Sires Pack Profitable Punch at Weanling Sale

There are many members of New Zealand’s stallion ranks whose progeny's racetrack results far exceed their service fee.  Next month’s NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka is an ideal opportunity for traders and end users to secure the progeny of these creditable sires.

All of the eight stallions that are listed alphabetically below stood for a service fee of $15,000 or less in the 2024 breeding season, and all of them have had progeny sell for over $100,000 at Karaka’s Ready to Run Sale in recent years.

 

EL ROCA

Standing at Westbury Stud for a service fee of $10,000, El Roca has put together an enormously creditable record across Australasia and Asia.

A regular presence in the top 10 on the New Zealand sires’ premiership, El Roca has sired 101 winners from 188 runners in this country including Group One winners Travelling Light (NZ) and Romancing The Moon (NZ).

El Roca has also been credited with 63 winners from 89 runners in Australia, while his 12 runners in Hong Kong have produced nine winners headed by multiple Group Two-winning star Lucky Patch (NZ).

Progeny of El Roca have sold for up to $400,000 at the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka in the last couple of years.

El Roca features in the National Weanling Sale as the sire of Lot 51 – a filly whose unraced dam Romeo’s Princess (NZ) (Red Giant) is a half-sister to Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Super Satin (NZ) (Danehill Dancer).

 

EMBELLISH

Blue-blooded Savabeel stallion Embellish (NZ) was himself a $775,000 yearling purchase at Karaka 2016 by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis. That was the start of a journey that took him to Group One glory in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), followed by a place on Cambridge Stud’s stallion roster.

Embellish has quickly racked up 31 individual winners, headed by Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) winner Hitabell (NZ), Group Three Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) winner Bold Soul (NZ) and classy Cambridge Stud homebred Luberon (NZ), who won this season’s Group Three Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) and Group Three Counties Bowl (1100m) before finishing third in the Group One Sistema Railway (1200m) – beaten by a short head and a long head.

Embellish has made a promising start in Hong Kong, where two of his four runners have been winners.

Progeny of Embellish have sold for up to $175,000 as yearlings at Karaka, while his two-year-olds in the Ready to Run Sale have fetched as much as $200,000.

Embellish is the sire of three lots in the catalogue for the National Weanling Sale.

• Lot 21 is a colt from the high-class Pencarrow Stud family of Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm), Grand Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel), Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill), Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and many more black-type performers. The family produced a new Group Two winner this season – this colt’s second dam is a half-sister to the dam of Eclipse Stakes (1200m) winner Too Sweet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin).
• Lot 31 is out of an unraced half-sister to the Group One performer Octapussy (Octagonal), who is the dam of stakes winners Pussy Willow (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Pussy O’Reilly (NZ) (O’Reilly). This is also the family of Pearl Of Alsace (NZ) (Tavistock), Zourion (NZ) (Zoustar), Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor), Valpolicella (NZ) (Red Ransom), Vavasour (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and numerous other stakes performers.

 

REDWOOD

Redwood stands for a $10,000 service fee at Westbury Stud, where he began his stallion career back in 2012. He has churned out 220 winners from 366 runners in that decade-long career, with 14 individual stakes winners, but has only recently found his way into the trans-Tasman Group One spotlight.

Redwood is the sire of New Zealand’s 2023 Horse of the Year Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ), who earned more than $3m from a three-year-old campaign that produced five wins including the Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m), Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Spring Champion Stakes (2000m). He was also runner-up in the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) and Thorndon Mile (1600m). Sharp ‘N’ Smart was a $55,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2021 and was passed in with a $90,000 reserve at the Ready to Run Sale.

But that was just the beginning for Redwood, whose latest star is the $27,000 Ready to Run Sale purchase Antino (NZ). The Queensland gelding has won 13 of his 26 starts and more than A$3.1m, including winning this season’s Group One Toorak Handicap (1600m), Group One Doomben Cup (2000m) and Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) by a combined margin of 14 lengths.

