The sky appears to be the limit for some of Australasia's emerging star stallions, and Karaka 2019 will be the perfect time to get on board with their progeny.
Second-season sensationZoustar(Northern Meteor) has sired 32 winners across the Tasman this season, six of them stakes winners, with A$3.2 million in prizemoney – almost three times as much as the next-best second-season sire in Australia.
Zoustar's pinnacle came during the Melbourne Cup carnival, when he sired the trifecta in the prestigious Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes for three-year-olds – Sunlight, Zousain and Lean Mean Machine.
With strong demand in both hemispheres, Zoustar is set to shuttle to the UK later this year.
Two Zoustar yearlings sold at Karaka 2018 making a big impact with price tags of $400,000 and $650,000.
Five of his progeny feature in the catalogue for Book 1 of Karaka 2019.
The leading second-season sire in New Zealand isDawn Approach(New Approach), thanks to the deeds of his twice-winning and twice stakes-placed son Dawn Patrol. After winning his first two starts, he has finished second in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes in his last two starts.
The sire of five stakes winners worldwide, Dawn Approach has two colts in Book 1 of Karaka 2019.
Windsor Park Stud's Shamexpress(NZ) (O'Reilly) has made a big impression with his first two crops having so far produced 10 winners, including two at stakes level – London Express and Cyber Attack.
There was a Shamexpress quinella in the Listed Castletown Stakes with London Express and Qiji Express, and the latter went on to finish a close second in the Group 2 Sarten Memorial.
Shamexpress yearlings have been a hit at Karaka in the last two years, selling up to $510,000, and he has strong representation again this year witheight yearlings in Book 1and15 in Book 2.
Multiple Group 1 winnerDundeel(NZ) (High Chaparral) has had a series of impressive winners to date, with 22 of his 47 runners already successful. Two of those have been stakes winners – Group 3 winner Irukandji and Listed winner Cutadeel. Two others have been stakes-placed, while the likes of two-year-old Yourdeel and three-year-old Lincoln Falls are showing enormous promise.
There are seven Dundeel yearlings in the catalogue for Book 1 at Karaka 2019.