New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series is often the moment when exciting young stallions announce their arrival in the Australasian industry, with huge demand for the debut crops of Almanzor and Super Seth among the notable recent examples. Now another batch of well-credentialled newcomers are about to make their mark at Karaka 2024.
The Book 1 and Book 2 catalogues feature a total of 25 first-season sires – five based in New Zealand, and 20 standing on the opposite side of the Tasman.
New Zealand-based sires
HELLO YOUMZAIN
One of the best-performed northern hemisphere sprinters to stand at stud in New Zealand, Hello Youmzain commands a $30,000 service fee at Cambridge Stud.
Hello Youmzain was a five-time winner from 12 career starts, including spectacular Group One sprinting triumphs in Royal Ascot’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) and the Sprint Cup (1200m) at Haydock. He was also a placegetter in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest (1300m) and the Group One Commonwealth Cup (1200m).
A son of the outstanding Irish-based stallion Kodiac, Hello Youmzain comes from a female family loaded with black type. He is a half-brother to two stakes winners and another three black-type placegetters, headed by the Group Two winner and Group One-placed Royal Youmzain (Youmzain).
Hello Youmzain’s first northern hemisphere yearlings have sold for up to 300,000 euros this year, and Book 1 of Karaka 2024 features a quality selection of 45 yearlings from his first New Zealand crop, with another eight catalogued for Book 2.
- Lot 15, from the Curraghmore draft, is a half-sister to the Group One winner Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma), the stakes winners Kuro (NZ) (Denman), Southern Lad (Ocean Park) and Distinctive Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma), and the Group Three-placed Wairau Cove (NZ) (Darci Brahma). The dam Distinctive Lass (Orientate) was stakes-placed and is the dam of seven winners from eight foals to race.
- Lot 325 is a Cambridge Stud colt out of Pretty To Sea (NZ) (Ocean Park), who won the Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and placed in the Group Three Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m), King’s Plate (1200m) and Concorde Handicap (1200m). Pretty To Sea is a half-sister to the Group Two performer Bonny O’Reilly (NZ) (O’Reilly), and also to Dahooil (NZ) (O’Reilly), who is the dam of Australian Group One star Espiona (Extreme Choice).
- The very next yearling in the catalogue is Lot 326, a filly being offered by Landsdowne Park. She is out of Pristino (More Than Ready), who is the dam of three stakes performers including the Group Two winner and Group One-placed Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy).
- Cambridge Stud’s Lot 428 is a filly out of Special Diamond (NZ) (Zabeel). The dam is a full-sister to the record-breaking $3.6m yearling Don Eduardo (NZ) (Zabeel), who went on to be a Group One Australian Derby (2400m) winner and sire. Hailing from the iconic Eight Carat line, Special Diamond is also a three-quarter-sister to Octagonal (NZ) (Zabeel), Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Mouawad (NZ) (Zabeel), Shower Of Roses (NZ) (Zabeel) and Antwerp (NZ) (Sir Tristram).
- Lot 679 is a filly offered by Windsor Park Stud. She is a half-sister to the dual Group One-winning mare Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh).
CIRCUS MAXIMUS
Multiple Group One winner Circus Maximus stands at Windsor Park Stud for a fee of $17,500.
Circus Maximus is one of 99 individual Group One winners by the legendary Galileo, whose influence is being carried on the freakish Frankel and fellow sire sons such as Teofilo, New Approach, Australia and Rip Van Winkle.
The dam of Circus Maximus is the Danehill Dancer mare Duntle, who won at Group Two and Group Three level and placed in the Group One Prix Rothschild (1600m), Matron Stakes (1600m) and Sun Chariot Stakes (1600m). Circus Maximus is one of 16 Group One winners to come from that golden cross of Galileo and Danehill Dancer, with other notables including the likes of Minding, Blue Rose Cen, Tuesday and Subjectivist.
Circus Maximus was a five-time winner on the racetrack, scoring outstanding Group One victories in Royal Ascot’s St James’s Palace Stakes (1600m) and Queen Anne Stakes (1600m), along with the Prix du Moulin (1600m) at Longchamp. He placed in another five Group One races.
Book 1 of Karaka 2024 will showcase 40 first-crop yearlings by Circus Maximus, and there are 13 in the catalogue for Book 2.
- Windsor Park Stud’s colt out of Meir (NZ) (Volksraad) is catalogued as Lot 221. This colt is a half-brother to the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) winner and Group One-placed Dynastic (NZ) (Almanzor).
- Lot 273 comes from the draft of Haunui Farm and is out of O’Maille (NZ) (O’Reilly), an unraced half-sister to Group One performer and sire Savile Row (NZ) (Makfi), as well as Group Two winner Needle And Thread (NZ) (Makfi). O’Maille’s full-sister Charmeuse (NZ) (O’Reilly) is the dam of Group One performer Arrogant (NZ) (Ocean Park). Further down the pedigree page is multiple Group One winner and sire The Gurkha (Galileo), bred on the same Galileo-Danehill Dancer cross as Circus Maximus.
- Brighthill Farm’s Circus Maximus filly will go through the ring as Lot 334. She is a half-sister to the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) winner Aloisia (NZ) (Azamour), being a daughter of the Group Two-placed mare Queen Boudicca (NZ) (Perfectly Ready).
- Lot 399, consigned by Wentwood Grange, is a half-brother to Group One winner (She’s) Licketysplit (NZ) (Turn Me Loose).
- Phoenix Park offers Lot 599, who is out of Bak Da Chief (NZ) (Chief Bearhart). That makes the colt a half-brother to the super-talented dual Group One winner Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle).
