ew Zealand Bloodstock’s live barrier draw conducted at the iconic Karaka Sales Centre has confirmed the final fields for the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) to be held at Ellerslie this weekend.
Following the draw, two of New Zealand’s brightest three-year-old talents are on a collision course in Saturday’s $1m dollar feature.
The two dominating favourites for the race are Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls) and Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel), who were both bred and offered by Waikato Stud through their Book 1 draft at Karaka 2019.
Connections of those runners will now eagerly await their chance to secure one of New Zealand’s most lucrative racing purse after Aegon drew an ideal barrier of four, while Amarelinha will start out slightly wider at barrier 11.
Aegon was bought for $150,000 by Andrew Forsman, who shares ownership with the Zame Family. Forsman also trains the gelding in partnership with Murray Baker at Cambridge.
Aegon is undefeated in three starts, including superb come-from-behind victories in the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and the Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1600m).
Amarelinha was a $300,000 purchase by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis and is trained by Jamie Richards – the same team that made history and won last year’s edition of this race, as well as the 2019 Karaka Million 2YO with superstar filly Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel).
Amarelinha announced her a rival as a sensational filly in her own right with a scintillating last-start victory in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
Amarelinha’s stablemate, the Jamie Richards-trained Perfect Scenario (NZ) (Iffraaj) drew barrier one earlier today. The gelding was a $165,000 Karaka 2019 Book 1 purchase by David Ellis from Woburn Farm’s draft.
Go Racing syndications have two runners in the 2021 Karaka Million 3YO Classic field, with Lord Ardmore (NZ) (Reliable Man) and Waimoku Falls (NZ) (Sacred Falls) both trained by previous Karaka Million victor Stephen McKee.
Overall, the Karaka Million 3YO Classic has drawn a quality field of 17 highly talented three-year-olds, with Zee Falls (NZ) (Sacred Falls), also a last-start stakes winner, drawing an inside barrier of three.
Karaka purchase prices for this year’s Karaka Million 3YO Classic field range from $12,000 for Gurtlyn (NZ) (Dalghar), who drew barrier nine, to $300,000 for likely race favourite Amarelinha. The average purchase price for this year’s field is $105,029.
The Karaka Million 3YO Classic will be run at 7:45pm on Saturday – the final race on an action-packed twilight race meeting at Ellerslie.
View the full Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) field here.
View the replay of the live barrier draw here.
