Who’s Who of International Stallions in NZB Ready to Run Sale

Some of the biggest names among stallion ranks in Australia and further afield compliment the strong New Zealand stallion representation in the catalogue for next month’s NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka.

A total of 114 sires feature in the 480-lot catalogue, including global hot properties like Wootton Bassett, Snitzel,Too Darn Hot, I Am Invincible, Harry Angel and Zoustar.

 

WOOTTON BASSETT

Coolmore announced the sad death of Wootton Bassett last month at the age of just 17, leaving precious few opportunities to secure progeny of the extraordinary stallion over the next few seasons. 

Wooton Bassett is the sire of 462 winners from 817 runners, with 73 individual stakes winners including 19 at Group One level. Two new names were added to that Group One list during the star-studded Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting at Longchamp last weekend – Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1400m) and Maranoa Charlie in the Prix de la Foret (1400m).

He has sired numerous exciting talents from his first Australian-bred crop, headed by the Group One Golden Slipper (1200m) and Golden Rose (1400m) runner-up Wodeton, who is the favourite for this Saturday’s Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

Wootton Bassett was the leading sire in Book 1 of Karaka 2025 earlier this year with an average price of $361,667 across his nine yearlings sold. His progeny went for up to $725,000.

Four of Wootton Bassett’s sons feature in the catalogue for the 2025 Ready to Run Sale.

• Lot 70, from the family of Group One winners Joie Denise (Danehill), Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence), Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Carnegie) and More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready).
• Lot 313, out of the stakes-winning Savabeel mare Elate (NZ), whose only foal to race has been a winner. High Elation (I Am Invincible) scored by seven lengths in a Tauranga maiden in February.
• Lot 360, a son of the stakes-winning mare Grazia (NZ) (Savabeel). Herself a four-time winner including the Listed Spring Classic (2000m), Grazia is a full-sister to the multiple Group One winner Shillelagh (NZ) (Savabeel), who is the dam of last year’s Ready to Run sale-topper Hostility (I Am Invincible).
• Lot 438, whose dam Little Miss Smiley (Husson) placed at Listed level in Brisbane and has produced Group Three winner Saif (Pride Of Dubai) and the Group Two-placed Serious Liaison (Zoffany).

 

SNITZEL

Another sad loss from Australian stallion ranks this year is the great Snitzel, who died in June at the age of 22. He has been a four-time Australian champion sire and five-time leading sire of Australian two-year-olds. 

Snitzel has been credited with a total of 1301 winners from 1659 runners, with 161 individual Group and Listed winners. His 24 Group One winners include the likes of Trapeze Artist, Redzel, Shamus Award, Russian Revolution, Sword Of State, Switzerland, Golden Slipper (1200m) winners Estijaab, Shinzo and Marhoona, and current pin-up mare Lady Shenandoah.

Progeny of Snitzel have sold for up to $825,000 at the National Yearling Sales and $480,000 at the Ready to Run Sale.

The 2025 Ready to Run Sale catalogue features three sons of Snitzel.

• Lot 84 is out of Samovare (Savabeel), who won three races including the Group Three Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) and placed in the Group Two Sunline Stakes (1600m) and Stocks Stakes (1600m). Samovare is a half-sister to the Group Two BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) winner and Group One JJ Atkins (1600m) placegetter Tiger Of Malay (Extreme Choice).
• Lot 204 is a son of the dual Australian Group Three placegetter Zasorceress (NZ) (Zabeel), who is also the dam of Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes (1200m) winner Zaszou (Zoustar).
• Lot 462 is out of Miss Admiration (Sebring), who won the Group Three Colin Stephen Handicap (2400m) and placed in the Group One Australian Oaks (2400m) and Australasian Oaks (2000m). Miss Admiration’s only foal to race is the dual winner Unquestionably (Not A Single Doubt).

 

I AM INVINCIBLE

Three-time champion Australian sire I Am Invincible boasts a total of 1043 winners from 1296 runners, 121 of them at stakes level. He has been represented by Group One-winning progeny Imperatriz, In Secret, Charm Stone, Viddora, Brazen Beau, Home Affairs, Loving Gaby, I Am A Star (NZ), Invincibella, Media Sensation, Lombardo, Marabi, Vinrock, Hellbent, Move To Strike and Oohood. 

There has always been huge demand for his progeny at the Ready to Run Sale, including last year’s record-breaking $1.65m sale-topper Hostility, who was a Group One placegetter in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) just four months later.

I Am Invincible is the sire of three two-year-olds in the Ready to Run Sale catalogue. Lots 94 and 300 are the progeny of stakes-performed mares See Me Exceed (Sebring) and Diablotine (Kodi Bear) respectively, while Lot 369 is out of a winning Fastnet Rock mare who is a half-sister to Group One performer and sire Cat Junior.

 

TOO DARN HOT

Himself a triple Group One winner and Europe’s Champion 2YO and 3YO Colt, Too Darn Hot has passed that star quality on to his progeny with 28 stakes winners among his 227 winning progeny from 375 to race.

Too Darn Hot was leading second-season sire in Australia in 2024-25. His 114 runners in Australia have included 74 winners, 11 of them at black-type level headed by four-time Group One winner Broadsiding. 

Too Darn Hot finished third on the sires’ table in Book 1 of Karaka 2025 earlier this year, where he had six yearlings sell for an average of $254,167. His top price was $675,000.

