New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales series can always be relied upon to provide positive results.
During the 2017-18 racing season NZB sale graduates registered 18 Group 1 victories amongst an impressive tally of 120 stakes wins.
A highlight is that five of the seven Group 1 Guineas winners in Australasia – Mighty Moss, Aloisia, Grunt, Embellish and Hasahalo – all went through the Karaka sales ring.
Another high point was reached last autumn when the Chris Waller-trained Unforgotten became the fifth consecutive New Zealand-bred filly to capture the AJC Australian Oaks.
She had been sold to Waller for $NZ360,000 from Curraghmore’s 2016 Premier Sale draft.
Furthermore about 25 per cent of the Group 1 races in Australia were won by New Zealand-breds, which is quite extraordinary when it is considered they account for only around five per cent of the racing population.
Once again buyers will having plenty to choose from at the sale, which will run from January 27 to February 3.
The depth in the catalogues is demonstrated by the fact that there are 31 siblings to Group 1 winners such as Beauty Generation, Bonneval, Embellish, Melody Belle, Savvy Coup, Shameexpress and Xtravagant, who were consigned to Karaka as yearlings.
Additionally on offer will be the progeny from 20 Group 1-winning dams including Banchee, Costume, Dreamaway, Griante, Katie Lee, Seachange, Suavito and Rollout The Carpet.
The 116 stallions represented – 20 of them are first season sires – are responsible for a total of 1,284 yearlings which have been spread over three catalogues.
The first 100 over these are scheduled to go under the hammer from 3 p.m. on January 27, which is the day after the Karaka Million meeting is held at Ellerslie.
The further 598 youngsters in Book 1 will be offered on January 28, 29 and 30.
Then comes the Book 2 sale, comprising 398 yearlings, on January 31 and February 1.
Recognised for providing value this book can boast having been the session where Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year and Longines World’s Best Turf Miler Beauty Generation was sold for just $NZ60,000.
The selling will be completed on February 3 when 208 yearlings in the Book 3 catalogue will be sold.
This book is also renowned for having produced, in recent years, Group 1 winner Gaultier and Singapore stakes winner Gilt Complex.
Each of the yearlings sold at NZB in 2019 will be eligible for entry to the Karaka Million Race Series.
These events are the $NZ1 million Karaka Million Two-Year-Old (1200m) in 2020, The $NZ1 million Karaka Million Three-Year-Old Classic (1600m) in 2021 and the $NZ100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup (2200m) for the duration of their racing careers.