Sporting a new name in 2018, NZB's Karaka May Sale can now be viewed online.
And on the free iPad application, with printed catalogues arriving in letterboxes mid-April.
This year the Sale has attracted increased numbers with a total of 518 horses catalogued. Compacted into two action-packed days of selling on 7 and 8 May, the first lot will go under the hammer from 10am each day.
Day 1 will commence with the Yearling category seeing 65 lots offered, followed by the first half of the Weanling category with a further 185 lots going through the ring. Day 2 will start by offering the remaining 109 Weanlings (294 in total), followed by Two-Year-Old's (three), Unraced Stock (two), Racehorses (10) and Broodmares (144).
In a new addition to the Yearling category, all yearlings entered are now eligible to be nominated for the lucrativeKaraka Million Serieswhich comprises of two $1 million races – the Karaka Million 2YO and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic – in addition to the $100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup which they can contest for the duration of their career.
In the last five seasons 42 individual stakes winning graduates of the Sale have gained a total of 70 stakes wins across five racing jurisdictions – New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau. Momentum has continued into the current season with 10 individual graduates triumphing in 10 stakes races.
Ladies First(NZ) (Dylan Thomas) was rewarded with her first Group 1 victory, and third stakes win, in the Auckland Cup while the fan favourite chestnutGingernuts(NZ) (Iffraaj) claimed his third Group 1 win in this season's Windsor Park Plate following his winning Group 1 Rosehill Guineas campaign in Australia. Group 1 Myer Classic winnerI Am a Star(NZ) (I Am Invincible) has a total of six Group wins to her name scoring a feature race in Australia each season since 2016 whilePuccini(NZ) (Encosta de Lago) helped to bolster the stakes winning statistics when he claimed two Group 1 titles and an additional five Group wins before retiring to stand at Mapperley Stud.
There are a total of 51 vendors offering drafts at the Sale this year with the progeny from a wide selection of 141 sires, including 15 first season sires. There will be the progeny of 65 stakes-winning dams, including 10 Group 1 winners, and siblings to 103 stakes winners of which 23 are at Group 1 level.
Selling begins at 10am each day on 7 and 8 May at Karaka. All supplementary Lots will be sold after the last Lot in that category to go through the ring.Supplementary entries close Monday 30 April.
You canview the catalogue online, on theiPad applicationor request a copy from Faye Hunt atreception@nzb.co.nz. For travel and accommodation information contact Harry King atHarry.King@nzb.co.nz.