While New Zealand is renowned for the lush, natural environment that produces some of the very best thoroughbreds on the planet, buyers are also privvy to a quality Karaka 2024 catalogue littered with international families. The best of both worlds.
Check out some of the Northern Hemisphere-related families on offer below raised in unique New Zealand conditions.
SELLING SUNDAY 28 JANUARY (Book 1, Day One)
- Woburn Farm's Lot 36 a bay filly by Maurice (JPN) out of Eimhear (AUS) is from a great Japanese family with third dam Kirov Premier (Sadler's Wells) producing multiple champions such as Cesario (Special Week) (Champion 3YO Filly), Saturnalia (Lord Kanaloa) (Champion 3YO Colt) and Leontes (King Kamehameha) (Champion 2YO Colt) to name a few.
- Lot 99 from Ardsley Stud is an Ocean Park (NZ) filly our of Irish mare Galaya (Galileo). The dam was a 900,000 gns. buy as a yearling and is a full sister to Cabaret, the dam of champion racehorses and Coolmore stallions Magna Grecia (Invincible Spirit) and St Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni).
- Pencarrow Stud's Lot 203 is a filly by Toronado (IRE) out of Irish mare Madrugada (Canford Cliffs). Madrugada is herself a half-sister to Alexander Goldrun (Gold Away), one of Europe’s best racing fillies/mares in the early 2000’s. Winner of five Group Ones and the first filly to win the Hong Kong Cup.
- Another from the Pencarrow draft is Lot 210, a bay colt by the popular sire Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit) out of Irish mare Marsden Cross (IRE). He is closely related to Mother Earth (Zoffany), who was an ultra-consistent filly for the Coolmore team, competing in 14 Group One races across three continents, with her highlight being the English One Thousand Guineas.
SELLING MONDAY 29 JANUARY (Book 1, Day Two)
- Cambridge Stud's freshman exciting stallion Hello Youmzain (FR) combines with English mare Subatomic (Makfi) in Lot 449 a bay colt. The dam is a half-sister to plenty of proven American and European performers, including Donativum (Cadeaux Genereux), who won the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Stakes which was later upgraded to a Group One.
SELLING TUESDAY 30 JANUARY (Book 1, Day Three)
- Lot 489 a filly by New Zealand Champion Sire Savabeel (AUS) out of Tinnelly (O'Reilly) on account of Haunui Farm relates back to plenty of proven European sires. Granddam Destined (Danehill) is from a deep Juddmonte family where you have no fewer than two sires featuring on the page in Camacho (Danehill) and Showcasing (Oasis Dream). Also, from the same family as Shutter Speed (Dansili), the first horse to beat Enable, who later went on an unbeaten run of 12 races including 10 Group Ones. Tinnelly herself is a half-sister to NZB Filly of The Year, Fix (Iffraaj) who later sold to Coolmore to be covered by Galileo four seasons in a row before returning to Australia with a Frankel in utero.
- Windsor Park Stud's Lot 495, a filly by The Autumn Sun (AUS) (Redoute's Choice) is out of Travessia (JPN) who is by champion Japanese sire Deep Impact. Travessia herself a half-sister to one of Japan’s most influential sires in King Kamehameha (Kingmambo) who passed away only a few weeks after Deep Impact back in 2019. King Kamehameha progeny include Lord Kanaloa, Almond Eye, Rulership and Duramente.
- Lot 513 a filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) is out of Fastnet Rock mare Via Napoli (AUS). Via Napoli herself a good racehorse and producer having already left a stakes performer in Petrucci (I Am Invincible). Via Napoli is a half-sister to Florentina who has left one of America's best mares currently racing with In Italian (Dubawi), a four-time Group One winner.
- On account of Blandford Lodge, Lot 552 is a brown filly by Savabeel (AUS) out of Lonhro mare Advert (AUS). Advert poses a strong American dirt pedigree with five wins on her record including the Listed Presque Isle Downs Malvern Rose Stakes. Under the second dam features Imply (E Dubai), who is the dam of Drum Roll Please (Hard Spun) who is on the Kentucky Derby path for top trainer Brad Cox.
View the online Book 1 Catalogue here and Book 2 here.
New Zealand Bloodstock's 98th National Yearling Sale Series will take place from Sunday 28 January through to Friday 2 February at the Karaka Sales Centre. Continuing NZB’s traditional sale format, Book 1 runs from Sunday 28 January until Tuesday 30 January from 10am (NZT) each day, followed by Book 2 between Wednesday 31 January and Friday 2 February from 11am (NZT) each day.
The stage is set for a week-long thoroughbred extravaganza in Auckland, kicking off with an extraordinary TAB Karaka Millions race day at the new and improved Ellerslie Racecourse on Saturday 27 January. The six-race card now carries total stakes of $4.45m, headed by the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and the all-new $1m Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) for four-year-olds. All yearlings purchased at Karaka 2024 are eligible for the Karaka Millions Series.
