Kiwis Conquer Classics

The chance to buy a kiwi three-year-old at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series is a major factor why buyers converge on Karaka in January, and given the stellar season of kiwi three-year-olds, buyers have every reason to believe they can find a ‘classic’ horse of the future.

Three-year-olds purchased at Karaka won 10 Group 1 races in Australia and New Zealand last season and have already added another two this season.

The impressive run of New Zealand bred or sold three-year-olds winning major races in Australia continued last season with six Group 1 winners including Mongolian Khan (Hold Roman Emperor), First Seal (Fastnet Rock), Preferment(NZ) (Zabeel), Volkstok’n’Barrell (NZ) (Tavistock),Kermadec (NZ) (Teofilo) and Gust of Wind (NZ) (Darci Brahma), all purchased at Karaka.

New Zealand bred or sold three-year-olds have won 35% of Australian 3YO Group 1 races in the past five seasons, and 45% of the 3YO Group 1 races at 2000m and further in the same time frame.

Boom three-year-old colt Mongolian Khan asserted himself as one of the best three-year-olds in Australasia by winning the Group 1 New Zealand Derby and Group 1 Australian Derby double, achieved only by Bonecrusher over 30 years ago.  Mongolian Khan was crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year last season and has now won eight of his 13 starts, with earnings of over $4m.

The son of Holy Roman Emperor was purchased at the 2013 Karaka Select Sale for NZ$140,000 by Bryce and Ginger Tankard’s Waikato Bloodstock. He returned to the 2013 NZB Ready to Run Sale and was purchased by the Mr Lang Lin’s Rider Horse Group for NZ$220,000.

New Zealand bred or sold horses have won eight of the last 10 editions of the Group 1 Australian Derby including Criterion (NZ) (Sebring), Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral), Shamrocker (NZ) (O’Reilly), Roman Emperor (NZ) (Montjeu), Nom du Jeu (NZ) (Montjeu), Fiumicino (NZ) (Zabeel) and Railings (Anabaa).

Last season’s spoils by Karaka sold three-year-olds started with Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel), asserting his staying ability when capturing the Group 1 Victoria Derby. The son of the great Zabeel was purchased by his ex-pat kiwi trainer Chris Waller from the 2013 Premier Sale for NZ$190,000.

The new season saw Tarzino (NZ) (Tavistock) carry on the kiwi affinity with the Group 1 Victoria Derby with a dominant victory at just his sixth raceday start. Purchased for just NZ$45,000 by Rick Connolly Bloodstock at the 2014 Karaka Select Sale, the Mick Price trained galloper has already amassed over A$1m.

By sensational young sire Tavistock, Tarzino became the seventh New Zealand bred horse to win the Group 1 Victoria Derby in the past 10 years following the wins of Preferment, Sangster (NZ) (Savabeel),Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home), Monaco Consul (NZ) (High Chaparral), Kibbutz (NZ) (Golan) andEfficient (NZ) (Zabeel).

Another son of Tavistock, Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ), won the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas in Sydney in the autumn, beating Preferment by a short head, completing a Karaka quinella. The Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs trained galloper was purchased by Logan for NZ$50,000 at the 2013 Karaka Select Sale.

The Sydney success began with Karaka graduate First Seal (Fastnet Rock) capturing the Group 1 Flight Stakes in October. First Seal was unlucky not to add to her Group 1 tally during her three-year-old campaign with close seconds in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic and Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes. First Seal was purchased by Bart Cummings for NZ$700,000 at the 2013 Karaka Premier Sale.

Adding to Preferment’s success for trainer Chris Waller was Kermadec (NZ) (Teofilo), who beat the older horses in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile. The son of Teofilo was purchased by New Zealand bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster for NZ$260,000 at the 2013 Karaka Premier Sale.

It was a third consecutive win in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile for Waller having won the previous two runnings of the race with Karaka graduate Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly). Those three wins contribute to the strong record of kiwi horses in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile, winning seven of the last eight runnings of the race.

Last season’s haul of Group 1 wins by three-year-olds in Australia was completed by Gust of Wind (NZ) (Darci Brahma) winning the Group 1 Australian Oaks for trainer John Sargent, based in Sydney. The daughter of Darci Brahma was purchased by Apollo Ng for NZ$90,000 at the 2013 Karaka Premier Sale.

Along with Tarzino’s victory in the Group 1 Victoria Derby, exciting kiwi three-year-old Xtravagant (NZ) (Pentire) became a Group 1 winner this season with a dominant victory in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

Group 1 winning three-year-olds in New Zealand last season include Gaultier (NZ) (Rios), Platinum Witness (California Dane), Savaria (NZ) (Savabeel) and Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj).

The New Zealand success spread to Singapore with the Three-Year-Old Challenge dominated by kiwi bred horses, claiming the first three placings in each of the three races.

The first leg, Sgp-3 Dester Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m), went to Kiwi Kama (NZ) (Fast N Famous) holding off stablemate Affleck (NZ) (Battle Paint) with Touch Me Not (NZ) (Elusive City) in third.

The second leg, Sgp-2 Singapore Three-Year-old Classic (1400m), was won by Spanish Bay (NZ) (Nadeem) with Affleck again finishing second and Majestic Moments (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in third position.

Affleck went one better when landing the Sgp-1 Singapore Guineas, beating Jimmy Rae (NZ) (Thewayyouare) and Spanish Bay holding third place.

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series will take place from 25 January – 31 January at Karaka. The catalogues can be viewed online or can be requested from reception@nzb.co.nz.