Karaka Million a Stunning Twilight Finale

In a twilight race meeting unlike anything seen before on a New Zealand racetrack, the headline act will be saved for last.

Ellerslie will host the 11th edition of the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting on Saturday, on the eve of the new-look New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series.

The six-race programme is now made up entirely of black-type events, headed by two Karaka Million races worth $1m each. The race that started it all, the Karaka Million for two-year-olds, will be the last of the six races with a scheduled start time of 7.51pm.

The first 10 years of the Karaka Million have seen the 1200-metre juvenile feature develop into a showpiece event on the New Zealand racing calendar, and it has been won by subsequent Group 1 winners The Heckler (Lucky Owners), Ruud Awakening (Bernardini), Vespa (NZ) (Elusive City) and last year’s winner Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands).

Melody Belle’s trainers (Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards) and purchaser (Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis) will be represented by an unprecedented five runners in this year’s 14-horse field, with jockey Opie Bosson aboard the unbeaten filly Avantage (Fastnet Rock).

After two spring victories at Riccarton by a combined margin of eight lengths, Avantage resumed with a stylish victory over the Karaka Million course and distance on January 14.

Hugh Bowman, best known for his partnership with the wonder mare Winx, will ride Avantage’s Welcome Stakes-winning stablemate Al Hasa (Exceed and Excel), while the other runners carrying the Te Akau tangerine are Sword Of Osman (NZ) (Savabeel), Pinot Grey (NZ) (Burgundy) and The Real Beel (NZ) (Savabeel).

Runners in this year’s Karaka Million were bought at the 2017 National Yearling Sales Series for prices ranging from $625,000 for Al Hasa all the way down to just $3,500 for Imelda Mary (NZ) (Ferlax).