Graduates of Little Avondale Stud’s drafts at the NZB National Weanling Sale have a proud record of racetrack success, and stud principal Sam Williams believes his class of 2025 compares favourably with previous years.
Little Avondale will offer a well-credentialled draft of nine weanlings, plus two supplementary lots to be announced soon, at Karaka on 26 June, hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous graduates such as Rocanto (NZ) (Per Incanto) and Karman Line (NZ) (Myboycharlie).
Rocanto was bought for $8,500 from Little Avondale’s draft at the 2015 National Weanling Sale. He went on to earn $303,452 from a 57-race career that produced 10 wins, five seconds and nine thirds. He was one of the best two-year-olds of his generation, winning the Listed Matamata Slipper (1200m) and finishing second in the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and third in the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m).
Karman Line, meanwhile, was a $14,000 purchase from Little Avondale’s 2019 weanling draft. Subsequently sold again for $67,500 in Book 2 of Karaka 2020, she has so far had 26 starts for four wins, six placings and $249,250 in stakes. In only the fourth start of her career, she finished third in the $1m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). She went on to win last year’s Group Three Rotorua Stakes (1400m).
“We’ve sold a number of good performers through this weanling sale over the years, with Karman Line and the multiple Group One placegetter Rocanto just a couple of them,” Williams said.
“We’re really happy with the quality of the draft we’re taking to Karaka this year, which consists of three Ardrossans, an Armory, Tivaci, a Per Incanto, a Savabeel, a Hello Youmzain and a really nice Time Test.”
Williams made particular mention of the Savabeel colt, who will go through the ring as Lot 52.
“You don’t see many Savabeels go through the ring as weanlings at Karaka, and I think this colt should be one of the stars of the sale,” Williams said. “He’s a really nice colt from a good family, with that outstanding Savabeel-Pins cross.
“His half-brother by Per Incanto sold well recently, and the first foal out of the mare is a Shalaa filly called Rosie’s Rendevous, who has shown speed in trials for Pam Gerard.
“The mare’s second foal, a Farnan filly (named Woman In Charge), was sold to Wexford Stables for $220,000 at Karaka 2024. She’s placed in trials as a two-year-old this season and Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have a good opinion of her.”
Little Avondale Stud’s own flagbearer stallion Per Incanto is the sire of Lot 91, a filly out of the Group Three-placed Amazing Lady (NZ) (O’Reilly).
“She was a November foal, but she looks like a late August or early September foal,” Williams said. “She was bred on that very successful O’Reilly-Per Incanto cross. She’s only the fourth foal out of a well-performed racemare.
“Per Incanto is emerging as a high-quality broodmare sire, leaving nine stakes performers from 77 runners including the champion Hong Kong sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress). He’s really making a name for himself as a broodmare sire, as well as being a wonderful sire of fillies and mares on the racetrack.”
The other weanlings singled out by Williams were Lots 6 and 78, who are fillies by exciting sires Ardrossan and Hello Youmzain.
“Lot 6 is a lovely filly by Ardrossan out of the Zabeel mare Kumari (NZ),” he said. “She’s a half-sister to the Group Three winner Semari (NZ) (Sebring) and comes from an outstanding family. She’s got great residual family and is by one of New Zealand’s real up-and-coming sires. She’s being sold to dissolve a partnership.
“Lot 78 is one that I’m a bit reluctant to part with, but I’m buying a few mares at the moment to go to our new stallion Little Brose, so we’re selling her to help with that.
“This filly is by Hello Youmzain, who has been an outstanding first-season and second-season sire in Europe and is an exciting member of our stallion ranks here in New Zealand.
“This is the second live foal out of the Group Three winner Tinkalicious (NZ) (Nadeem), bred on a really good cross. She’s also a beautiful physical filly with a great hindquarter and a bit of length to her.”
The Little Avondale draft will be available to view at the upcoming on-farm parades on 6 June. NZB and NZ agents are available to inspect on behalf of buyers ahead of the sale. View the parade schedule here.
In an exciting boost, there are a number of new supplementary lots to be announced and added to the catalogue in the coming days, which will be available for inspections during the on-farm parades.
Selling takes place at Karaka on Thursday 26 June with the thoroughbred session getting underway from 10am (NZT).
All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series. Graduates can compete for a share in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) as well as the new $1m Mega Maiden Series comprising of 40 non-Saturday maiden races located throughout New Zealand.
View the 134-lot catalogue here. The catalogue can also be viewed on the Equineline app for iPads/tablets, or the Thoroughworks mobile app.
For more information, contact Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz, Sales Representative Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 512 466 or Patrick.Cunningham@nzb.co.nz or Andrew Buick at +64 27 555 0640 or email Andrew.Buick@nzb.co.nz.
