One of the most exciting features of the New Zealand thoroughbred industry at the moment is the exceptionally strong crop of up-and-coming stallion talent, and those emerging stars are set to feature prominently at Karaka 2024.
From last season’s leading first and second-season sires to newcomers who are making a splash in the current term, these promising sires are represented in good numbers throughout the pages of the Book 1 and Book 2 catalogues.
SATONO ALADDIN
Among the key drawcards of Karaka 2024 is the welcome return of Satono Aladdin, whose rapid emergence has seen his service fee increase from $12,500 to $45,000.
The Rich Hill Stud shuttle stallion had a spectacular breakthrough season in 2022-23, claiming champion second-season sire honours in New Zealand with 12 winners, three individual stakes winners and total earnings in excess of $1.3m.
Pennyweka (NZ) claimed the rare Oaks double, winning the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham in March and adding the Australian equivalent at Randwick the following month. Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) was New Zealand’s leading two-year-old, scoring dominant victories in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and the Group Three Matamata Slipper (1200m), and Sacred Satono (NZ) also tasted black-type success in the Group Three Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m). Satono Aladdin has carried on in a similar vein this season with Group Two winner Lantern Way (NZ) in New Zealand, plus Australian Group Three winner Raf Attack (NZ).
These results would have created a strong demand for Satono Aladdin’s progeny at Karaka 2023, but he had no yearlings in the catalogue after missing a season of shuttling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and buyers will finally have access to Satono Aladdin’s progeny at Karaka 2024 with 15 yearlings in Book 1 in seven in Book 2.
- Lot 144, a filly from the Rich Hill Stud draft, is a full-sister to last season’s Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) placegetter Japanese Emperor (NZ).
- Lot 235, another filly from the same draft, is a half-sister to the Listed winner and Group Two placegetter Qiji Express (NZ) (Shamexpress), along with the Group Three-placed Spectacular Vision (NZ) (Mastercraftsman).
- Lot 408 is a full brother to Raf Attack, who won this season’s Group Three Gloaming Stakes (1800m). Close relative Brave Mead (Brave Smash) has recently placed in the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) and Blue Sapphire (1400m).
U S NAVY FLAG
A brilliant Group One winner of the Dewhurst Stakes (1400m) and Middle Park Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old and the July Cup (1200m) against older horses as a three-year-old, U S Navy Flag was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2022-23. He stands at The Oaks Stud for a service fee of $15,000.
By the globally influential War Front out of the Group One-winning Galileo mare Misty For Me, U S Navy Flag made a superb start at stud last season with seven winners from his first crop of New Zealand two-year-olds.
Chantilly Lace (NZ) won the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m), while To Catch A Thief placed in both the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) and the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). Aprilia (NZ) was also a placegetter in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, and Penvose Lad (NZ) placed at Listed level in the autumn.
U S Navy Flag has carried on in the same vein through the early stages of 2023-24. To Catch A Thief collected another Group One placing in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), while Chantilly Lace won the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m) and placed in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). Aprilia was runner-up in the Group Two Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington, and Warning Signal (NZ) was a placegetter in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) in only the second start of her career.
Yearlings by U S Navy Flag have sold for up to $340,000 at Karaka. This year’s catalogues feature seven of his yearlings in Book 1 and nine in Book 2.
- The Oaks Stud offers Lot 57, a colt whose dam is a full-sister to the Group One-winning star racehorse Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma).
- Lot 139, a colt consigned by Pencarrow Stud, is a half-brother to triple Group One winner and successful sire Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj).
- Lot 618 is a colt out of Blanket Bay (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who won two races and finished second in the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and fourth in the Group One Schweppes Oaks (2000m). Her half-sister Elegant Emerald (Unbridled’s Song) was stakes-placed, ran fourth at Group One level and is the dam of stakes winners Colorado Star (NZ) (Alamosa) and Ritani (NZ) (Makfi).
SUPER SETH
New Zealand’s leading first-season sire Super Seth stands at Waikato Stud for a service fee of $35,000. He is the first Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner in more than three decades to stand at stud in New Zealand.
By champion Kiwi-bred racehorse and quality sire Dundeel (NZ), Super Seth is a half-brother to Group One performer Wild Planet (Animal Kingdom) and is out of a Redoute’s Choice mare.
Super Seth won five races in a short career on the track, headed by a spectacular come-from-behind performance in the Caulfield Guineas in October of 2019, where he lowered the colours of the previously undefeated Alligator Blood (All Too Hard).
Super Seth also won the Group Three HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) and Group Three Manfred Stakes (1200m), and he finished second in the Group One Futurity Stakes (1400m) against older horses.
Super Seth has made an outstanding start with his first crop of two-year-olds, with Poetic Champion (NZ) and Diablo Blanco (NZ) scoring super-impressive wins in early spring juvenile races. Poetic Champion has gone on to be a two-time stakes placegetter, finishing second in the Group Two Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and third in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m).
Super Seth had yearlings sell for up to $625,000 at Karaka earlier this year. He averaged $286,875 at the recent Ready to Run Sale, including a pair of fillies that fetched $700,000 and $525,000 respectively.
Karaka 2024 features 37 yearlings by Super Seth in Book 1, backed up by three in Book 2.
