Karaka Graduate Sharp 'n' Smart Crowned NZ Horse of the Year

Media Release - Monday September 11

A Karaka graduate has been named New Zealand’s Horse of the Year for the ninth season in succession, with Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood) claiming the coveted title in Auckland on Sunday evening.

An elite three-year-old on both sides of the Tasman in the 2022-23 season, Sharp ‘N’ Smart has put his name alongside the New Zealand Bloodstock-sourced back-to-back winners Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor) in 2015 and 2016, Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi) in 2017 and 2018, Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) in 2019 and 2020, and Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) in 2021 and 2022.

Sharp ‘N’ Smart won the Horse of the Year title in one of the tightest votes in recent memory, earning 24 votes to edge out the top-class sprinting mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), who received 22 votes.

Sharp 'n' Smart is the 2022/2023 NZ Horse of the Year.

Sharp ‘N’ Smart was bred by Westbury Stud owner Gerry Harvey and was offered in the Westbury draft in Book 2 of Karaka 2021, where Rogerson Bloodstock secured him for $55,000. He returned to Karaka later that year for the Ready to Run Sale, where he was passed in with a $90,000 reserve.

Advertisement

His extraordinary three-year-old season featured eight starts for five wins, two seconds, a fourth and more than $3m in prize-money.

Sharp ‘N’ Smart began with three straight wins in the spring, winning first-up at Ruakaka before heading to Sydney and adding the Group Three Gloaming Stakes (1600m) and the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m). Just seven days after winning the Spring Champion, he backed up into the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington and finished a gallant second.

He continued to go from strength to strength through the summer months, placing in the Group One Thorndon Mile (1600m) before beating the older horses at weight-for-age in the Group One Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa. He then returned to his own age group and completed a treble of Group One successes for the season in the New Zealand Derby (2400m). A heavy track brought him unstuck in his final start of the season in the Group One Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick, but he still ran a brave and close fourth.

Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s stellar season also earned him the accolade of Champion Three-Year-Old, beating out an exceptional crop that featured three other trans-Tasman Group One winners – Legarto (NZ) (Proisir), Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) and Pennyweka (NZ) (Satono Aladdin).

Sharp ‘N’ Smart is trained by Team Rogerson and is owned by Graeme Rogerson, Gerry Harvey, Merv and Meg Butterworth, Todd Bawden, Craig Leishman and Martin Waddy.

Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s two awards highlighted a big night for Karaka graduates, who came away with a total of five accolades.

Karaka Million winner Tokyo tycoon was the Champion 2YO.

Powerhouse syndicators Te Akau Racing won Champion Two-Year-Old honours for the seventh year in a row, this time with Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin). Bought by David Ellis for $125,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2022, the explosive young talent banked $648,025 in a four-win juvenile season that was headed by victories in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and the Group Three Matamata Slipper (1200m).

Prowess was a dominant winner of the Champion Middle Distance Horse (1601-2200m) category, earning 40 votes. She had three starts in that distance range for three super-impressive wins – the Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa, the Group One New Zealand Stakes (2050m) at weight-for-age at Pukekohe, and the Group One Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in Sydney.

Also the winner of the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), Prowess earned more than $1.3m in prize-money during her three-year-old campaign. She was a $230,000 purchase by trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood from Book 1 of Karaka 2021.

The other award-winning Karaka graduate was Legarto, who took out the prestigious New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year title. The $90,000 Karaka 2021 Book 2 purchase was an unstoppable force in three-year-old fillies’ ranks in New Zealand, scoring superb wins in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m). She later crossed the Tasman and became the first New Zealand-trained winner of the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m). The Ken and Bev Kelso-trained Legarto earned over $1m in stakes during her all-conquering season.

A popular human winner on the night was NZB's very own Director of Business Development Mike Kneebone, who was awarded the NZTR Award for Outstanding Global Achievement on the night.

NZB Release

Advertisment
More Reading...
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.