As well as his 122 winners from 246 runners in New Zealand and 94 from 129 in Australia, Redwood has been represented by seven winners from 14 runners in Hong Kong. His best performer there has been Tuchel (NZ), who won the Group Three Premier Plate (1800m) and ran second to the champion Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) in a photo finish to the Hong Kong Derby (2000m).

Yearlings by Redwood have sold for up to $210,000 at Karaka, while his progeny averaged over $70,000 at the 2024 Ready to Run Sale.

Redwood has two colts in the catalogue for the National Weanling Sale. Lot 76 is a half-brother to three winners including Kana (NZ) (Tivaci) and Watchmaker (NZ) (Pins), who have both finished fourth in black-type features.

 

RIBCHESTER

Haunui Farm is keeping it in the family by standing Ribchester, a multiple Group One-winning son of their exceptional former shuttle stallion Iffraaj.

Ribchester stood for a $10,000 service fee in 2024 and boasts a worldwide total of 203 winners from 381 runners with 10 individual stakes winners. He originally shuttled to Australia before relocating to this side of the Tasman in 2020. He has seven winners in New Zealand so far, while his Australian tally stands at an impressive 42 from just 59 runners.

Ribchester’s best progeny include Group One Dubai Turf (1800m) winner Facteur Cheval along with the Australian Group Three winners Red Card and Krakarib.

Yearlings by Ribchester have sold for up to $230,000 at Karaka. His two lots at the Ready to Run Sale last November fetched $75,000 and $50,000, while four of his progeny sold for between $75,000 and $120,000 during the 2023 Ready to Run Sale.

Ribchester has a colt and two fillies catalogued for the National Weanling Sale. Lot 73 is a filly out of the four-race winner Spirit Of Gold (Medaglia d’Oro), whose dam Full Of Spirit (Flying Spur) won the Group Three Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) and placed in the Group One Makfi Challenge Stakes (1400m).

 

STAPHANOS

Novara Park’s Staphanos is a son of Japanese super-sire Deep Impact. He stood for a service fee of $15,000 in 2024.

Himself a four-race winner up to Group Three level and a multiple Group One placegetter, Staphanos has sired 30 winners to date. His first-crop daughter Pignan (NZ) – bought for $15,000 from the 2021 National Weanling Sale – delivered early headlines as a Group One winner of the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) as a two-year-old. Four-year-old mare Basilinna (NZ) booked herself a shot at the Group One Melbourne Cup (3200m) with her recent victory in the A$300,000 Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington. Basilinna also placed in the Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) as a three-year-old last season.

Yearlings by Staphanos have sold for up to $250,000 at Karaka. Only two of his progeny have gone through the Ready to Run Sale, but one of them was knocked down for $100,000.

Staphanos is the sire of three lots in the National Weanling Sale.

• Lot 45 is out of the Group One Queensland Oaks (2400m) winner Quintessential (NZ) (Fast ‘n’ Famous). Passing on some of her star quality to her progeny, Quintessential is the dam of three winners from three foals to race. The best of those is Steely (All Too Hard), a nine-race winner and Listed Winter Challenge (1500m) placegetter.
• Lot 67 is out of the four-race winner and Group Three Mannerism Stakes (1400m) runner-up Simply Put (Charge Forward).
• Lot 109 is out of a half-sister to the dam of this season’s Group Three winner and Group One Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) placegetter Whangaehu (NZ) (Proisir).

 

SWEYNESSE

New Zealand’s leading first-season sire of 2019-20 was Sweynesse, who stands at Novara Park and had a 2024 service fee of $10,000.

Sweynesse is the sire of 65 winners in New Zealand, 21 winners from 31 runners in Australia, and seven winners from only 13 runners in Hong Kong. The headline act is undoubtedly Hong Kong sprinting star Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), who was bought for $90,000 from the 2020 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. He has won 16 races and more than HK$74m (NZ$15.6m), including Group One triumphs in the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).

Sweynesse’s progeny have starred over a range of distances, from the 1100 metres of the Listed Counties Challenge 2YO Stakes won by Brix (NZ) all the way up to Trust In You (NZ) in the 2400-metre Group Three Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Trust In You also ran fourth in Sydney’s Group One Metropolitan (2400m).