Three two-year-olds by Too Darn Hot will be offered during the Ready to Run Sale, including Lot 302, whose highly talented close relative Origin Of Love (Snitzel) is heading towards the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 8.

 

HARRY ANGEL

From 377 runners, Harry Angel has sired 234 winners. His 20 stakes winners include Tom Kitten, War Machine (NZ) and Private Harry at Group One level. War Machine’s superb first-up victory in last Saturday’s Group Two Gilgai Stakes (1200m) at Flemington earned him a slot in the A$20m Group One The Everest (1200m) at Randwick later this month. 

Two of Harry Angel’s progeny went through the ring during last year’s Ready to Run Sale, selling for $520,000 and $400,000. He is set to play an even larger role this time around as the sire of six lots in the 2025 catalogue. Lot 165 is out of the Group Three-placed mare Tizso Wicked (Duporth) and comes from a top-quality American family. 

 

ALABAMA EXPRESS

Alabama Express has made a blistering start to his stud career. His first two crops have produced 56 winners from 104 runners with four Group and Listed winners.

The obvious headline act has been Treasurethe Moment, who has won 10 of her 13 starts including the Group One VRC Oaks (2500m), Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), Australian Oaks (2400m) and Memsie Stakes (1400m). 

New Zealand has had a high-class daughter of Alabama Express too, with Alabama Lass recording six wins and four second placings from 11 starts so far. Her wins include the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), Group Three King’s Plate (1200m), Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Flemington’s Listed Moomba Plate (1100m), while she has been runner-up in the Group One Moir Stakes (1000m), Group One Railway Stakes (1200m) and Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).

Yearling progeny of Alabama Express have averaged more than $300,000 at Karaka in the last two years, and he also had a gelding sell for $300,000 at last year’s Ready to Run Sale.

Alabama Express has two progeny in the catalogue for the 2025 Ready to Run Sale, including Lot 319, who is out of a half-sister to the Hong Kong Group Three winner and Group One performer Ho Ho Khan (NZ) (Makfi).

 

ZOUSTAR

Fresh from claiming his first Australian sires’ premiership in 2024-25, Zoustar is the sire of a total of 768 winners from 1099 runners. He has been represented by 71 individual black-type winners, headed by Sunlight, Zougotcha, Joliestar, Schwarz, Zoutori, Lezoo, Mizzy, Starlust, King Of Gosford, Ozzmosis and Climbing Star (NZ) at the elite level. 

Zoustar’s yearlings have sold for up to $800,000 at Karaka, and his eight two-year-olds sold at previous editions of the Ready to Run Sale have averaged $342,500 with a top price of $500,000.

Zoustar will be represented by three colts in the 2025 Ready to Run Sale, including Lots 374 and 431, who are out of Group Three-placed mares Hijack Hussy (Hussonet) and Light Up The Room (So You Think) respectively

 

BIVOUAC

Four-time Group One winner Bivouac has wasted little time in making his mark at stud. With his oldest progeny only three-year-olds, he has already been represented by 13 winners including last month’s record-breaking Group One Golden Rose (1400m) blitz by Beiwacht. 

Bivouac has five two-year-olds catalogued for the Ready to Run Sale. Lot 68 is a half-brother to the Group Three Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) winner Run Naan (Makfi). Lot 237 is a filly whose dam Balancing Act (Not A Single Doubt) placed at Listed level and has produced the Listed-placed Left Field (Deep Field). Lot 442 is the second foal out of Group Two performer Lunar Light (Akeed Mofeed).

 

First-season sires

 

ST MARK'S BASILICA 

The Ready to Run Sale is also a chance to get on board with sires whose early two-year-olds are beginning to make waves here and abroad.

One who fits that description this year is ST MARK’S BASILICA, who was Europe’s Horse of the Year in 2021. He won six of his nine starts including the Group One Dewhurst Stakes (1400m), Prix du Jockey Club (2100m), Irish Champion Stakes (2000m), Eclipse Stakes (2000m) and Poule d’Essai des Poulains (1600m). 

With his oldest progeny now two-year-olds, St Mark’s Basilica has already sired 17 winners. His three stakes winners include the unbeaten Diamond Necklace, who impressively won last weekend’s Group One Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) at Longchamp. Three members of St Mark’s Basilica’s first southern hemisphere crop will go through the ring during the Ready to Run Sale. Lot 230 is a filly out of the Group Three-placed Asama Blue (Fastnet Rock).

 

HOME AFFAIRS 

HOME AFFAIRS has also had an early stakes performer with Breeders’ Plate runner-up I’m Ya Huckleberry. The Ready to Run Sale features six of his progeny, including Lot 122, who comes from the star-studded family of the great Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm).

Lot 158 is out of the Group Three Epona Stakes (1900m) winner The Pinnacle (So You Think), while the dam of Lot 387 won at Grade Two level in Keeneland’s Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (1200m). Lot 480 is out of a stakes-winning three-quarter-sister to the Group One winner Mystic Journey (Needs Further). 
 

The 2025 edition of the Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 10am (NZT) on Wednesday 12 & Thursday 13 November with Breeze Ups now taking place at Te Rapa on Monday 20 & Tuesday 21 October.

Read the New Zealand stallion preview for the Ready to Run Sale here.