From proven superstars to exciting up-and-comers, freshman and everything in between, the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus is showcasing the progeny of a superb selection of stallions.

New Kiwi Sires

ALMANZOR

Standing at Cambridge Stud for a service fee of $30,000, Almanzor (FR) is one of the best-credentialed stallions to shuttle to New Zealand in the last decade.

He is a son of Wootton Bassett, who himself was champion two-year-old in France in 2010. Wootton Bassett’s sire is Iffraaj, who has been highly successful over many years of shuttling to Haunui Farm, siring the likes of Group One winners Turn Me Loose (NZ), Gingernuts (NZ), Jon Snow (NZ) and Wyndspelle (NZ).

Almanzor was Europe’s champion three-year-old colt in 2016 and claimed the same honour in Ireland and France, and he received a Timeform rating of 133 and World Thoroughbred Rating of 129.

He won eight of his 11 starts, six of them at stakes level including three Group One titles. His first black-type credit came in the Listed Grand Criterium de Bourdeaux (1600m) as a two-year-old, and the following year he added the Group One Prix du Jockey Club (2100m), Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) and British Champion Stakes (2000m), along with the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (2000m) and Group Three Prix de Guiche (1800m).

Among the horses he defeated in those Group One victories were Found (Galileo), who won the Group One Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) and Breeders’ Cup Turf (2400m), along with multiple Group One winners Minding (Galileo) and Jack Hobbs (Halling).

Almanzor received strong support from breeders in his first season shuttling to Cambridge Stud, producing 93 live foals.

There are two lots by Almanzor offered in the National Weanlings Sale catalogue.

TIME TEST

Shuttling to Little Avondale Stud, Time Test (GB) stands for a service fee of $6,000.

He is by Dubawi, who was a multiple Group One winner and was champion of his generation in Ireland at the age of both two and three. He has continued that excellence at stud, claiming multiple titles in Europe and siring 903 winners from 1206 progeny to race.

His 182 individual stakes-winning progeny include the English 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Makfi, who has previously shuttled to New Zealand with great success. Dubawi also sired Postponed, one of the world’s highest-rated horses in 2016, along with the likes of Benbatl, Al Kazeem, Lucky Nine, Too Darn Hot, Srikandi and Night of Thunder.

Time Test won six of his 14 starts, including four victories at Group level. He broke the track record in his victory in the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes (2000m) at Royal Ascot, and he also won the Group Two Joel Stakes (1600m), Group Two York Stakes (2100m) and Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes (2000m).

He placed in the Grade One Manhattan Stakes (2000m) and Fourstardave Handicap (1600m) at Belmont and New York respectively, along with the Group One Eclipse Stakes (2000m) at Sandown.

Time Test’s first New Zealand crop produced 76 live foals and he is represented by two lots in the Sale closing Sunday 21 June.

The Big Guns

SAVABEEL

Waikato Stud supremo Savabeel (AUS) is the undisputed king of New Zealand’s stallion ranks. Himself a Cox Plate winner, the son of the legendary Zabeel (NZ) has been champion sire in this country for each of the last five seasons.

With just weeks remaining in 2019-20, once again Savabeel has a commanding lead of more than $1 million and is guaranteed a sixth consecutive premiership title.

Savabeel has sired a total of 664 winners from 936 runners, including 99 stakes winners. He is the sire of 20 individual Group One winners over a wide range of ages and distances and on both sides of the Tasman, including the likes of Kawi (NZ), Lucia Valentina (NZ), Sangster (NZ), Soriano (NZ), Scarlett Lady (NZ) and Shillelagh (NZ).

The National Weanling Sale catalogue features five sons of the super sire.

DARCI BRAHMA

Himself a million-dollar yearling at Karaka and a multiple Group One winner, Darci Brahma (NZ) has become a prolific and consistent source of quality winners throughout his career at The Oaks Stud.

This season has been a particularly special one for the well-bred son of Danehill, sitting second spot on the New Zealand premiership with 36 winners, seven individual stakes winners and just under $2 million in total prize-money.

The pinnacle came in the prestigious Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in early November – a race Darci Brahma himself won 14 years earlier. He sired the quinella in this season’s edition with the super-talented Catalyst (NZ) and the promising multiple Group One placegetter Harlech (NZ).

