Sire Power at NZB’s South Island Sale

New Zealand Bloodstock’s upcoming South Island Sale is offering progeny by a selection of New Zealand’s proven, up-and-coming and first season sires.

With a catalogue of 107 lots, including supplementary entries, made up of yearlings (98), a two-year-old, unraced stock (2) and broodmares (6), a total of 43 sires are represented from both New Zealand and Australia.

South Island sires hold a strong influence on the 2015 edition of the Sale with 11 resident sires responsible for 43% of the catalogue.

Last year’s leading sire by Sale average (three or more sold) was Raise the Flag (Sadler’s Wells), selling eight horses at an average of $22,813, with his top Lot selling for $48,000. Standing at White Robe Lodge, Raise the Flag is bred impeccably being a half-brother to five Group 1 winners and a half-brother to Champion Sire Dansili (Danehill).

Raise the Flag leads the upcoming Sale with the largest draft of 10 yearlings including Lot 16, who is out of stakes winner Ms Keeper (Keeper), and Lot 70, who is a half-brother to stakes winner Requisite (Yamanin Vital).

Prominent South Island sire Coats Choice has the second largest draft with nine yearlings on offer. Standing at Berkley Stud, the son of Redoute’s Choice has sired 92 winners, including stakes winners Natuzzi (NZ) (Coats Choice), Absolutely (NZ) (Coats Choice), No Choice (NZ) (Coats Choice) and Milo (NZ) (Coats Choice) - a full-brother to Lot 10. Natuzzi, winner of four stakes races, Absolutely and Milo are all graduates of NZB’s South Island Sale.

Singapore galloper Kubera Warrior (NZ) (Coats Choice) recently headed home a quinella for the sire in the first leg of The Golden Horseshoe Series in Singapore with Fine Choice (NZ) (Coats Choice) finishing second. Both horses are graduates of last year’s South Island Sale, purchased for $21,000 each.

The first progeny of freshman sire Zacinto sold well at this year’s National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka, averaging $42,950, with his highest priced yearling selling for $100,000 at the Premier Sale.

By Champion Sire Dansili, the sire of last Saturday’s Group 1 Sydney Cup winner Grand Marshal, Zacinto has six yearlings catalogued at the South Island Sale.

Other South Island sires include Bahhare, Edenwold, Gallant Guru, Minstrel Court, Patapan, Remind, Saperavi and Yamanin Vital.

Up-and-coming young sire Showcasing, sire of the 2015 Karaka Million winner Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing), has six yearlings catalogued for Friday’s Sale. Included amongst his draft is Lot 72, a half-brother to stakes winner Belle Miraaj (NZ) (Iffraaj). Showcasing has produced five stakes winners to date with 56% of his runners as winners.

Another rising sire represented in the Sale is Cambridge Stud’s, Tavistock, with three yearlings entered. The son of Montjeu recently produced his first Group 1 winner with Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ) (Tavistock) winning the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas.

A recent pedigree update has highlighted Lot 55, the one yearling offered by Australian sire Wanted. From Highbury Park Stud’s draft, the Wanted colt is from the same family as the Group 1 Diamond Stakes winner, Dal Cielo (NZ) (Per Incanto) and is out of a half-sister to Group 1 winner Lights of Heaven (Zabeel).

There will be opportunity to purchase progeny from two of the top five leading sires in New Zealand, Iffraaj and Pins, at Friday’s Sale. Iffraaj has two yearling fillies, Lot 1 and Lot 92, and Pins has just one yearling filly at Lot 96.

Other sires represented include Al Akbar, Captain Rio, Casino Prince, Choisir, Denman, Ekraar, Falkirk, Forty Mirage, Fully Fledged, Handsome Ransom, Keeper, Keeninsky, Mastercraftsman, Nadeem, O’Reilly, Pentire, Per Incanto, Personal Escort, Postponed, Red Giant, Reward for Effort, Road to Rock, Sufficient, Thewayyouare and Volksraad. Freshman sires set to debut their first crop are Dalghar, residing in New Zealand, and Uncle Mo who stands in Australia.

The South Island Sale commences at 11am this Friday at Christchurch’s Canterbury Agricultural Park. Catalogues can be requested from [email protected] and can be viewed online at www.nzb.co.nz.