Curraghmore Set to Present Another Quality Karaka Weanling Draft

Written by Dennis Ryan for RaceForm

The tradition of presenting a quality selection is set to continue at Karaka on June 25 when Curraghmore offers its annual draft at the NZB Weanling Sale.

Farm principal Gordon Cunningham takes genuine pride in the process of preparing Curraghmore’s weanling draft, with this year’s six-strong offering again bound to attract the attention of a discerning buyers’ bench.

Colts by Sword of State, Ocean Park and Hilal, along with fillies by Super Seth, Satono Aladdin and Chaldean comprise a range of youngsters by proven stallions as well as a pair by two of the most talked-about freshmen with their first crops on the ground.

Under Cunningham’s management, Curraghmore has built an impressive record as both a sales consignor and agistment provider to a select clientele breeding, rearing and selling quality bloodstock.

The increasingly competitive weanling market provides no better example of Curraghmore’s industry standing, having topped the vendors’ table at the annual Karaka auction for an incredible 12 consecutive years and again leading the statistics at the two most recent sales.

In 2024 the Curraghmore draft realised an aggregate of $731,500 for eight lots at an average of $91,843, while last year’s draft saw all eight weanlings offered finding new homes for total returns of $465,000 at an average of $58,125.

“We have always treated this sale with respect and take a lot of pride in offering weanlings with quality pedigree credentials as well as being good types,” Cunningham told RaceForm when discussing his 2026 selection.

“This year’s draft is essentially no different from those we’ve taken to the sale over the years – all six are individuals that I’m confident will stand scrutiny and have definite futures.”

The first Curraghmore weanling to go through the ring is Lot 49, an early September-born filly by Satono Aladdin from the former smart sprinter Tevere. Satono Aladdin has a solid reputation as a sire of fillies, most notably the New Zealand-Australian Oaks double winner Pennyweka, while Tevere, a daughter of another well-proven filly sire in Contributer, was the stakes-placed winner of six races.

“She’s a quality filly from a good young mare and is made quite like her mum, who is due to foal this spring to Savabeel,” Cunningham said.

The remaining two fillies in the Curraghmore draft are a chestnut by Super Seth from the Sepoy mare Forte, who is an unraced half-sister to the Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Nechita, and one from the first crop of Frankel’s star son Chaldean out of the winning Burgundy mare Top Note. The first three dams on this filly’s page were winners in a family that produced Burgundy’s New Zealand Oaks-winning daughter Belle En Rouge.

The first of the three colts in the Curraghmore draft is Lot 53, a chestnut by Ocean Park from the Toorak Toff mare Toffee Nose, runner-up in the Gr.3 Alexandra Stakes at Moonee Valley and the dam already of two winners. This is the family of Tuesday Joy, Sunday Joy and More Joyous.

First-crop sire Hilal, the Group Two-winning son of Fastnet Rock, is represented by a colt from the Pierro mare Drama Series, whose granddam is the South Australian and Australasian Oaks winner Episode. She in turn produced star Curraghmore graduate First Seal, whose list of major wins was headed by the ATC Flight Stakes as well as finishing second four times at Group One level.  

The Curraghmore draft is completed by a bay Sword of State colt from the unraced Ocean Park mare Falling, whose dam Alagant Satin was one of the leading fillies of her generation with wins in the Eight Carat Classic and Eulogy Stakes.

As well as being hands-on at his home base on ideal thoroughbred rearing country between Cambridge and Te Awamutu, Cunningham maintains a keen eye on global trends, most significantly in this context the latest Sydney and Gold Coast weanling sales.

“The recent sales in Australia suggest some tightening of the market, but I believe there’s no doubt that genuine horses will still bring good returns,” Cunningham said.

“That confidence doesn’t apply only to our own draft but this sale across the board for the right article. The Karaka weanling sale has stood the test of time. It offers pinhookers a good selection of investment opportunities as well as those buyers looking for a decent young horse to take through to racing.”

View the 143-lot catalogue here. The catalogue can also be viewed on the Equineline app for iPads/tablets, or the Thoroughworks mobile app. 

Selling is set to take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 11am (NZT) on Thursday 25 June. 

All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series featuring the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). 

Buyers wishing to attend can book their stays at the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka hotel onsite here or by emailing [email protected] for assistance. 

For more information, contact Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email [email protected], Sales Representative Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 512 466 or [email protected] or Andrew Buick at +64 27 555 0640 or email [email protected].