As the dust settles on this week’s Ready to Run Sale, attention quickly shifts to New Zealand Bloodstock’s eagerly-anticipated showpiece – the National Yearling Sales Series.
An outstanding Karaka 2020 catalogue of 1,265 yearlings is now available to view online, with printed copies arriving in letterboxes from early December.
The thrilling week will kick off at Ellerslie Racecourse on Saturday 25 January with an action-packed twilight race meeting, featuring the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m), the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), the CollinsonForex Karaka Cup (2200m) and three Group races.
Starting on that spectacular Saturday evening and carrying on through six days of superb selling action, New Zealand will capture the attention of the thoroughbred world.
Karaka 2020 marks the third year of the refreshed Book 1, 2 and 3 format. The opening session of Book 1 will start at the earlier time this year of 11am on Sunday 26 January, in line with other days through the week, and Book 1 will conclude on Tuesday 28 January.
In another change introduced this year Book 3 will take place on the afternoon of Friday 31 January. 115 yearlings will go under the hammer immediately after the conclusion of the Book 2 Sale, rounding off a terrific week of selling.
This year’s Book 1 catalogue features 677 blue-blooded yearlings who have ample credentials to follow in the footsteps of the eight graduates of this session who have won at Group One level in the last 12 months.
They include Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park), who was one of Sydney’s spring stars and won the Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) and the A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m).
Other elite graduates from this session include the Group One Doncaster Handicap (1600m) hero Brutal (NZ) (O’Reilly), Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) star Mr Stunning (Exceed and Excel), Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) winner Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man) and the remarkable 10-time Group One winner Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands).
There are 473 yearlings in this year’s catalogue for Book 2, which is widely regarded as the value sale of the world. Hong Kong’s two-time Horse of the Year and the Longines World’s Best Turf Miler Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock) was purchased for just $60,000 out of this session.
In recent years, Book 3 has produced top performers such as Singapore stakes winner Gilt Complex (NZ) (Gold Centre) and Group One winner Gaultier (NZ) (Rios).
Karaka 2020 will showcase a quality line-up of 125 stallions, including local and international stars.
There are 73 sons or daughters of New Zealand’s dominant stallion Savabeel, who has been the most sought-after sire at the National Yearling Sales Series in recent seasons. His progeny amassed more than $14 million at Karaka 2019, including the Sale-topping $1.4 million colt.
There are 20 yearlings by this season’s New Zealand premiership-leading sire Darci Brahma, who has been brilliantly represented during the spring by his Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Catalyst (NZ). He sired the quinella in that prestigious classic, with Harlech (NZ) finishing strongly for second.
Second-ranked sire Per Incanto has 35 yearlings in the Karaka 2020 catalogue, while there are 78 yearlings by Cambridge Stud star Tavistock, and 56 sons or daughters of high-class Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Iffraaj.
Notably, there are also 24 yearlings from the final New Zealand crop of former shuttle stallion Showcasing, who sired a record number of two-year-old winners in New Zealand last season.
An exciting group of first season New Zealand sires are also represented, including Belardo, Preferment, Rageese, Tarzino, Telperion, Tivaci, Turn Me Loose and Vadamos.
The star-studded group of Australian-based stallions in the catalogue includes eight yearlings from the first southern hemisphere crop of American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, plus big names such as Dundeel, Exceed and Excel, Fastnet Rock, Medaglia d’Oro, Not a Single Doubt, Sebring, Snitzel, So You Think and Zoustar.
The Karaka 2020 catalogue features siblings to 31 Group One winners, and the progeny of 18 Group One-winning mares.
Lot 86 is a half-brother to New Zealand’s reigning Horse of the Year Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands). Lot 150 is a full-brother to the Group One Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and Australian Oaks (2400m) winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed).
Lot 250 is a full-sister to Group One Australian Derby (2400m) winner Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock).
Lot 241 is a half-brother to multiple Group One winner Grunt (NZ) (O’Reilly), while Lot 336 is a half-brother to both the Group One Thorndon Mile (1600m) winner A Touch Of Ruby (NZ) (Pins) and last weekend’s Group One gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Loire (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice).
Lot 556 is a full-sister to triple Group One winner Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj), while Lot 605 is a three-quarter-brother to Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) winner and young sire Flying Artie (Artie Schiller).
Lot 658 is a full-brother to the multiple Group One winner and young sire Kermadec (NZ) (Teofilo).
Group One-winning mares with progeny in the catalogue include Katie Lee (Pins), Rollout The Carpet (Holy Roman Emperor) and Shez Sinsational (NZ) (Ekraar).
Adding further appeal to the bloodstock that will be on offer, all yearlings offered at Karaka 2020 are eligible for the lucrative Karaka Million Series. They will have the opportunity to race for $2 million with the $1 million Karaka Million 2YO in 2021 and the $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic in 2022.
KARAKA 2020 SCHEDULE
Karaka Million Twilight Meeting: Saturday 25 January
Book 1: Sunday 26 January – Tuesday 28 January
Book 2: Wednesday 29 January – Friday 31 January
Book 3: Friday 31 January
You can request catalogues by emailing reception@nzb.co.nz or view them online. For news and sales information from NZB visit www.nzb.co.nz.
