Quality Mix of Sires in NZB National Online Yearling Sale
9 April 2024
The catalogue for NZB’s 2024 National Online Yearling Sale features the progeny of a diverse range of sires, from established stars to newer names with reputations on a rapid rise.
The 100-lot catalogue features no fewer than 46 different stallions, including Almanzor, Written Tycoon, and emerging star sires like Satono Aladdin and Super Seth to name a few.
ACE HIGH
Himself the winner of the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) and Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), High Chaparral stallion Ace High stands for a $10,000 service fee at Rich Hill Stud. He currently sits in second on New Zealand’s second-season sires’ premiership, with nine winners from 24 runners this season earning a total of $887,715.
Ace High’s first two crops have so far produced a total of 13 winners from 35 runners. Star three-year-old filly Molly Bloom (NZ) has been a clear headline act, winning four races including the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m). Drakaina (NZ) won last month’s Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m), while My Lips Are Sealed (NZ) has placed at Group Three level.
Four Ace High yearlings were sold during Book 1 of Karaka 2024 earlier this year with an average price of $163,750. Among them were a colt bought for $280,000 by Wexford Stables, who have enjoyed such a special season with Molly Bloom. Another colt went to Australia’s Proven Thoroughbreds and Pride Racing for $220,000.
The NZB National Online Yearling Sale features five progeny of Ace High, including:
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Lot 16, a filly whose unraced dam Kiara (NZ) (Pentire) is a full-sister to 10-time Group One winner (King) Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire). Group One winners (The) Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) and Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park) are also close relatives, along with big-race performers Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Cheval d’Or (NZ) (Almanzor).
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Lot 49, a daughter of the stakes-winning Zabeel mare Royal Era (NZ).
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Lot 96, a filly out of an unraced full-sister to Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) winner Ockham’s Razor (NZ) (Any Suggestion).
CONTRIBUTER
The often under-rated Contributer is having a breakthrough season, moving into the top 10 on the New Zealand sires’ premiership and the top 100 in Australia. The Mapperley Stud stallion, who was a multiple Group One winner on the racetrack for Godolphin, has been represented by a total of 97 winners from just 140 runners.
Contributer’s nine individual stakes winners include Group One winners on both sides of the Tasman. Lion’s Roar (NZ) was the first on the board, winning the Randwick Guineas (1600m) in 2021, while Campionessa (NZ) has had an outstanding campaign this season with victories in the Group One Zabeel Classic (2050m) and three Group Twos including the Peter Young Stakes (1800m) in Melbourne.
Contributer has had five Group winners and four black-type placegetters this season, with Campionessa backed up by Group Two Autumn Stakes (1400m) winner Snow Patrol (NZ) and Group Three wins by Lion’s Roar, Maria Farina (NZ) and Contribute (NZ).
Standing for a service fee of $18,000 last spring, Contributer averaged $149,000 with his Book 1 yearlings at Karaka 2024. They sold for up to $260,000 and were bought by the likes of Wexford Stables, Pike Racing, John Chalmers Bloodstock, Upper Bloodstock, Bruce Perry Bloodstock and Barneswood Farm.
Contributer is the sire of three yearlings in the National Online Yearling Sale, including Lot 34, whose three-time winning dam Miss Lioness (NZ) (Johar) is a half-sister to the multiple Group One winner Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home).
HELLO YOUMZAIN
A multiple Group One-winning sprinter including in the prestigious Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot, the arrival of shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain at Cambridge Stud generated plenty of buzz.
That excitement has only grown since then, with 34 of Hello Youmzain’s first-crop yearlings selling during Book 1 of Karaka 2024 for an average of $171,324. A top price of $425,000 was paid by Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock for a half-brother to stakes winner Never Back Down (Kodiac), while the other purchasers of Hello Youmzain yearlings included David Ellis, Richard and Will Freedman, Darby Racing, Mick Price, Lindsay Park, Go Racing, Stephen Marsh, John O’Shea, Phill Cataldo and Busuttin Young Racing.
Five colts by Hello Youmzain feature in the National Online Yearling Sale catalogue, including:
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Lot 50, whose dam is a half-sister to Group One winner Stratum Star (Stratum) and the multiple Group winner and stallion prospect Prague (Redoute’s Choice).
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Lot 53, a beautifully bred colt out of Sara Ann (NZ) (Stravinsky). That makes this colt a half-brother to four stakes performers including Group One Australian Derby (2400m) hero Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock), while Sara Ann is a full-sister to the Group Two winner and Group One-placed La Sizeranne (NZ) (Stravinsky) and a blood-sister to the dam of champion sprinter Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice).
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Lot 95, a half-brother to Arrogant (NZ) (Ocean Park) who ran second and was beaten by a nose by The Autumn Sun in the Group One Rosehill Guineas (2000m). The dam of this colt is a half-sister herself to stakes-performers Needle And Thread (NZ) (Makfi) and Savile Row (NZ) (Makfi).
SHOCKING
The last few weeks have brought remarkable success for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Australian Cup (2000m) winner Shocking, who stands for a $12,500 service fee at Rich Hill Stud.
El Vencedor (NZ) became his fourth Group One winner with a bold front-running performance in the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on March 9, while rising star stayer Mark Twain (NZ) burst into Melbourne Cup contention with a stunning come-from-behind win in last Saturday’s A$500,000 Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington.
Overall, Shocking has been credited with 209 winners from 374 runners. His 24 individual stakes winners are headed by the multiple Group One winner and A$8m earner I’m Thunderstruck (NZ).
Shocking has a bumper representation of seven yearlings in the catalogue for the National Online Yearling Sale, including:
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Lot 37, a filly out of Musigny (Reset), who placed at Listed level and is the dam of the Group Two performers Jimmy Lincoln (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) and Amor Fati (NZ) (Showcasing).
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Lot 66, a half-sister to the stakes-winning mare Sitarist (NZ) (Road to Rock).
But those are far from the only notable stallions represented in the catalogue. There are also progeny of proven star Ocean Park (NZ), along with up-and-comers U S Navy Flag and War Decree and first-crop sires Ancient Spirit, Circus Maximus, Tagaloa and King's Legacy, to name a few.
Graduates of this relatively new sale have already had multiple successes on the racetrack, with the inaugural 2021 sale graduates' boastings a 44% winners to runners strike rate, including stakes performers such as Contagious (NZ) (Prosir) and Bolshoi Star (NZ) (Russian Revolution).
The Sale also offers the last chance for buyers to secure a Karaka Millions eligible yearling, with all horses offered eligible to be entered in the $2.9m series.
The catalogue is live on Gavelhouse Plus now, with bidding opening on Friday 12 April, and closing from 6pm (NZT) on Wednesday 17 April.
View the catalogue, register to buy and bid online here.