- Waikato Stud’s filly catalogued as Lot 109 is out of the Savabeel mare Gold Fever (NZ), who was a high-class two-year-old and won the Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) before placing in the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m). Gold Fever is a three-quarter-sister to last season’s Group One Australian Derby (2400m) hero Major Beel (NZ) (Savabeel). She is also a half-sister to the dam of Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner Golden Mile (Astern).
- Lot 131 is a half-brother to the Group One winner and New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel). Offered by Waikato Stud, the colt is closely related to Group performers such as Sweet Ride (Deep Field), Japanese Emperor (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), Metal Bender (NZ) (Danasinga), North Pacific (Brazen Beau) and Missybeel (NZ) (Savabeel).
- Pencarrow Stud will offer a Super Seth colt from one of their most exciting families as Lot 146. The colt is out of the Group Two-placed mare Irion (NZ) (Danroad), whose three foals to race are all winners and include the Group winners Zourion (NZ) (Zoustar) and Pearl Of Alsace (NZ) (Tavistock).
ARDROSSAN
Waikato Stud’s Ardrossan is a half-brother to the superstar Caulfield Cup (2400m) winner Incentivise (Shamus Award), but he has made a mark in his own right both on the racetrack and at stud. His service fee at Waikato this season is $10,000.
Ardrossan himself had just nine starts for four wins, headed by the Group Three Concorde Handicap (1200m) and the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1100m). He also placed in the Group One Waikato Sprint (1400m), as well as the Group Three Star Kingdom Handicap (1200m) in Sydney.
Ardrossan has been a prolific source of black-type performers through the early stages of his new career at Waikato Stud. He is the sire of eight winners from just 22 runners, and he has been represented by four stakes winners and a black-type placegetter.
Codigo (NZ) was the first to get on the black-type board with a win in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m), and that was followed by victories by Loch Katrine (NZ) in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) and Saltcoats (NZ) in the Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m). Beau Dazzler (NZ) became his first Australian stakes winner with his recent victory in the Listed Phelan Ready (1000m) in Brisbane.
Ardrossan averaged $288,333 at the recent Ready to Run Sale, with a gelding out of Queen Of Pop (NZ) (Pins) selling to Hong Kong for $440,000.
Ardrossan will be represented by 11 yearlings in Book 1 of Karaka 2024 and eight in Book 2.
- Waikato Stud will offer Lot 23, a filly out of the Group Two-winning Savabeel mare Do Ra Mi (NZ).
- Elsdon Park’s filly catalogued as Lot 79 is a half-sister to the Group Three winner Choice (NZ) (Mastercraftsman), who is the dam of Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Manzoice (Almanzor).
- Lot 673 is a full-sister to the two-year-old Maracatu (NZ) (Ardrossan), who was a stylish recent winner at Te Rapa and is being pointed towards the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m).
- Lot 674 is a son of Costume (NZ) (Savabeel), whose six wins included the Group One Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Livamol Classic (2040m).
ACE HIGH
An outstanding winner of the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) and Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) during the spring of his own three-year-old season, Rich Hill Stud’s Ace High has risen to stardom at the same early stage of his new career with a Group One-winning filly among his first three-year-old crop.
Molly Bloom (NZ) produced a spectacular come-from-behind performance to win the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November. The top-class filly is one of six winners from 23 runners to date for Ace High, who stands for a $10,000 service fee at Rich Hill. His other promising performers include two-race winner Bezique (NZ), while the winners My Lips Are Sealed (NZ) and Leroy Brown (NZ) have both finished fourth in Listed races in recent weeks.
Ace High’s progeny were popular at last month’s Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, where his three lots to go through the ring fetched prices of $200,000, $200,000 and $90,000.
Five Ace High yearlings are catalogued for Book 1 of Karaka 2024, with 16 in Book 2.
- Lot 198, a colt from the draft of Kilgravin Lodge, is out of an unraced full-sister to the Group One Cox Plate (2040m) hero El Segundo (NZ) (Pins).
- Rich Hill Stud will offer Lot 239, a colt out of the Group Two performer Miss Thorn (NZ) (Thorn Park), who comes from a quality family that features the likes of Group One performers Seamist (NZ) (Beaufort Sea) and Corsage (NZ) (Volksraad).
- Carlaw Park’s colt going through the ring as Lot 656 is out of an unraced full-sister to the Group Two winner Nerve Not Verve (NZ) (Shocking) and half-sister to Group One winner Glory Days (NZ) (Red Giant).
New Zealand Bloodstock's 98th National Yearling Sale Series will take place from Sunday 28 January through to Friday 2 February at the Karaka Sales Centre. Continuing NZB’s traditional sale format, Book 1 runs from Sunday 28 January until Tuesday 30 January from 10 am (NZT) each day, followed by Book 2 between Wednesday 31 January and Friday 2 February from 11 am (NZT) each day.
The stage is set for a week-long thoroughbred extravaganza in Auckland, kicking off with an extraordinary TAB Karaka Millions race day at the new and improved Ellerslie Racecourse on Saturday 27 January. The six-race card now carries total stakes of $4.45m, headed by the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and the all-new $1m Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) for four-year-olds. All yearlings purchased at Karaka 2024 are eligible for the Karaka Millions Series.
