Southern Sires to the Fore in South Island Sale

New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2017 South Island Sale will feature the progeny of a wide range of both proven and up-and-coming stallions, with a particular focus on those based in the South Island.

The 104 Lots in the Sale catalogue are the progeny of 41 different stallions. They include 53 horses by eight prominent South Island-based stallions.

Leading the way is Berkley Stud’s Highly Recommended, the sire of 19 yearlings in this year’s catalogue. His oldest progeny are two-year-olds and have already made a good impression, featuring the winner and Listed-placed Waldorf (NZ) along with the Group 2-placed Joyfilly (NZ). Highly Recommended was the leading sire by aggregate at last year’s Sale, with 16 sold for a total of $241,500. 

Inglewood Stud stallion Zacinto, who has been the South Island breeding scene’s headline act this season through the feats of his 2000 Guineas-winning son Ugo Foscolo (NZ), is next with 11 yearlings set to go through the Sale ring.

Zacinto topped the sires’ list by average (three or more sold) last year, his five lots selling for a total of $118,000 and an average price of $23,600.

“It’s great to a good number of Zacinto yearlings entered for the sale this year,” Inglewood general manager Gus Wigley said. “People obviously think the sire’s going well and we are expecting a bit of demand for his progeny.

“It’s really good, because people who might have missed the chance to sell their yearlings at Karaka are getting the opportunity to do so here. They’ll be popular and that’s all you want as a studmaster – people getting success with the progeny of your stallions, either on the racetrack or in the sale ring.”

The White Robe Lodge pair of Gallant Guru and Raise The Flag are also set to play a prominent role.

Gallant Guru has sired more than 80 winners in his career including four at stakes level, and his five horses in last year’s Sale fetched $114,000 at an average of $22,800.

Raise The Flag has sired his first two stakes winners within the last two months with Listed Gore Guineas victor Raise You Ten (NZ) and Tasmanian Oaks heroine Parthesia (NZ), and he had 10 horses sell at last year’s Sale for an aggregate of $219,500 and an average of $21,950.

Gallant Guru will be represented by six lots at this year’s Sale, while Raise The Flag will have eight. White Robe Lodge ended last year’s Sale as the leading vendors, and their 16-strong draft at this year’s Sale features 12 progeny of those two resident sires.

The other South Island stallions represented in the catalogue are Coats Choice (3 Lots), D’Cash (1), Minstrel Court (two) and Saperavi (three).

The catalogue also features yearlings by a number of exciting North Island-based sires. There are progeny of Cambridge Stud sires Power and Burgundy, who have both had excellent racetrack results with their first two-year-olds this season, and Hallmark Stud’s Super Easy – the sire of the stakes-winning filly Prom Queen (NZ). Novara Park’s Jakkalberry, whose first yearlings were in high demand in the recent National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka, is also represented.

But the National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka also showed a swing back to proven sires, headed by Beltana Stud’s sale-topping $825,000 (Lot 10) colt by the champion sire O’Reilly out of Volkrose. The South Island Sale catalogue features the progeny of proven performers such as Darci Brahma, Iffraaj, Keeper, Pentire, Pins, Rip Van Winkle, Showcasing and Tavistock.

An added benefit of the inclusion of the South Island Session in the National Yearling Sale Series is that any yearling purchased is eligible to enter the lucrative Karaka Million Series, including the $1m Karaka Million in 2018, the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic in 2019, and the $100,000 Karaka Stayers Cup from 2018 and then for the duration of their racing careers.

The South Island Sale will be held at the Riding for the Disabled Building at the Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch on 21 April 2017, commences from Lot 1 at 11am.

You can view the catalogue online or request a copy.