The facts, figures and Group One graduates that have come out of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale paint a picture of a sale that is one of a kind.
The Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, which will be held on 18 and 19 November, is the undisputed source of winning two-year-old sale graduates in the southern hemisphere.
- Over the last six seasons, graduates of the Ready to Run Sale have won 20 Group One races and 135 stakes races. During that same time period, graduates of both Australian two-year-old sales have combined for just three Group One wins and 69 stakes wins.
- The last five Ready to Run Sales have produced 36 individual stakes winners, including six Group One winners. Even Europe’s most renowned sales companies fall short of these remarkable statistics. In the same time period, Arqana’s Deauville Breeze Up Sale has produced 34 stakes winners, four at Group One level. Goffs UK has produced 17 stakes winners with no Group One winners from its two-year-old sale, and the combined Tattersalls Craven and Guineas Sales have a total of 28 stakes winners with three Group One winners between them.
- Ready to Run Sale graduates earn, on average, 49% more prizemoney than both Australian two-year-old sale graduates combined, with the equal highest winners-to-runners ratio.
Over the last six seasons, graduates of the Ready to Run Sale have combined for an incredible seven Derby victories.
This year’s Derby-winning star was Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro), who was a $300,000 purchase from the 2017 Ready to Run Sale. He produced a scintillating performance in the HK$20 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in March.
Bought from Riversley Park’s Ready to Run Sale draft, Golden Sixty is only the second horse in history to complete a clean sweep of Hong Kong’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series – the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and the Hong Kong Derby.
Golden Sixty has begun his five-year-old campaign on much the same note, returning to action with another dominant performance in the Group Three Celebration Cup (1400m) last month and another sparkling performance in Sunday’s HK$4.5m Group Two The Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy (1600m).
The megastar has now had 13 starts for 12 wins, earning more than HK$35 million. That’s the equivalent of around NZ$6.9 million, which is 23 times his purchase price.
Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor) was a $220,000 purchase by the China Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group at the 2013 Ready to Run Sale. He won the New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Australian Derby (2400m) in the first few months of 2015 – the first horse to win both of those famous classics in more than 30 years. He later added the Group One Caulfield Cup (2400m) to his CV, becoming the first horse in history to win all of those three showpiece races.
Two years later came Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj), who was selected by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale and cost just $42,500. His spectacular racing career delivered unforgettable thrills for his big syndicate of owners, and he became a fan favourite on both sides of the Tasman with sparkling successes in the Group One New Zealand Derby, Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Windsor Park Plate (1600m).
The 2018 New Zealand Derby was won by Vin de Dance (NZ) (Roc de Cambes), who was bought for $70,000 at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale by respected judge Phill Cataldo.
In Singapore, the $90,000 Ready to Run Sale purchase Well Done (NZ) (Falkirk) scored an outstanding victory in the Singapore Derby (2000m) in 2016.
The 2019 Macau Derby (1800m) was won by Sacred Capital (NZ) (O’Reilly), who was picked up out of Waikato Stud’s draft at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale for $580,000. He has won 10 of his 23 starts and the equivalent of more than $930,000 in prize-money.
Sprinting Superstars in Hong Kong
The HK$20 million Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) is one of the biggest sprint races on the planet, and graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock Sales have enjoyed a stellar run of success.
Karaka graduates have won all of the last four Hong Kong Sprints, and five in the last six years.
The 2019 winner was Beat the Clock (Hinchinbrook), who was a $200,000 purchase from Prima Park’s draft at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale. The superb sprinter has now won 10 races and more than HK$52 million, which is 50 times his purchase price.
In addition to his Hong Kong Sprint heroics, Beat the Clock has also collected Group One victories in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) and two editions of the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m).
With these sprint stars alongside the likes of champion Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock) and rising star Golden Sixty, a staggering 46% of all Group One winners in Hong Kong in the last two seasons were sourced from Karaka.
Brilliant Talent in Australia
The headline act is undoubtedly Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), who David Ellis bought for $230,000 from Lyndhurst Farm’s draft at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale.
The classy chestnut has won seven of his 14 starts and more than $1.5 million in stakes, and he scored his first Group One win in the BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in February of this year. He had previously won the Group Two Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) and Group Three Spring Sprint (1400m).
Not only has starred on his home turf, but he has also won over a legion of fans in Australia. He won the Group One Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick earlier this year, and he has collected elite-level placings in the Epsom Handicap (1600m), Cox Plate (2040m) and George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
Another big name in Australian racing at the moment is Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking), who was passed in with a $35,000 reserve at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale and was subsequently sold through Gavelhouse.com.
Surprise Baby has developed into one of Australia’s standout stayers, winning five races and more than $1 million in stakes. His best wins include the Group Two Adelaide Cup (3200m) and Group Three Bart Cummings (2500m), while he overcame a rocky run for a slashing fifth in last year’s Melbourne Cup (3200m). He looms as a leading contender for that famous Flemington feature again in 2020.
