Yearlings, all of which are eligible to enter the lucrative Karaka Million Series, 2-year-olds, tried stock and broodmares will all go under the hammer from 10am, but it is the weanling division likely to hold greatest interest.
“The bloodstock and marketing teams have been out and pretty much seen all of the weanlings on the farms,” NZB Bloodstock Sale Manager Danny Rolston said.
“We’re really happy with the quality on offer. The strength of the first season sires has become evident and it’s a real positive going into Karaka 2020.
“There are 11 local first season sires. There’s definitely some very good artillery there with the likes of those Australian-performed horses such as Preferment, Tivaci and Tarzino.”
NZB Bloodstock Sale Manager Danny Rolston
Pinhooking opportunities
Variety among the young thoroughbred talent will offer pinhookers ideal opportunities for return on investment.
“This year we had three horses sell for over NZ$100,000 more than their purchase price out of the Karaka May Sale,” Rolston said.
“We are very happy with the quality that will be on offer, particularly the depth among the new sires to be represented.”
“We are very happy with the quality that will be on offer." - NZB Bloodstock Sale Manager Danny Rolston
The progeny of New Zealand-based first season sires on show include weanlings by Belardo (Ire), Rageese, Preferment (NZ), Puccini (NZ), Tarzino (NZ), Telperion, Tivaci (NZ), Turn Me Loose (NZ), Vadamos (Fr) and Vanbrugh while the Hunter Valley resident Flying Artie also has an entry.
The first weanlings by G1 winner Preferment will be on offer at the May Sale
Haunui has high hopes
Haunui Farm is home to Belardo and studmaster Mark Chitty said the dual Group 1 winning son of Lope De Vega (Ire) compared more than favourably with their past success stories.
Out of the Group 1 performed Danehill (USA) mare Danaskaya (Ire), Belardo won the G1 Dewhurst S. as a 2-year-old and trained on to be runner-up in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. the following season and claimed the G1 Lockinge S. as a 4-year-old.
“We’ve had Elusive City, Iffraaj and Showcasing, who have all been fine European racehorse, and Belardo is the best-performed of all four,” Haunui’s Mark Chitty said.
“That’s the exciting part as those other three stallions have all done a much better than average job at stud.”
“We’ve had Elusive City, Iffraaj and Showcasing, who have all been fine European racehorse, and Belardo is the best-performed of all four.” – Mark Chitty.
Chitty said there was an element of risk with any stallion, but all the early signs for Belardo were highly encouraging.
“The proof is in the pudding and we’re very happy with what we’ve seen. The sire line has been doing great things with Shamardal and Lope De Vega doing so well in this part of the world.
“Being a Group 1 winning champion 2-year-old in Europe is a lot different to being an Australasian champion 2-year-old.
“With the types he’s giving us I would not be surprised to see the odd autumn 2-year-old. I think he’ll give us a slightly earlier horse.”
Haunui Farm's Mark Chitty says the early signs for Belardo as a sire are highly encouraging
Second year boost
Belardo has been well-supported, having served 95 mares in his first season and 118 last year.
“There’s not many times the numbers go up. We said at the time if he could serve 80 or 85 in his second year and it’s been fantastic, part of that was due to the talk about his foals when they hit the ground.
“We’re delighted, he’s got enough and he won’t lack for opportunities.”
Haunui will offer three colts – Lots 4, 34 and 73 – and a filly, Lot 121, on Friday.
“They’re not the top end and not the bottom, they are just a really nice bunch who are there to represent the sire,” Chitty said.
“Belardo’s a horse that throws bays, browns and chestnuts. He tends to throw strong colour and they are strong-bodied. He’s tidied up a lot of mares and hopefully they will justify all that on the race track.”
Belardo is a stallion who throws strong colour
