Karaka Million Reveals Another Group Winner

New Zealand Bloodstock's one million dollar Karaka Million has proven the launch pad of many top performers already in just three years, and this continued when the 2010 race produced its first Group winner on Saturday with Icepin proving valiant in the Group 3 Waikato Stud Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m).

Icepin (Pins x Ice Maiden, by O'Reilly) ran second in the 2010 Karaka Million behind Sister Havana (General Nediym) at his last start (31 January) after winning a fortnight earlier at Ellerslie.

The Mark Walker trained gelding was running left-handed for the second time, the first time at Te Rapa saw him finish fourth behind Cellarmaster and Jimmy Chioux, while jockey Lisa Allpress was aboard for the first time.

Opting to lead with the big striding chestnut, Icepin and Allpress lead a strong ten-horse field which included the duelling duo, Cellarmaster and Jimmy Choiux, as well as a number of promising, lightly-tried juveniles.

Icepin rounded for home at New Plymouth and, with more to give, stretched out further to the concern of opposition jockeys asking their mounts to close down the leader.

They tried hard with Charma (Volksraad) and Cellarmaster (Dubawi) getting closest, but Icepin had the victory and his first black-type success by half a length.

Bred and sold by Waikato Stud who also sponsored the event, Icepin is owned by Herbie Dyke who purchased him from the 2009 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale for $40,000.

With Icepin's success on the track equating to some $220,000 in earnings, Dyke went back to the source at the 2010 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale and paid $40,000 for Lot 23, a filly by Fast n Famous out of Look at Moiye (O'Reilly) from Waikato Stud, who is also Karaka Million nominated.

Icepin's Group 3 win adds to a remarkable tally of results that has emerged from the first two Karaka Million 2YO events. From just 28 individuals are the winners of the Group 1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes twice (The Heckler and Il Quello Veloce), the Group 1 Diamond Stakes (Kaaptan), the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas (Katie Lee), the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (Katie Lee), the Group 2 Royal Stakes (Katie Lee), the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (Katie Lee), Group 3 Stewards Handicap (San Bernadino), Singapore Juvenile Championship (Mexican Rose), Listed Lion Red Plate twice (Raid and San Bernadino), and the Singapore Kranji Stakes A (twice - Noble Manor).

Clearly a springboard for bigger and better things, entries for the 2011/12 Karaka Million Race Series are NOW being taken. Contact [email protected] soon as entries close Monday, 8 March, at 5pm.