Legendary Bloodlines of Karaka

When they head to Karaka every year, buyers can expect to be greeted with a catalogue stacked with elite female families that have been built up by some of New Zealand’s most famous nurseries and breeders over multiple generations.

Karaka 2023 is no different, with bumper representations of the outstanding bloodlines that have been created by the likes of Cambridge Stud, Pencarrow Stud, Waikato Stud, Trelawney Stud and Windsor Park Stud.
 

Cambridge Stud 

The iconic families of Cambridge Stud have been given extensive coverage in recent weeks following the sad loss of the legendary Sir Patrick Hogan – a 32-time leading vendor at Karaka who will be honoured with a commemorative ceremony before the beginning of Book 1 on Sunday morning.

The world-renowned Hogan-built bloodlines that will feature at Karaka 2023 include:

• The extraordinary dam line that goes through the iconic Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight), down through the likes of her daughters Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones) and Marquise (NZ) (Gold And Ivory) and granddaughter Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram). Eight Carat is one of only two broodmares in history to produce five individual Group One winners – Diamond Lover, Marquise, Octagonal (NZ) (Zabeel), Mouawad (NZ) (Zabeel) and Kaapstad (Sir Tristram). Diamond Lover produced two Group One winners of her own with Don Eduardo (NZ) (Zabeel) and Tristalove, while Tristalove’s four stakes winners include Group One winner and sire Viking Ruler. This magnificent family features in Book 1 of Karaka 2023 through Lots 40, 119, 139, 196, 232, 336, 387 and 541.
• Another remarkable broodmare is L’Quiz (L’Enjoleur), whose six winners from eight foals to race include dual Group One winner and Melbourne Cup (3200m) runner-up Champagne (NZ) (Zabeel), along with Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner and sire St Reims (NZ) (Zabeel). L’Quiz is also the granddam of more than half a dozen other stakes winners, including Group One stars Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi) and Charmont (High Chaparral). She features in Book 1 among the pedigree pages of Lot 146, 286 and 531.
   

Pencarrow Stud 

Sir Peter Vela’s Pencarrow Stud is another prolific source of outstanding female families, and perhaps its most esteemed bloodlines are the ones that trace back to Richebourg (NZ) (Vice Regal). 

Richebourg herself won the Group Three Tranquil Star Stakes (1600m), but she is best known as a dam, granddam and great-granddam of dozens of outstanding performers over the last few decades. She is the dam of six individual winners, including black-type stars and sensational broodmares Romanee Conti (NZ) (Sir Tristram) and Grand Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel).

Romanee Conti won seven races, four at Group level including the Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m) in Sydney and the Hong Kong International Cup (1800m). She is the dam of seven winners, most famously the legendary Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm), who won four Group Ones including the Caulfield Cup (2400m)-Melbourne Cup (3200m) double in 2001.

Ethereal herself is the dam of four stakes performers, while the unraced Sopra Tutto (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy) has produced Group One performers Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi) and Supera (NZ) (Savabeel). Eleonora has taken that dynasty into a new generation this season, with her two-year-old daughter Ethereal Star (Snitzel) winning the Listed 2YO Challenge Stakes (1100m) and finishing second in the $1m DoubleTree by Karaka Million 2YO (1200m).

Romanee Conti’s three-quarter-sister Grand Echezeaux won the Group One Australasian Oaks (2000m) and is the dam of four stakes performers, including the $1.1 million yearling Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill), who won five Group One races and became a leading sire. Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) was a $1.3 million yearling, won five stakes races, placed at Group One level and also had significant success at stud.

Buyers will have access to this top-class family through five members of Pencarrow’s Karaka 2023 draft – Lots 69, 112, 145, 567 and 573.
 

Waikato Stud

The leading vendor at Karaka for the last nine years in succession, Waikato Stud’s winning recipe has combined a star-studded stallion roster – the incomparable Savabeel and his predecessor O’Reilly (NZ), along with a supporting cast that has been made up by the likes of Pins, Danasinga, Ocean Park (NZ), Sacred Falls (NZ) and Tivaci – with an impeccably bred and well-performed band of broodmares.

The outstanding female families featuring in their Karaka 2023 draft include:

• A quality line that goes back to Cenphic (NZ) (Centaine), herself a half-sister to the dams of stakes winners Chenille (NZ) (Pentire), Chintz (NZ) (Savabeel) and Treasure (NZ) (Mastercraftsman). Cenphic’s eight winning progeny include multiple Group winner Irlanda (NZ) (O’Reilly) and the Group Three-placed Chandelier (NZ) (O’Reilly). Chandelier is now best known as the dam of multiple Sydney Group One winner and Waikato Stud graduate Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel). This family features twice in Book 1. Lot 77 is out of a full-sister to Irlanda and Chandelier, while 91 is a son of Chandelier herself.
• Although she was unraced herself, Riverlette (NZ) (Sir Godfrey) has made a massive impact with her progeny and descendants. She features in the dam line of Group One winners Legs (NZ) (Pins), Guyno (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Tiptronic (NZ) (O’Reilly) along with numerous other black-type performers, and her stakes-placed daughter River Century (NZ) (Centaine) was New Zealand’s Broodmare of the Year in 2007. This family features in Book 1 through Lots 160, 301, 447, 546 and 602.
• Group Three winner Iguazu (NZ) (Carolingian) is dam or granddam of several big-race performers, headed by four-time Group One winner and successful sire Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly) and backed up by the likes of Splashing Out (NZ) (O’Reilly), Splurge (NZ) (Savabeel), Shopaholic (NZ) (Pins), Packing Pins (NZ) (Pins), Milford (NZ) (Savabeel) and Tilianam (NZ) (Savabeel). This prolific family is represented by two Waikato Stud yearlings in Book 1 of Karaka 2023 – Lots 217 and 315.
• The line founded by three-race winner Jacqwin (Bluebird) appeared to be something of a one-hit wonder when it produced Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) and Rosehill Guineas (2000m) winner Metal Bender (NZ) (Danasinga) in 2009. But it came to spectacular life again a few years later, producing a flurry of stakes performers including Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner and New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel), Group Three winner and Group One Golden Rose (1400m) runner-up North Pacific (Brazen Beau), Group Three San Domenico Stakes (1100m) winner Sweet Ride (Deep Field) and multiple Group Three winner Missybeel (NZ) (Savabeel). This very current bloodline features in Book 1 of Karaka 2023 through Lot 238 and Lot 506.
   

Trelawney Stud

An integral part of the fabric of New Zealand’s thoroughbred industry, Trelawney Stud was established by Seton Otway in the 1930s. Under the management of current owners the Taylor family, the historic farm has bred and/or sold 67 black-type performers, including 33 individual Group One winners.

Many of their breeding successes stem from a mare called Sayyida (NZ) (Savabeel), who never showed her true colours on the racetrack due to injury but has left an extraordinary legacy at stud. All of her four foals to race have been winners, most notably her 2008 foal Ocean Park (NZ) (Thorn Park). He won eight races, five of them at Group One level including the Cox Plate (2040m). He was New Zealand’s Horse of the Year in 2013 and has gone on to a highly successful career at stud.

Sayyida’s influence has also extended into the next generation. Her first foal Ruqqaya (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy) is the dam of three stakes performers including dual Flemington Group One winner and young sire Grunt (NZ) (O’Reilly), as well as the Group Two Matriarch Stakes (2000m) winner Zayydani (NZ) (Savabeel).

Another of Sayyida’s daughters, Lady Sayyida (NZ) (Iffraaj), is the dam of Group Two winner and Group One-placed Excelida (Exceed And Excel).

This family is represented in Book 1 of Karaka 2023 by Lot 294, a colt by Too Darn Hot out of Lady Sayyida.
 

Windsor Park Stud

Several of the biggest international stars to come out of New Zealand in the last 30 years were bred and/or sold by Windsor Park Stud, including champions So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral), Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel) and Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins).

Their honour roll boasts more than 50 Group One winners and over 170 stakes winners overall, and it has continued to grow over the last 12 months or so with the likes of Group One winner Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh), Group Two winner Wild Night (NZ) (Vanbrugh) and $1m DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) hero Dynastic (NZ) (Almanzor).

But one of their headline success stories will always be So You Think, who was sold to legendary trainer Bart Cummings from their draft at Karaka 2008. He won five Group One races in Australia, headed by back-to-back triumphs in the Cox Plate (2040m), then added another five Group One victories in Ireland and the United Kingdom. He has gone on to be an outstanding stallion, siring 519 winners from 768 runners to date. He has produced 47 individual black-type winners, nine of them at Group One level, and he finished second on the ultra-competitive Australian sires’ premiership last season.

So You Think is a son of the Group Two-winning mare Triassic (NZ) (Tights), whose nine winning progeny have amassed a total of 36 victories. She is also the granddam of Faaltless (NZ) (Faltaat), a winner of eight races up to stakes level in Singapore.

Triassic features in the pedigrees of two yearlings in Windsor Park’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2023 – Lot 83 and Lot 279.

Lot 116, meanwhile, is a half-sister to current star Mustang Valley, and her third dam is a half-sister to the Hall of Fame racehorse Might And Power.
 

Book 1 of Karaka 2023 will run from Sunday to Tuesday, followed by Book 2 from 1 to 3 February. Selling will start at 11am each day.

All yearlings in Karaka 2023 have been inspected by NZB and NZ-based agents who are available to assist buyers with any queries or to bid on their behalf.

For general sale enquiries, contact NZB’s Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or Regan Donnison on +64 21 512 466.

Online bidding is available for all prospective purchasers via bidonline.nzb.co.nz, plus an extensive online catalogue that will host pedigrees, parade videos and photos, updates and important information to assist your buying decisions.

The catalogues for Karaka 2023 can be viewed online here.
 

Important Dates

Book 1 Sale – Sunday 29 January to Tuesday 31 January

Book 2 Sale – Wednesday 1 February to Friday 3 February