Other Ready to Run Sale graduates who have shone at a high level in Australia include the Group Two winners Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) and The Holy One (NZ) (Tavistock).
Group One Glory on Home Soil The previously mentioned New Zealand Derby wins by Mongolian Khan, Gingernuts and Vin de Dance are just a fraction of the big-race successes scored on New Zealand soil by graduates of the Ready to Run Sale.
The Mitigator (Master of Design), who was offered at the same 2016 Ready to Run Sale, secured some Group One spoils of his own with a tenacious win in the Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham in January.
Other recent Group One winners in New Zealand who were sold through the Ready to Run Sale include the Levin Classic (1600m) winners Gaultier (NZ) (Rios), Dukedom (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) and Hall of Fame (NZ) (Savabeel).
Hall of Fame was subsequently sold to Hong Kong and has won up to Group Three level at Sha Tin, earning more than HK$7.8 million in stakes.
Singapore Success
As well as the Derby winner Well Done mentioned above, the other big recent Ready to Run Sale success story in Singapore has been Debt Collector (NZ) (Thorn Park).
Offered by Prima Park at the 2014 Ready to Run Sale, he was bought for $120,000 by trainer Cliff Brown. He went on to win 12 races in Singapore and more than S$3.4 million, including victories in the Singapore Guineas (1600m), Kranji Mile (1600m), Queen Elizabeth Cup (1800m), Singapore 3YO Classic (1400m), Chairman’s Trophy (1600m), Jumbo Jet Trophy (1400m) and two editions of the Raffles Cup (1800m).
Countofmontecristo (NZ) (Echoes of Heaven) was a $57,500 purchase at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale. He has won 10 races and more than S$2 million, headed by the Singapore 3YO Sprint (1200m), 3YO Classic (1400m), Jumbo Jet Trophy (1400m) and Chairman’s Trophy (1600m).
Up and Comers
There are also a number of rising Ready to Run Sale stars who are beginning to make their mark across New Zealand, Australia and Asia.
One of the most exciting is Kinane (NZ) (Reliable Man), who was bought for $165,000 from the draft of Phoenix Park at the 2018 Ready to Run Sale. He has had eight starts to date for two wins, three placings and more than A$120,000 in stakes, headed by a spectacular win in the Group Three Frank Packer Plate (2000m) and a placing in the Group Three Gunsynd Classic (1800m).
Hong Kong’s Good Luck Friend (NZ) (Swiss Ace) cost $90,000 at the 2018 Ready to Run Sale. He has won four of his seven starts and more than HK$3.5 million, named Champion Griffin for the 2019-20 Hong Kong season.
(My) Gold Bracelet (NZ) (Pins) was purchased for $25,000 at 2018 Ready to Run Sale by Jen Campin Bloodstock. Trained by Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr, the filly has now claimed three wins and one third placing from just seven starts, including the Group Two $100,000 Wellington Guineas (1400m) earlier this year.
Master Montaro (Toronado) fetched $300,000 when Woburn Farm sent him through the ring during the 2018 Ready to Run Sale. He made a big impression with victories in both of his first two starts in Australia, by a combined margin of more than six lengths, and has subsequently relocated to Hong Kong.
Brando (NZ) (Savabeel) was a $500,000 purchase from Riversley Park at the 2019 Ready to Run Sale. While he has yet to begin his racing career, he has turned heads with impressive wins in all of his four trials appearances.
The $50,000 purchase Marine (NZ) (Ocean Park) scored a highly impressive win on debut at Timaru at the beginning of September and was a fast-finishing second at Riccarton in his second start earlier this month.
Rhode Scholar (Zoustar), bought for $400,000 at the 2019 Ready to Run Sale, was a stylish maiden winner in Victoria early last month.
With significant importance placed on Breeze Up footage for buyers this year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, NZB made the decision to lengthen their traditional Breeze Up clip format and offer vision of the mounting yard prior to horses breezing.
The 2020 Breeze Up clips were extended to include additional footage near the 600 metre mark to capture horses before they fully extended into their gallop, while horses also had the last 200 metres of their work individually timed.
While the official Breeze Up videos themselves are slightly longer, NZB also filmed majority of the two-year-olds being paraded in the mounting yard at Te Rapa prior to their gallop.
The Ready to Run Sale will see over 300 quality juveniles go under the hammer on 18 and 19 November. Over the two days of selling, buyers will have the opportunity to purchase progeny from an outstanding showcase of 98 high-profile sires and exceptionally strong black-type families.
International buyers are encouraged to participate via the new user-friendly online bidding platform, where registrations will be available soon. While all New Zealand-based buyers and agents are welcome to attend the psychical sale in person at Karaka.
New Zealand-based agents are also available to complete inspections on behalf of international buyers at the on farm parades and sale complex, with phone bidding another welcomed option for buyers.
View the full catalogue and videos online here