There are three Darci Brahma weanlings offered on Gavelhouse Plus.

PER INCANTO

Standing for a service fee of $15,000 at Little Avondale Stud, Per Incanto (USA) has become one of the standout performers on New Zealand’s stallion roster.

A son of Winx’s sire Street Cry, Per Incanto has produced 193 winners from 312 runners including 15 individual black-type winners. He is the sire of Group Obe winners Shadows Cast (NZ), Santa Monica (NZ) and Dal Cielo (NZ).

Per Incanto’s results have led to steadily increasing demand for his progeny. He has enjoyed healthy representation in Book 1 of Karaka in each of the last three years, with those yearlings selling for up to $370,000.

Little Avondale is offering a select group of eight Per Incanto weanlings during the National Weanling Sale.

IFFRAAJ

The spring of 2019 was Iffraaj’s (GB) final season of shuttling to Haunui Farm, but he has made an enormous impression over his 12 annual visits to New Zealand.

Worldwide, Iffraaj has sired 811 winners from 1342 runners, with 130 stakes winners and 10 individual Group One winners.

From his New Zealand-conceived progeny, Iffraaj has sired 292 winners from 492 runners. There have been 26 individual stakes winners among that group, including Group One stars Turn Me Loose (NZ), Gingernuts (NZ), Jon Snow (NZ) and Wyndspelle (NZ).

There are now limited chances remaining to secure the progeny of Iffraaj in this part of the world, and a quality selection of five weanlings are available during the National Weanling Sale.

OCEAN PARK

Cox Plate winner Ocean Park (NZ) has been a revelation at stud, earning a prominent position among a star-studded Australian sires’ premiership with almost A$10 million in prize-money during the 2019-20 season.

The Waikato Stud resident has sired a total of 136 winners from 228 runners, including nine individual stakes winners.

Kolding (NZ) became his first Group One winner with a superb victory in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) in the spring, and he added the lucrative A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) in November.

Tofane (NZ) delivered further Group One success for Ocean Park with her victory in the All Aged Stakes (1400m) in April, having previously placed in the Group One Galaxy (1100m).

Oceanex (NZ) has also been a multiple stakes winner this season and has earned a place in the starting gate for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) later this year through her last-start victory in the Andrew Ramsden (2800m).

There are two weanlings represented by Ocean Park in the National Weanling Sale catalogue.  

TAVISTOCK 

Well-performed Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock (NZ) sadly died last spring at the age of just 14, and during the autumn his daughter Toffee Tongue (NZ) showed the significance of that loss.

While still a maiden, Toffee Tongue placed in the Group Three Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) and Group One Australian Oaks (2400m) during the prestigious Championships at Randwick. She then travelled to Adelaide, where she scored a powerful victory in the Group One Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville.

Overall, Tavistock has sired 280 winners from 442 runners with 20 individual black-type winners. As well as Toffee Tongue, he has also scooped Group One spoils through his sons Werther (NZ), Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ), Tarzino (NZ) and Tavago (NZ).

There are two weanlings by Tavistock in the Sale, a filly and a colt.

CHARM SPIRIT

Windsor Park Stud shuttle stallion Charm Spirit (IRE) was New Zealand’s leading first season sire in 2018-19, and he has carried on strongly since that first crop reached the age of three.

He has sired four stakes winners this season including Fascino (NZ), who won the Group Two Moonee Valley Fillies’ Classic (1600m) in Melbourne during the spring.

His star juvenile filly of last season, the Group One-placed Aretha (NZ), added the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) to her CV in September. A few weeks later, Lilikoi (NZ) won the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and placed in the Group Two Royal Stakes (2000m).

But Charm Spirit is not merely a sire of fillies. His son Scorpz (NZ) won the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) and Listed 3YO Salver (2100m), then produced a huge finish from near the tail of the field to finish third in the Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m).

Charm Spirit is represented by four lots in the Sale.

The Rising Stars

PROISIR

With two crops of racing age, Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir (AUS) is making a name for himself as a sire of quality performers. His three-year-old progeny this season include Riodini (NZ), who won the Group Three Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) and placed in the Group One Levin Classic (1600m) and Group Two Auckland Guineas (1600m).

Exciting filly Levante (NZ) won all of her first four starts in dazzling style, then stepped up to stakes level and missed the start by five lengths before roaring home for second in the Group Two Wellington Guineas (1400m).

