Cover image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Virtually every major player in the Southern Hemisphere was on hand when Hallmark Stud presented the filly by sire sensation Proisir out of Donna Marie (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}), and after a marathon round of bidding it was Victoria-based trainer Peter Moody who held the winning hand at NZ$1.6 million.
The dam is a perfect four winners from four runners, although by far the most significant of those is the champion Prowess (NZ), whose eight career victories include Group 1 successes in the Bonecrusher New Zealand S. and the Vinery Stud S.
Lot 21 - Proisir x Donna Marie (NZ) (filly) was purchased by Moody Racing for NZ$1,600,000 from Hallmark Stud | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“It’s a big dive into the ocean but she’s a bloody nice filly,” said Moody. “Obviously a lot of people were on her. She presented well and paraded well all week, and she’s a full (sibling) to a Group 1 winner, so she’s always got that residual ticket. She’s got two fulls following her through with the mare. Proisir’s had six individual Group 1 winners this season. She was just one hell of a nice filly. I would’ve loved to have bought her for NZ$800,000 but she was just an outstanding filly.”
He continued: “When you look at the catalogue and see a full sister to what I thought was an absolute superstar and a filly I thought would’ve won the Cox Plate last season, obviously things went against her, but that pricks your interest. It’s very seldom you come to a sale and look at a horse like that and they’re a full to a Group 1 winner and arguably a better type.”
Peter Moody | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
On the marathon bidding battle, Moody added: “It was a grind but thankfully we won out. The justification will be in 12 or 18 months’ time, but I’m really looking forward to having her home in the yard. This time next year you might start to get an idea as to what she’s got but I wouldn’t think it’ll be anything before that.”
The seven-figure youngster becomes the most expensive yearling filly ever sold in New Zealand, dethroning the Zabeel (NZ) filly Shower Of Roses (NZ) who went on to win the G1 Arrowfield Stud S. for Gai Waterhouse after selling to Gooree Stud for NZ$1.45 million back in 2001.
The filly’s price also comfortably eclipsed that of her illustrious older sibling as Prowess sold to Roger James and Robert Wellwood for NZ$230,000 at the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale in 2021.
Proisir, who stands at Rich Hill Stud, has sired 16 stakes winners, including six who have struck in Group 1 company. Prowess is joined at the head of her sire’s stud record by Dark Destroyer (NZ), Legarto (NZ), Levante (NZ), Pier (NZ) and Waitak (NZ).
The close of the 2022/23 season not only saw the son of Choisir end Savabeel’s eight-year reign as champion sire of New Zealand, he also broke that stallion’s progeny earnings record in the process. During the 2023 breeding season Proisir covered a full book at a fee of NZ$70,000 (plus GST).
Lot 144: Satono Aladdin (Jpn) x Inthespotlight (NZ) filly, NZ$900,000
Proisir’s popularity was not the only cause for celebration for Rich Hill Stud enjoyed on the day, as the farm also consigned the Satono Aladdin (Jpn) full sister to Australian Guineas third Japanese Emperor (NZ). The NZ$900,000 filly was the most expensive purchase among a six-strong haul collected by Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster of Mulcaster Bloodstock.
“That’s the most money for a Satono Aladdin and the most we’ve ever sold a filly for at Karaka,” said Rich Hill’s Managing Director John Thompson. “We had our suspicions (she’d sell well) because up to this morning she’d had 144 parades. She never turned a hair the whole time; people just loved her and kept coming back.
“We had our suspicions (she’d sell - Lot 144 - well) because up to this morning she’d had 144 parades... people just loved her and kept coming back.” - John Thompson
“She’s got a really good temperament, which the sire is known for, everyone says that about the Satonos. She had beautiful conformation and just looks like a racehorse. She belonged to a guy called Trevor Luke, who raced Alamosa, and his health isn’t the best at the moment so this’ll be a big boost for him.”
Satono Aladdin shuttles between Rich Hill and his Japanese base at the Breeders Stallion Station. While the son of Deep Impact (Jpn) hasn’t taken a completely linear path to Southern Hemisphere success, Thompson said there was plenty more to look forward to from the sire of Group 1 winners Pennyweka (NZ) and Tokyo Tycoon (NZ).
Lot 144 - Satono Aladdin (Jpn) x Inthespotlight (NZ) (filly) was purchased by Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock for NZ$900,000 from Rich Hill Stud | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“It was a little tough when Satono didn’t come back (because of COVID) because then the next year you’re out of sight and out of mind,” he said. “This crop is certainly not his biggest crop but he’s got two big crops coming through as he’s served 170 mares in the last couple of seasons. Obviously his fee has gone up and it’ll probably continue to go up. When you’re a studmaster you need your stallions’ progeny to go to those sorts of trainers. (Chris Waller) gets the best out of horses and he’s got that Kiwi patience, which is tremendous.”
Guy Mulcaster | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Mulcaster added of the NZ$900,000 filly: “We identified her early in the week and I realised there was going to be a fair bit of competition on her. We had a good go on the Proisir filly, the full to Prowess, this morning and we got blown out of the water, but I spoke to our clients and we agreed we’d have a good go at this filly. They were very happy to have purchased her.”