Prices of up to $220,000 have been paid for Sweynesse yearlings at Karaka. His progeny at the Ready to Run Sale have sold for as much as $210,000.

Four of Sweynesse’s progeny are catalogued for the National Weanling Sale.

• Lot 82 is out of an unraced three-quarter-sister to the stakes winner and producer Tavy (NZ) (Tavistock). The fourth dam is the Group One winner and influential broodmare Good Faith (NZ) (Straight Strike).
• Lot 106 is a full-sister to the Group Three winner and Group Two-placed Bonita Aurelia (NZ) (Sweynesse).

 

U S NAVY FLAG

U S Navy Flag, who will stand for a $12,500 service fee at The Oaks Stud in 2025, was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2022-23 and leading second-season sire in 2023-24.

Himself a triple Group One winner at Newmarket as a two and three-year-old, U S Navy Flag has sired 303 winners from 460 runners worldwide including five at stakes level. He has been represented by 36 winners in New Zealand, 15 from 31 runners in Australia, and four from 13 runners in Hong Kong.

U S Navy Flag’s yearlings have sold for up to $340,000 at Karaka, while there has also been strong demand for his Ready to Run Sale two-year-olds. His three sons that went through the ring during the 2023 Ready to Run Sale were knocked down for $180,000, $170,000 and $150,000.

Two weanlings by U S Navy Flag will go through the ring at Karaka next month.

• Lot 35 is a half-sister to two winners including King Louis (Equiano), who won the Group Three Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and placed in the Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and Listed Wellesley Stakes (1000m).
• Lot 94 is a half-brother to four winners including the Group Three-placed Blue On Black (Camelot).

 

WAR DECREE

Almost exactly a year ago, War Decree soared to prominence when his son Warmonger (NZ) won the Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) by 10 and a half lengths. Warmonger was bought for $75,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2022, then later sold for $165,000 at the Ready to Run Sale.

Inglewood Stud has set a $9,000 fee for War Decree in the upcoming season. He is the sire of 64 winners from only 109 runners, with three individual stakes winners. Val Di Zoldo (NZ) has won the Group Two Travis Stakes (2000m), Group Two Lowland Stakes (2100m) and Group Three Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m), while Luvnwar (NZ) is the winner of three of her 10 starts including the Listed Belmont Guineas (1600m).

War Decree has sired 45 winners in New Zealand, along with an impressive 16 from only 20 runners in Australia. His nine runners in Hong Kong have included six winners to date.

Up to $170,000 has been paid for War Decree yearlings at Karaka. His progeny have performed even better at the Ready to Run Sale, where they have sold for as much as $225,000 and $220,000.

War Decree will feature in the National Weanling Sale as the sire of Lot 120, a filly whose unraced dam Enchanted Light (NZ) (Darci Brahma) is a half-sister to Group Two winner Keyora (NZ) (Bachelor Duke), multiple stakes winner and successful sire Roc De Cambes (NZ) (Red Ransom) and the Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) placegetter Roman Chariot (NZ) (Faltaat).

The on-farm parades for the upcoming 2025 National Weanling Sale are scheduled to take place from Wednesday 4 June through to Friday 6 June.

In an exciting boost, there are a number of new supplementary lots to be announced and added to the catalogue in the coming days, which will be available for inspections during the on-farm parades.

All prospective buyers are welcome to attend to inspect weanlings ahead of the Sale, while NZB and NZ-based agents are also available to inspect on your behalf should you require a head start on inspections and evaluations. View the parade schedule here.

Selling takes place at Karaka on Thursday 26 June with the thoroughbred session getting underway from 10am (NZT).

All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series. Graduates can compete for a share in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) as well as the new $1m Mega Maiden Series comprising of 40 non-Saturday maiden races located throughout New Zealand.

View the 134-lot catalogue here. The catalogue can also be viewed on the Equineline app for iPads/tablets, or the Thoroughworks mobile app.

For more information, contact Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz, Sales Representative Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 512 466 or Patrick.Cunningham@nzb.co.nz or Andrew Buick at +64 27 555 0640 or email Andrew.Buick@nzb.co.nz.