New Zealand is in the fortunate position of having an outstanding group of young stallions starting to make their mark, and the progeny of these exciting up-and-comers will be in demand at Karaka 2026.
Ace High has seven in Book 2 and eight in the inaugural Summer Sale.
Ardrossan’s 2022 crop of foals – bred from that $3,000 service fee – averaged $182,500 in Book 1 of Karaka 2024 and $103,907 in Book 2. They sold for up to $390,000.
Karaka 2026 will feature 29 yearlings by Ardrossan in Book 1, 24 in Book 2 and 10 in the Summer Sale.
Armory raised his profile sharply at the NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka in November, where his colt out of Cora Lynn (NZ) (Golan) sold to Cameron Booke and Busuttin Racing for $625,000 – the seventh highest price of the sale. It was the fifth highest price for a New Zealand-based sire, behind only the established guns Per Incanto (two) and Satono Aladdin and last season’s champion first-season sire Hello Youmzain.
Armory’s first crop of yearlings averaged $34,545 at Karaka 2025, including an average price of $73,333 in Book 1.The catalogues for Karaka 2026 feature four Amory yearlings in Book 2 and 11 in the Summer Sale.
Standing for a service fee of $17,500, Circus Maximus had progeny sell for up to $300,000 at the recent NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. The catalogue for Book 1 of Karaka 2026 contains nine Circus Maximus yearlings, with one of his progeny in Book 2 and three in the Summer Sale.
Yearlings by Hello Youmzain have sold for up to $425,000 at Karaka. Buyers at Karaka 2026 will have access to 24 yearlings by Hello Youmzain in Book 1, 18 in Book 2 and two in the Summer Sale.
Noverre now stands alongside his champion father at Waikato Stud and his oldest progeny are two-year-olds. He has been represented by multiple trial winners. His first yearlings averaged $88,823 at Karaka 2025 at the beginning of this year, including a Book 1 average of $135,625 and a top price of $310,000. That buzz around Noverre carried over into the recent NZB Ready to Run Sale, where he had 10 progeny sell for an average of $135,500 and a top price of $320,000. Noverre has 17 yearlings catalogued for Book 1 of Karaka 2026, 23 for Book 2 and six for Book 3.
Sword Of State’s first yearlings sold exceptionally well at Karaka 2025 last January. He averaged $154,810, with a Book 1 average of $201,500. Four of his progeny fetched $300,000 or more, with a top price of $540,000 – all from an introductory service fee of $15,000. That strong demand continued into the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka in November, where he had five two-year-olds sell for an average of $256,000 with a top price of $500,000. Sword Of State is the sire of 25 yearlings in Book 1 of Karaka 2026, another 25 in Book 2 and four in the Summer Sale.
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