Lot 55: Zoustar x Evalina colt, NZ$725,000
Jamie Richards is no stranger to success in New Zealand and returned to a happy hunting ground at Karaka to secure Elsdon Park’s Zoustar colt for NZ$725,000. The Hong Kong-based trainer’s name appeared on the docket alongside Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA).
The six-figure youngster is the first foal out of Evalina, a daughter of I Am Invincible whose three wins were capped by success in the Listed Levin S. at Otaki. She also ran third, beaten just 1.25l by Julius (NZ), in the 2020 running of the G1 Railway S. There is more top-flight form further back in the pedigree as Group 1-winning siblings Shogun Lodge (Grand Lodge {USA}) and Singing The Blues appear beneath the colt’s fourth dam.
Lot 55 - Zoustar x Evalina (colt) was purchased for NZ$725,000 by Jamie Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) from Elsdon Park | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Although the four-time champion trainer in New Zealand is now plying his trade in Hong Kong, Richards said his purchase could remain in situ to begin his racing career, potentially being pointed towards the lucrative Karaka Millions.
“He’s by a champion sire and out of a very good mare,” said Richards. “She was by I Am Invincible and those champion sires usually go on and be very good broodmare sires. He’s just a real racy, running type of horse. I’ve bought him for a Hong Kong client who’s not 100 per cent sure what he’s going to do yet. He could well stay here and hopefully be aimed towards the Karaka Million. We’ll just get him home and reassess and work it all out.”
The latest running of the Karaka Million was won by the Stephen Marsh-trained Velocious (Written Tycoon), a NZ$190,000 purchase by Go Racing 12 months ago. Richards expanded on the appeal of having such a valuable prize to aim at, saying: “I think it gives everybody confidence in the way the industry is going. Obviously there’s not a lot of 2-year-old racing in Hong Kong but what NZTR and NZB are doing for New Zealand racing, sitting back in Hong Kong watching on from afar, it’s very exciting. To be back on the sale ground and see the buzz, it’s great for the industry. I’m looking forward to seeing how everything unfolds.”
“Obviously there’s not a lot of 2-year-old racing in Hong Kong but what NZTR and NZB are doing for New Zealand racing, sitting back in Hong Kong watching on from afar, it’s very exciting.” - Jamie Richards
Asked about the overall strength of this year’s Karaka catalogue, Richards added: “In previous years I’ve been around with Te Akau and looked at all the fillies. I haven’t done that this year but I thought there were some really good colts here and some nice horses that will suit everywhere, really. I thought it was a good catalogue and you know when you come here the horses have been well raised and I think that’s a big benefit for the young horses going forward into their racing careers.”
Richards will forever be associated with multiple Group 1 winners like Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), although he endured a somewhat frustrating start to his time in Hong Kong. However, he has hit better form of late and enjoyed a double at Sha Tin on Wednesday as Magniac (Lucky Street) and G Liner (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) took his tally to 16 winners for the campaign.
He said: “We’re trying to build up a bit of momentum and we’ve got a stable full of young horses. We’re just waiting for them to acclimatise and come on. Hong Kong is a very challenging place but when you’re winning it’s also very rewarding so you’ve just got to keep your chin up and keep working hard and hopefully we can see things improve for the rest of the season.”
Lot 146: Super Seth x Irion (NZ) colt, NZ$700,000
Also buying on behalf of a Hong Kong-based client was Mike Kneebone. The Patella Bloodstock man went to NZ$700,000 for Pencarrow Stud’s well-bred Super Seth colt. The youngster is out of the Group 2-placed Danroad mare Irion (NZ), making him a sibling to three winners. They include the Group 2-winning juvenile Zourion (NZ) (Zoustar), who struck in the Matamata Breeders' S., and the G3 Cuddle S. scorer Pearl Of Alsace (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
“I started the inspections when I first got over to New Zealand last Saturday and as soon as I saw this colt come out of the box I was very, very keen on him,” said Kneebone. “I thought he was going to be around the four to five hundred (thousand) mark, so my people were really strong on him in the end. They said if you like him, keep going.
“We’re not in any rush with him. We’ll send him out to the farm and get him broken in (race educated) then decide on a trainer as we go forward. We haven’t really thought too much about that at this stage, we just wanted to get him. We were looking for a colt that had a stallion’s pedigree, and as you saw, the mare produces a really nice type.”
“We were looking for a colt that had a stallion’s pedigree, and as you saw, the mare (Irion) produces a really nice type.” - Mike Kneebone
Given his client’s stallion ambitions, Kneebone said the initial plan had been to race any acquisitions in Australia. However, the surge in investment in New Zealand, with betting company Entain committing NZ$900 million to the industry over the next five years, has given connections pause for thought.
“It was always going to be Australia but since the announcements from Entain and all the positivity in New Zealand, all of a sudden that’s a big possibility for us now,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re not discounting New Zealand, although ultimately if he goes really good then we’ll probably be heading over to Australia like everybody else.”
