New Zealand Bloodstock's upcoming National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale will feature an outstanding range of proven and up-and-coming sires, both in the weanling category and among the covering sires of the broodmares.
Waikato Stud's champion sire Savabeel swept all before him last season, topping the New Zealand sires' premiership and completing a clean sweep of all three of the country's stallion awards. He is on course for a repeat result in 2016-17, leading the New Zealand sires' premiership by $800,000 and in a similar position in the two other categories – combined Australasian earnings and combined worldwide earnings.
There are four Savabeel weanlings catalogued for the Sale, including a colt out of the multiple stakes winner Avisto (Lot 30). There are also six broodmares by Savabeel.
Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Iffraaj has had a year to remember, siring the one-three finishers in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby with Gingernuts and Jon Snow. That carried over into the Sydney autumn carnival, with Gingernuts winning the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas and Jon Snow the Group 1 Australian Derby. Iffraaj sits in second place on the New Zealand sires' premiership.
This year's Sale features six Iffraaj weanlings and five broodmares, while another broodmare is in foal to the red-hot stallion.
The other stallions in New Zealand's top five this season – Darci Brahma , Tavistock and Pins – will also play a significant role with five, seven and eleven weanlings in the catalogue respectively.
Darci Brahma has sired 50 individual winners in New Zealand this season, headed by the Group 1 performer Devise and the Listed winner Bonniegirl. Tavistock is continuing to collect Group 1 wins from his outstanding son Volkstok'n'barrell, while newcomer Tavidream has won five of his seven starts including the Group 2 Championship Stakes. Pins has had four individual stakes winners this season including Group 1 performer Reilly Lincoln, Group 3 winners Seize The Moment and Honey Ryder and triple Listed winner Residential.
Pins has 21 horses catalogued for the Sale, which is the equal most alongside the Rich Hill Stud pair of Jimmy Choux and Proisir .
Rock 'N' Pop has the most broodmares in foal to him in the catalogue with 12, one more than El Roca .
One of the highlights of the current racing season in New Zealand has been the performances of first season sires. Cambridge Stud's Power has had three winners including the dual stakes-winning filly Gift Of Power, while his barnmate Burgundy has also had three winners.
Power has four weanlings in the catalogue, while six of the broodmares are in foal to him. Burgundy has three weanlings and two broodmares in foal. Super Easy has seven weanlings and six broodmares in foal. Reliable Man has nine weanlings, a two-year-old and two yearlings, plus three broodmares in foal.
Hallmark Stud's Super Easy has hit headlines with the feats of his daughter Prom Queen, who has won four of her five starts including the Listed Welcome Stakes and a recent nine-length victory at Riccarton.
Westbury Stud's Reliable Man is expected to come into his own once his progeny turn three and stretch out over more ground, but he has nevertheless sired the winner and Group 1 placed Belle du Nord.
The catalogue also features the first weanling crops of an exciting group of new stallions – New Zealand-based Charm Spirit , El Roca , Proisir , Sacred Falls , Giant's Steps and the late Atlante , and Australians Deep Field , Shooting To Win and Wandjina .
Windsor Park Stud's shuttler Charm Spirit, by Invincible Spirit, won six of his nine starts including the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Prix du Moulin and Prix Jean Prat. He has one weanling catalogued, with four broodmares in foal to him.
Fastnet Rock's son El Roca, who stands at Westbury Stud, was a Listed winner on both sides of the Tasman and was Group 1-placed in the Randwick Guineas and George Ryder Stakes. There are six El Roca weanlings in the catalogue, with 11 broodmares in foal.
Proisir, the son of Choisir standing at Rich Hill Stud, was a Group 3 winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter behind champion three-year-old Dundeel. In addition to his 21 weanlings, Proisir is the covering sire for five broodmares in the catalogue.
Sacred Falls, by O'Reilly, won four Group 1 races including the New Zealand 2000 Guineas and two runnings of the Doncaster Handicap. The Waikato Stud stallion has seven weanlings in the catalogue, plus seven broodmares in foal.
Linwood Park's Giant's Steps, by Giant's Causeway, won six races including two Group 1 events in Chile. He has three weanlings in the catalogue.
Atlante was a Group 1 winner of the New Zealand 2000 Guineas and also won at stakes level across the Tasman. He retired to Mapperley Stud and stood two seasons there before his untimely death, making this group of weanlings both his first and his second-last crop. He has 12 weanlings catalogued.
Newgate Farm's Randwick Guineas winner Wandjina and Group 2-winning sprinter Deep Field, and Darley's Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting To Win, each have their first Lots to be offered through the sale ring in New Zealand. They are catalogued at Lot 57 (Deep Field), Lot 48 (Shooting To Win) and Lot 152 (Wandjina).
Another relative newcomer – Keano , by Pins, has one weanling catalogued (Lot 61). Already producing 9 winners from only 11 runners to date including the Snowden trained galloper Suspense, his oldest New Zealand progeny are weanlings in the current season.
NZB'sNational Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Salewill be held at Karaka on 8 and 9 May, with the broodmares selling on the second day fromLot 324.
Request a catalogueor for more news visitwww.nzb.co.nz Buyers are encouraged toregisterprior to the Sale orappoint an agentonline Supplementary entries close 1 May 2017.
