Karaka Day 1: ANZ Bloodstock News’ top lots
After yearlings have made it this far, through inspection, selection and sale preparation, they must also pass the veterinary checks and scope scrutiny. Once on-site, there are more parades and plenty of purchaser critiques. For those reasons, every single lot deserves a look as pedigree is often what separates the top lots from the rest.
Here are ANZ Bloodstock News’ top lots for day one of Book 1 of the 2021 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale.
Savabeel (Zabeel) makes his presence felt fairly early in proceedings with back-to-back lots. Lot 4 represents Trelawney Stud and the colt’s dam is a Flying Spur (Danehill) Group 3 winner while his granddam is a Sydney-winning half-sister to four stakes winner, including champion sprinter Calveen (Canny Lad).
Lot 19 is a colt by well-established and successful sire So You Think (High Chaparral). His dam is four for four in terms of winners and she is a winning Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) half-sister to five Group winners, including twice New Zealand Horse of the Year Bonneval (Makfi).
Pencarrow Stud has Lot 22, a colt by Lonhro (Octagonal) from a More Than Ready (Southern Halo) mare. His granddam Dolmabache (Redoute’s Choice), a Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed, is a sister to Group 3 winner Pure Elegance and half-sister to Listed winner Cote D’Or (Makfi). The family of champions Darci Brahma (Danehill) and Ethereal (Rhythm) is well represented here.
Lot 28, from Hallmark Stud, is a colt by No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) who is making quite the name for himself as a sire. Here in New Zealand, for example, we have seen how brilliant his son Need I Say More is, which was once again on display yesterday in the Almanzor Trophy (Gr 3, 1200m). This colt is out of a Sydney two-year-old winner, herself a half-sister to Nettoyer (Sebring), winner of last year’s Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m).
Woburn Farm offers Lot 52, a Written Tycoon (Iglesia) colt from the Listed stakes winner Pussy O’Reilly, an O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) Group 1-placed stakes winner of five races, herself a sister or half-sister to two stakes winners. This is the famous Foxona (Foxbridge) family very successfully developed by Haunui Farm for more than 60 years.
The brother to one of New Zealand’s current top sprinter-milers, Hypnos, is Lot 54 from Westbury Stud and by their Reliable Man (Dalakhani). Hypnos has added the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (Gr 2, 1600m) since the catalogue was published and this attractive grey colt really looks the part.
Lot 59 is Pencarrow Stud’s Iffraaj (Zafonic) colt from the classy mare Rasa Lila (Darci Brahma). She won seven times, twice at Group level and placed at Group 1 level on two occasions. She also ranks as a half-sister to Lowland Stakes (Gr 3, 2100m) winner Posavina (Tiger Hill).
Valachi Downs’ Lot 60 is by Pierro (Lonhro) from stakes-placed Raskova (Henrythenavigator), a half-sister to current three-times Listed winner in the United States, Dogtag (War Front). His granddam is a half-sister to champion racehorse and champion Sire Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway). His third dam is a half-sister to champion sire Street Cry (Machiavellian). This is a future sire’s pedigree.
Lot 94 is a beautifully bred Zoustar (Northern Meteor) filly being offered by Pencarrow Stud. Her dam, Scintillula, by multiple champion sire Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), is an Irish Group 3 winner, also Group 1 placed and is a sister to two stakes winners including dual Group 3 stakes winner (one at Royal Ascot) Cuis Ghaire (Galileo).
Waikato Stud’s Savabeel colt from the good racemare, Listed-placed Snowdrop (Pins), is Lot 130. His granddam is the triple Group 1 winner and dual classic winner Daffodil (No Excuse Needed) and he is from the same family as unbeaten 2020 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600) winner Aegon (Sacred Falls), who scored impressively in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m) yesterday.
Hallmark Stud has another very nicely bred colt, Lot 134. He is by Tivaci (High Chaparral) from a sister to champion three-year-old and winner of both the New Zealand 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), Katie Lee (Pins). His granddam is Broodmare of the Year and Group 3 winner Miss Jessie Jay (Spectacularphantom), herself a half-sister to champion sprinter/miler Gee I Jane (Jahafil).
Lot 138, from Waikato Stud, is their Savabeel three-quarter brother to dual Group winner Splurge (Savabeel). He is out of a Flemington stakes-placed winning sister to two Group winners. His granddam is a Group 3 winning three-quarter sister to two-times Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Sacred Falls (O’Reilly).
Lot 158, again by Savabeel and again from Waikato Stud is the brother to Savapinski, winner of the Matriarch Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) at Flemington as well as Group 3 placed. The colt is also a half-brother to Group 2-placed Multifacets (O’Reilly), whose six wins include four in Sydney.
Brighthill Farm have a very nice colt, Lot 166, by first season sire Almanzor (Wootton Bassett). The colt is from the Ellerslie Listed winner Tavy (Tavistock), who also placed four times at Group and Listed level. She is a half-sister to the dam of champion Singapore older horse What’s New (Casino Prince).
Lot 194, from Wentwood Grange, is the Savabeel colt out of Valley Girl (Mastercraftsman), winner of the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) who was Group 1-placed in Sydney. His granddam, Leigh Valley (Bianconi), won five times including the Cuddle Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Trentham.