Lot 146 - Super Seth x Irion (NZ) (colt) was purchased by Patella Bloodstock for NZ$700,000 from Pencarrow Stud | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
The buyer also offered a positive assessment of Waikato Stud resident Super Seth, whose first runners are reaching the track this season.
“I think Super Seth is one of those sires on the rise,” said Kneebone. “He had good sales all the way through and all the really good judges have bought them previously. I think he’s got another really nice line of horses this year. With the backing of Waikato Stud, I think he’s a good punt.”
Lot 210: Kingman (GB) x Marsden Cross (Ire) colt, NZ$650,000
The influx of Hong Kong investment continued when the Hong Kong Jockey Club made a late move to secure this six-figure youngster from Sir Peter Vela’s elite breeding operation at Pencarrow Stud.
The sole offering by Kingman (GB) in the catalogue, the colt is the first foal out of the mare, who remained a maiden after eight starts in Britain for Sir Mark Todd but boasts an eye-catching European pedigree.
Marsden Cross (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is a sibling to the Listed-winning Many Colours (GB), who in turn is the dam of 1000 Guineas and Prix Rothschild heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Many Colours has also bred the Italian Group 2 winner Night Colours (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and the G3 Ballycorus S. scorer Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation {USA}).
Lot 210 - Kingman (GB) x Marsden Cross (Ire) (colt) was purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for NZ$650,000 from Pencarrow Stud | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
“He was one of my main targets at this sale on type,” said Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) agent Craig Rounsefell, who was on duty for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “Obviously, Kingman’s a fast young stallion over in Europe and there’s no reason why he’s not going to do well in Hong Kong. This horse had a great temperament and he’s a rock-solid horse from a good farm.
“This horse (Lot 210) had a great temperament and he’s a rock-solid horse from a good farm (Pencarrow Stud).” - Craig Rounsefell
“On type, he’s just a smashing horse I thought. We had a go at a few others earlier at lower prices that we missed out on but he was our top pick of the day, and one of our top picks of the sale.”
The Hong Kong Jockey Club also made six purchases at the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for an outlay totalling $3,165,000. Rounsefell reported the Karaka buy would head into the same program before shipping to Hong Kong in due course.
“They’ll head to Limitless Lodge with Tim Boland to join the team,” he said. “We’ve got the crew going up there fairly soon, the 3-year-olds, for the sale in March and the 2-year-olds are all going well, so they will join our team from Magics and hopefully we’ll build on that over the next few days and next few months.
Craig Rounsefell | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“There’s some different families and different stallions over here that we’re looking at, and across a whole range of budgets. We’ve got a good shortlist after vetting, so we’ll see how we go. It’s been a fairly strong sale today (Sunday), so it’s good to put that one on the board.”
Marsden Cross was bred by Lynch Bages and Clarecastle Farm and bought for Sir Peter by Hubie de Burgh at the 2019 Arqana August Yearling Sale, where she cost €130,000 (AU$214,700).
Lot 62: Justify (USA) x Fair Isle (NZ) filly, NZ$550,000
Justify (USA) fever has swept all corners of the globe after Coolmore’s US Triple Crown hero sired six Group/Grade 1 winners in 2023, including a breakthrough Breeders’ Cup double courtesy of Just F Y I (USA) in the Juvenile Fillies and Hard To Justify (USA) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
And in the last week it was confirmed that his hugely exciting son City Of Troy (USA) has topped the European 2-year-old classification with an official rating of 125, putting him 5lb clear of his nearest pursuer.
Chris Waller and his long-serving sales ring ally Guy Mulcaster got in on the act when they gave NZ$550,000 for the first of five lots by Justify in this year’s NZB Karaka Yearling Sale. The filly was offered by Pencarrow Stud and is out of Fair Isle (NZ), a winning daughter of Fastnet Rock who has bred four winners from as many runners. The best of those is this filly’s full sister Star Of Justice, winner of this season’s G3 Barneswood Farm S.
Lot 62 - Justify (USA) x Fair Isle (NZ) (filly) was purchased by Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock for NZ$550,000 from Pencarrow Stud | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
The Justify / Fastnet Rock cross has already supplied four stakes winners, three of which have come in Australia. The most notable among the trio is the Annabel Neasham-trained Learning To Fly, who carried the Coolmore silks to success in the G2 Reisling S., while Star Of Justice is joined by fellow Group 3 scorer Storm Boy.
The Waller-Mulcaster pairing also landed Lot 142, the NZ$500,000 Wootton Bassett (GB) colt out of Influencer (NZ) (Savabeel) from Haunui Farm, and Lot 16, the Farnan colt out of Diva Von Tessa (Testa Rossa) from Milan Park, at NZ$425,000.
Mulcaster expanded on the next steps his and Waller’s purchases will take, saying: “We’ll go through and identify what we’re going to do with them but most of them will have six months in New Zealand. We’ll get them broken in (race educated), give them a couple of breaks and a bit more pre-training and then they’ll go over to Sydney probably in September.”
