yesterday's Race A Horse With Te Akau Juvenile (1200m) at Te Rapa saw a number of Karaka Million nominated two-year-olds contest the event with Hogwarts Express leading a Karaka Million quinella.

Trained by Stephen Marsh, Hogwarts Express (NZ) (Elusive City x Night Dancer) came into the race with three starts to her name including a last start second at Taranaki. Yesterday's one-and-three-quarter-length victory has taken her stakes earnings to $5,075 and 19th place on the Karaka Million Order of Entry.

Bred by Y C Yap, the daughter of Elusive City is raced in conjunction with H Y Leong and was purchased from Haunui Farm at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2011 Karaka Festival Sale for $14,000.

The southern hemisphere base for Europe's Champion First Season Sire Iffraaj, Haunui Farm will be offering a half-brother to Hogwarts Express by Iffraaj at Lot 930 at the 2012 Karaka Select Sale.

Europe's Champion First Season Sire, Iffraaj has 35 yearlings at Karaka 2012

Haunui Farm will offer 59 yearlings at Karaka 2012 and sold the top priced Iffraaj yearling at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale, the half-brother to the Group 1 winner Zabrasive (Zabeel), who was purchased by Mark Kavanagh for $540,000.

Now named If I Could, the colt will be making his debut for Kavanagh tomorrow at Flemington in the Better Beyond 2YO Plate (1000m).

Running second in yesterday's two-year-old race was the John Sargent trained Magic Shaft (Shaft x Adaptable Lass) who earned $1,000 in stakes, taking his total earnings to $7,650. A $60,000 purchase by Sargent from Te Mania Thoroughbreds at the 2011 Karaka Select Sale, the colt is sitting in 14th place on the Karaka Million Order of Entry.

New Zealand's richest race, the $1 million Karaka Million, will be run on Sunday January 29 at Ellerslie and is limited to 14 starters. There are just six two-year-old events remaining in New Zealand before race nominations close on Tuesday 24 January, including the Group 2 Little Avondale Wakefield Challenge Stakes which carries a stake of $85,000.

Click here to view the current Karaka Million Order of Entry.

New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sales Series will be held at the Karaka sales complex from 30 January to 5 February. For news and information about the Sales Series contact reception@nzb.co.nz or visit www.nzb.co.nz.