Sires to Watch – South Island Sale

Southern-based sires compose the majority of the 121-lot catalogue at New Zealand Bloodstock’s upcoming South Island Sale with the vendors offering a wide selection of the region’s best stock. The progeny of 44 sires, including seven first season sires, will be available for buyers to inspect.

A Group 2-winning son of Fastnet Rock, Highly Recommended has gotten off to a flying start having sired stakes performers at two and three – Group 2 winner Sumstreetsumwhere (NZ), dual stakes winner Waldorf (NZ), Group 1 placed Joyfilly (NZ) and stakes placed Pipiana (NZ).

With his eldest progeny three, they are not only turning heads in New Zealand but also in Australia and Hong Kong. Sumstreetsumwhere and Waldorf have both subsequently been sold to Hong Kong while Joyfilly has headed to Australia under new trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

With three southern drafts to be sold, this year’s South Island Sale will offer 15 yearlings by the sire whose exciting future will see him stand at Cambridge Stud next season following the relocation from Berkley Stud.

A Stud that flows with 75 years of history is making new history with an imported son of the great Dansili, Zacinto. Inglewood Stud’s South Island sire has already produced 28 winners and with the eldest now four his leading graduates include Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas winner Ugo Foscolo (NZ), stakes winner and Group 1 performer Odeon (NZ) and the stakes-winning Zigwig (NZ).

The sire with winners in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong will be represented by seven yearlings at the Sale.

The South Island have also welcomed newcomers to the breeding scene with the likes of White Robe Lodge’s Group winning Ghibellines and Willow Glen Stud’s Group 1 Windsor Park Plate winner Pure Champion. Both sires had a 100% clearance rate from their first crop yearlings at Karaka 2018 with Ghibellines selling five lots from Book’s 1 and 2 for an average of $74,600 – including Lot 179 for $115,000, and Pure Champion selling three lots from Book 3 for an average of $24,000 – including Lot 1222 for $43,000.

Ghibellines offers the largest crop at the Sale with 19 yearlings catalogued and there will be six Pure Champion yearlings on offer.

While the Southern breeders are holding their own, the Sale will also have an injection of North Island flavour.

Sacred Falls joined the stallion roster at Waikato Stud and his first crop yearlings were well received at Karaka 2018 with 46 lots sold at an average of $113,891. His highest price came at Lot 572 when the son of stakes-performing Zabeel mare Sheezababe was knocked down for $300,000. The Windsor Park Stud newcomer Charm Spirit was also presented by a large draft selling 39 yearlings averaging $96,103 each. His draft was topped at $400,000 (Lot 319) for the daughter of multiple Group winner Lady Kipling (Savabeel) – the highest price paid at Karaka 2018 for a yearling by a first season sire.

The South Island Sale will see Sacred Falls represented by a half-sister (Lot 92) to Hong Kong stakes winner Top Act (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Charm Spirit represented by two yearlings, including Lot 108 who is a half-sister to multiple stakes performers The Solitaire (NZ) (O’Reilly) and The Sparkle (NZ) (Darci Brahma).

In addition to the new blood, buyers will also be able to inspect the progeny of emerging and proven sires who continue to make headlines.

Haunui Farm’s international Group 1 sire Iffraaj has produced 58 stakes winners to date. This season he has sired Group 1 winners in both hemispheres with Gingernuts (NZ) scoring the Windsor Park Plate in New Zealand and Ribchester claiming the Chantilly Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in Europe, along with a handful of stakes-winning two-year-olds including his current star juvenile and Group 3 winner Melt (NZ). The Iffraaj filly, Lot 96, will be on offer at the Sale.

The popular Showcasing, who stands alongside Iffraaj, consistently leaves early runners and has 23 stakes winners to his name in all of New Zealand’s largest export markets. This seasons Group-winning two-year-olds include Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner Xpression (NZ) and Group 3 Taranaki 2YO Classic winner Bit Lippy (NZ). He will be represented at the Sale by three yearlings.

The Oaks Stud stallion Darci Brahma has proved popular in Singapore having retained the Champion Sire crown for four of the last five years. An all-round sire, his progeny have also performed to the highest level in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong with a total of 35 stakes winners around the globe including current Group 1 winners D B Pin (NZ) and Devise (NZ). There will be two yearlings by Darci Brahma on offer.

Waikato Stud’s Pins has sired 75 stakes winners in seven different countries with his leading progeny including Hong Kong Champion Sprinter Aerovelocity (NZ) and four-time Group 1 winner El Segundo (NZ). He will be represented by a filly (Lot 29).

Waikato Stud will also have representation of their five-time Group 1-winning sire Ocean Park with a colt at Lot 9 set to go through the ring.

Champion First and Second Season Sire, the Little Avondale Stud resident Per Incanto is an in demand young sire. He has produced Group 1 Diamond Stakes winner Dal Cielo (NZ) along with seven other stakes winners. There will be two of his progeny on offer at the Sale including Lot 25 who is a half-brother to stakes performers Seize the Moment (NZ) (Pins), Savour the Moment (NZ) (Savabeel) and Striptease (NZ) (Danasinga).

Reliable Man has had his name in lights with Australian stakes winner Main Stage (NZ), and Group 1 performers Sully (NZ) and Belle du Nord (NZ). With three international stakes winners from two racing crops, he will be represented at the Sale by a colt at Lot 89.

Hallmark Stud’s son of Darci Brahma, Super Easy, sired star filly Prom Queen (NZ) from his first crop to win eight of her 11 starts, including four at stakes level. There will be two colts and two fillies catalogued by Super Easy.

Rich Hill Stud’s Shocking has passed his stamina on to his off spring siring six stakes winners. Fanatic (NZ) won the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks and this season's Group 2 Adelaide Cup while Chocante (NZ) won the Group 2 Brisbane Cup. There is a colt at Lot 70 by Shocking catalogued for the Sale.

With the bulk of the catalogue made up of yearlings, the South Island Sale also offers the added benefit of all yearlings purchased being eligible for a nomination into the lucrative Karaka Million Series which comprises of two $1 million races – the Karaka Million 2YO and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic – in addition to the $100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup which they can contest for the duration of their career.

The Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch will host the Sale on Friday 20 April with selling commencing from 11am.

You can view the catalogue online or request a copy from Faye Hunt at reception@nzb.co.nz. For travel and accommodation information contact Harry King at Harry.King@nzb.co.nz.