Karaka 3YO Mile Awarded Black-Type

Reflecting the growing strength of New Zealand Bloodstock's sales incentive races, the Karaka 3YO Mile has this season been upgraded to Restricted Listed status by New Zealand's Graded Stakes Committee.

Forming part of the 'Karaka Million Series' for nominated graduates of the National Yearling Sales Series, the Karaka 3YO Mile has been run just twice, the first time in January 2010. The update in status that it has been awarded reflects the quality of the horses that have contested the Karaka 3YO Mile in its short history, and the calibre of the winners that have emerged.

New Zealand Bloodstock's Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela is delighted with the race's new status.

"We are thrilled with how the Karaka 3YO Mile has taken off and that its growing presence on the NZ racing calendar has been recognised. Importantly it now gives our clients the chance to chase black-type with their Karaka purchases across both races of the Karaka Million Series."

Banchee races away with the Karaka 3YO Mile

Held at the Karaka Million twilight race meeting on the eve of the National Yearling Sales Series, the Karaka 3YO Mile is the second race in the Series after the one million dollar Karaka Million for two-year-olds.

The race's first winner was the Peter McKay trained Joey Massino (O'Reilly x Rationable) who was a $140,000 graduate of the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale. Beating a stellar field, Joey Massino left some talented horses in his wake including the two-year-old Group 1 winner Kaaptan (Kaapstad) and subsequent Group 1 winner Time Keeper (Stravinsky).

This year's Karaka 3YO Mile  - sponsored for the second year by New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance in association with its London Underwriters - also saw a strong field take to the Ellerslie course, with the John Sargent trained 2009/10 NZ Champion Two-Year-Old and Group 1 winner Banchee (Oratorio x Miss Jessie Jay) taking top honours.

In a good field of three-year-olds, Banchee beat the likes of the stakes winners Yourein (Reset) who took the Listed Championship Stakes Prelude, Encosta Diablo (Encosta de Lago) who won the Listed Welcome Stakes as a two-year-old, Hoofit (Mossman) who won the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes, and subsequent stakes winners Icepin (Pins) who went on to win the Group 2 Avondale Guineas at his next start and Hammer Down (O'Reilly) who went on to win the Group 3 Breeders Stakes.

Unlike the Karaka Million where the final field of two-year-olds is determined according to prizemoney won, the final line-up of three-year-olds is determined by domestic ratings. The Order of Entry for both races is kept up-to-date throughout the season on the New Zealand Bloodstock website (http://www.nzb.co.nz/).

The 2012 Karaka 3YO Mile will be held at Ellerslie on the eve of the National Yearling Sales Series on Sunday 29 January. For more information on the Karaka 3YO Mile, click here.