Four others have placed at stakes level, including Vancooga (NZ) and Feel the Rush (NZ), who finished second and third in the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham in March.

A group on five weanlings by Proisir will go under the digital hammer on 21 June.

EL ROCA

Himself a high-quality Group One performer on the racetrack, Westbury Stud stallion El Roca (AUS) has been represented by three black-type horses in his first crop.

The best of them has been top-flight filly Travelling Light (NZ), the winner of five of her seven starts including the Group One Levin Classic (1600m), Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m). Her only defeats have been a third placing in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and a runner-up finish in the Group Two Waikato Guineas (2000m).

El Roca is represented by two weanlings in this year’s catalogue.

SWEYNESSE

Standing for a $6,000 service fee at Novara Park, Sweynesse (AUS) sits at the top of New Zealand’s first season sire standings for the 2019-20 season. His two winners include Bonita Aurelia (NZ), who won the Group 3 Woburn Farm 2YO Classic (1200m) and placed in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

There is one Sweynesse weanling colt up for grabs in the Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.

TIVACI

Featuring on the same Waikato Stud roster as the previously mentioned Savabeel and Ocean Park, but at the opposite end of the experience spectrum, is the Group One winner Tivaci (AUS).

A high-class racetrack performer in Australia, Tivaci has already made a big impression at stud with his first yearlings averaging $124,821 during Book 1 at Karaka 2020.

Tivaci features strongly in both quality and quantity in the National Weanling Sale catalogue, with eight weanlings.

VADAMOS

Alongside Tivaci, the other first season New Zealand sire who made a big splash at Karaka 2020 was Vadamos (FR). Standing at Rich Hill Stud, the son of Monsun averaged $125,714 with his first crop of yearlings in Book 1.

A quality assortment of Vadamos weanlings is available on Gavelhouse Plus, including Lot 11 – a filly out of Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and Thorndon Mile (1600m) placegetter Mill Duckie (NZ) (Magic Ring).

There are five weanlings by the exciting stallion prospect Vadamos.

BELARDO

Haunui Farm has had outstanding success with previous shuttle stallions Iffraaj and Showcasing, and Belardo (IRE) has the credentials to continue that trend.

By top sire and Lope de Vega, Belardo won the prestigious Group One Dewhurst Stakes (1400m) as a two-year-old and added the Group One Lockinge Stakes (1600m) during his four-year-old season.

His yearlings were well received during Book 1 of Karaka 2020, averaging $106,000.

There are two weanlings waiting to be secured from the National Weanling Sale by Belardo.

PREFERMENT

With his progeny now being sold at NZB auctions, the career of Preferment (NZ) has come full-circle.

The son of Zabeel (NZ) was a $190,000 purchase at the 2013 Premier Sale at Karaka and crossed the Tasman to join the stable of Chris Waller, for whom he won the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m), Turnbull Stakes (2000m), Australian Cup (2000m) and BMW (2400m).

He now stands for a service fee of $12,500 at Brighthill Farm, and his first yearlings averaged $90,000 during Book 1 of Karaka 2020.

Preferment has five lots entered into the first-ever weanling only sale on Gavelhouse Plus.

Also featured in the catalogue are progeny by Astern (AUS) (1), Flying Artie (AUS) (1), Olympic Glory (IRE) (1), Sepoy (AUS) (1), Shamexpress (NZ) (2), Tarzino (NZ) (2), Telperion (AUS) (1) and Wrote (IRE) (1).

All weanlings offered at the National Weanling Sale will be eligible for the lucrative Karaka Million Series, featuring two $1 million races available for graduates as two and three-year-olds, plus the $100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup for the duration of their career.

Bloodstock inspections for the sale will consist of parades scheduled by NZB and buyers can also contact vendors to arrange their own on farm/private viewings.

Buyers must register on Gavelhouse Plus in advance in order to gain bidding approval. Bidding on the weanling only sale is set to close on Sunday 21 June, starting with Lot 1 from 3PM (NZT). 

View the 82-lot catalogue here.

All horses will be inspected by NZB Agents who are available to assist buyers with enquiries. For more information contact NZB Sales Representative Kane Jones (+64 27 274 4985 or email Kane.Jones@nzb.co.nz).