Cover image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
It has been a season to revel in for gallopers carrying the New Zealand suffix and New Zealand-graduate flag. ‘Kiwi breds’ have virtually dominated abroad, claiming everything from Derbys, Oaks and Australia’s rich sprints such as the G1 TJ Smith S. courtesy of I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel).
They have proved equally as effective in Hong Kong with Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) stamping his quality in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize and the Karaka sourced Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) victorious in an unprecedented third straight G1 FWD Champions Mile.
Gallery: Group 1-winning New Zeland Bloodstock sale graduates, images courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Although the autumn has been and passed, the New Zealand-bred gallopers are still firing on all cylinders. Several days ago, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Affaire A Suivre (NZ) (Astern) showed her staying prowess at Morphettville to take the G1 Australasian Oaks.
On Saturday, back at Morphettville, it was again Maher and Eustace to the fore with another Kiwi bred in the G1 Robert Sangster S. when the flying 3-year-old filly Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) streaked past an elite field of older mares to write her name in history. While on the Sunshine Coast, Renaissance Woman (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) stamped herself as a leading chance in the G1 Queensland Oaks when winning the Listed Gold Bracelet in fabulous style.
Weanling Sale
The New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale will be under a new format this year with 70 broodmares to be offered, 61 of which are being sold in foal.
New Zealand Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones told TDN AusNZ, “We are pleased to announce for the first time in several years the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling and Broodmare Sale will be conjoined.
“We look forward to offering buyers the opportunity to invest in quality breeding stock.”
Kane Jones | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
However, for the first session all attention will be turned to the 185-strong book of weanlings set to go under the hammer. The 185-lot catalogue is set to be one of the biggest in years. 2022 saw a catalogue of 132, while in 2021, 120 weanlings were catalogued for sale.
“The last few years have seen the size of the catalogue trend downwards due to a few reasons, foal crop size being one - however, this is our biggest catalogue in a while.”
Despite being a reasonably compact catalogue, the results on the track have spoken for themselves.
Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
The 2021 National Weanling catalogue has produced Pingin (NZ) (Staphanos {Jpn}) who won the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. and a NZ$15,000 purchase, while Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) has proven to be the dominant juvenile and a winner of the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO was bought for NZ$50,000.
Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) was purchased for just NZ$5000 in 2017 and would become the Leading New Zealand 3-Year-Old Filly on the 2019/20 International Ratings, while on a domestic front, was crowned the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year in 2019/2020, counting the G1 New Zealand Oaks and G2 Eight Carat Classic on her resume.
Also, from the 2017 catalogue, for just NZ$3000, you could have purchased Callsign Mav (NZ) (Altante). The gelding has proven an absolute warhorse on the track, winning the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. in Australia, two editions of the G1 Tarzino Trophy and a G1 Windsor Park Plate.
Callsign Mav (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We have seen some absolute stars emerge from this sale - Tokyo Tycoon, Pingin, Callsign Mav and Jennifer Eccles, some really top-class graduates. Those four horses mentioned, that’s a Group 1-winning 2-year-old, a Karaka Million winner, a Group 1 weight-for-age winner and an Oaks winner.”
The sale also provides plenty of opportunities for astute pinhookers, with likes of Group 1-winning stars Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Yourdeel (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) and Puccini (NZ) all initially going through the Karaka sale ring as weanlings.
“The National Weanling Sale is a good size and diverse catalogue. This year is full of weanlings by proven sires, the likes of Proisir, Per Incanto, Ocean Park and Contributer,” Jones told TDN AusNZ.
“The National Weanling Sale is a good size and diverse catalogue. This year is full of weanlings by proven sires, the likes of Proisir, Per Incanto, Ocean Park and Contributer.” - Kane Jones
“Also, several exciting emerging stallions like Tarizno, Almanzor, Satono Aladdin and Turn Me Loose.”
Progeny of established sires such as Proisir, Per Incanto (USA), Ocean Park (NZ) and Darci Brahma (NZ) on offer, as well as an early look at exciting first-season sires Banquo, Circus Maximus (Ire), Earthlight (Ire), Hello Youmzain (Fr), King Of Comedy (Ire) and Peltzer.
Gallery: Some of the established sires whose progeny is to be offered at the NZ Bloodstock Sale
There is plenty of quality on the dams’ side of the weanling pedigrees as well, featuring the progeny of 11 stakes-winning mares, including Group winners Belle Fascino (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) (Lot 17), Ticket to Ride (NZ) (Shocking) (Lot 172) and Tinkalicious (NZ) (Nadeem) (Lot 173).
Well-bred weanlings who are siblings to proven black-type stars such as Tokorangi (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) (Lot 5), Opalescence (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) (Lot 49), Consensus (NZ) (Postponed {USA}) (Lot 70), Contagious (NZ) (Proisir) (Lot 127), First Impressions (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) (Lot 161), Tinkalicious (NZ) (Lot 173) and more will also be on offer.
“We are, of course, always excited to launch the first crop of any first-season sire at this sale, and we really look forward to offering stock and buyers the opportunity to purchase stock by Banquo, Circus Maximus, Earthlight, Hello Youmzain, King Of Comedy and Peltzer.
“It is a diverse offering and I feel it will appeal to pinhookers and traders and end-users alike. There is something for everybody.
“It is a diverse offering and I feel it will appeal to pinhookers and traders and end-users alike. There is something for everybody.” - Kane Jones
“It’s a sale that always attracts attention, especially from Australia, and this year should be no different thanks to the strength of the Kiwi-bred horses and stallions. I fully expect some fully robust international attention and participation in the sale.”
All weanlings purchased are eligible for the lucrative Karaka Million Series, with two NZ$1 million features available for graduates as 2- and 3-year-olds, plus the NZ$120,000 Collinson Forex Karaka Cup for the duration of their career.
Broodmares Sale
Attention will turn towards the broodmare session with 70 broodmares to be offered, 61 of which are being offered in foal to sires such as Proisir, Satono Aladdin, Super Seth, Sword of State, Tarzino (NZ), Ardrossan and more.
A clear highlight will be the offering of the multiple Group 1 winner Xanadu (NZ) (Elusive City {USA}) (Lot 253) in foal to Per Incanto (USA).
Lot 253 - Xanadu (NZ), pictured when racing, will be offered in foal to Per Incanto (USA) | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“Some really high-quality mares on offer to some really commercial stallions. Exciting commercial sires, very pleased to be offering those types of mares,” said Jones.
“It has been a great season for the Kiwi-bred horses in Australia and around the world.
“The strength of the New Zealand sire power and track results are as strong as ever. The Kiwi-bred horses are absolutely flying in Australia, we saw that with the dominance of the New Zealand horses at the Championships in Sydney."
