Karaka the Key to Filly Success

New Zealand fillies have a proud heritage for performing at the elite level with gallopers the calibre of Desert Gold, Horlicks, Ethereal and Sunline exemplifying their abilities internationally. With one of the strongest filly selections featured at Karaka in recent times, NZ fillies have championed the merits of the line-up with an exceptional year on the track.

Norzita (NZ) - Australian 3YO Filly of the Year.

New Zealand-bred fillies performing exceptionally well in Australia, taking out 32% of Group 1 fillies races since the start of 2010, and New Zealand thoroughbreds only accounting for 5.6% of horses racing in Australia.

Added to that, NZ fillies have won an impressive 11 Group 1 3YO races in Australia since 2010, nine of those wins being by Karaka graduates.

New Zealand three-year-olds won 44% of all Australian three-year-old Group 1 races last season, with a valuable contribution coming from kiwi-bred fillies.

Last season the kiwi Norzita (NZ) (Thorn Park) was the only three-year-old filly in Australia to win multiple Group 1 races. The daughter of Thorn Park was triumphant in the Group 1 Flight Stakes in the spring before returning in the autumn to win the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes. The tough filly finished her three-year-old season with a gallant third in the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap against all comers.

Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bart Cummings, the Karaka Premier Sale graduate was crowned 3YO Filly of the Year at the Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards for the season that earned her connections A$916,350 in prizemoney.

The current racing season saw kiwi-bred filly Kirramosa (NZ) (Alamosa) prevail in the Group 1 VRC Oaks during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The daughter of Alamosa is the first Group 1 winner for her young sire from his first crop of foals. The Select Sale graduate follows in the footsteps of Brazilian Pulse (NZ) (Captain Rio) who was successful in the fillies feature in 2010.

Kiwi filly Gondokoro (NZ) (Zabeel) led home a New Zealand-bred trifecta in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks in June. She became the fourth successive kiwi-bred to win the Group 1 Queensland Oaks following victories by Quintessential (NZ) (Fast ‘n’ Famous), Scarlett Lady (NZ) (Savabeel) and My Keepsake (NZ) (Keeper).

The girls have shown up their male counterparts as well in Australia with Shamrocker (NZ) (O’Reilly) trumping the boys at Group 1 level twice as a three-year-old. The daughter of O’Reilly proved too good in the Group 1 Australian Guineas before winning the Group 1 AJC Derby – the only filly in history to complete the Group 1 double.

To add to the Australian success, Select Sale graduate Rollout the Carpet (Holy Roman Emperor) won the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas, and fillies won both the Group 1 two-year-old races in New Zealand with Ruud Awakening (Bernardini) successful in the Group 1 Diamond Stakes and Recite (NZ) (Darci Brahma) dominant in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes.

There are a number of fillies at Karaka 2014 that are closely related to top-performing three-year-old fillies:

• Lot 66 – The first foal of Group 1 New Zealand Oaks winner Jungle Rocket (Jungle Rocket).
• Lot 70 – Three-quarter sister to dual Group 1 winning filly Shamrocker (O’Reilly).
• Lot 75 – Daughter of Group 1 winning three-year-old Keepa Cruisin’ (Keeper).
• Lot 94 – Daughter of triple Group 1 winner Lashed (Encosta de Lago), the Group 2 Kewney Stakes winner as a three-year-old.
• Lot 333 – Daughter of Group 1 Queensland Oaks winner Vitesse Dane (Danewin).

Group 1 winning mares have a great opportunity to become successful broodmares and recent examples of top-class mares becoming brilliant producers include Popsy (Sir Tristram), dam of Group 1 winner Rock ‘n’ Pop (Fastnet Rock), and Grand Echezeaux (Zabeel), dam of five-time Group 1 winner and accomplished young sire Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill).

There are 22 progeny of Group 1 winning mares at Karaka 2014 including:

• Lot 28 – Son of dual Group 1 winning sprinter Glamour Puss (Tale of the Cat).
• Lot 73 – First foal of Group 1 NZ 1000 & 2000 Guineas victor Katie Lee (Pins).
• Lot 100 – Son of dual Group 1 winner Legs(Pins).
• Lot 347 – Daughter of New Zealand Group 1 winner and Singapore Horse of the Year Zirna (Deputy Governor).
• Lot 402 – Daughter of Group 1 winner Calveen (Canny Lad).

There is a notable strength to fillies at Karaka 2014 this year including:

• Lot 97 – Three-quarter sister to 10-time Group 1 winner So You Think (High Chaparral).
• Lot 240 – Daughter of Listed winner Shalt Not (St Covet) and half-sister to Group 2 winning two-year-old Amelia’s Dream(Redoute’s Choice).
• Lot 274 – Daughter of Group 2 winning mare Star Affair (Star Way) and a half-sister to stakes winners Solid Billing (Rock of Gibraltar) and Thy (O’Reilly).
• Lot 275 – Three-quarter sister to current star racehorse (It’s a) Dundeel (High Chaparral), a five-time Group 1 winner.
• Lot 276 – Three-quarter sister to dual Group 2 winner Lafleur (Zabeel) who is the dam of stakes winners Amaryllis (Red Ransom) and Papilio (Redoute’s Choice).

Worthy of special mention is the Champion Broodmare Sire on both Australia and New Zealand for the past two consecutive years, in Zabeel. With 32 of his final crop of yearlings catalogued at Karaka, 13 are fillies, including:

• Lot 329 – Daughter of Group 1 Waikato International Stakes winner Veloce Bella (Volksraad).
• Lot 425 – The filly from a half-sister to Melbourne Cup winner and Australian Champion Stayer Efficient (Zabeel).

There are 526 fillies at Karaka 2014 across the Premier, Select and Festival Sales among the 1372 yearlings set to go under the hammer.

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka will be held from Monday 27 January to Sunday 2 February. To view the catalogues online visit www.nzb.co.nz.