Sale Topping Sunline Colt in Winners' Circle
21 December 2009
The $2 million 2007 Karaka Premier Sale topper, Sun Ruler (Zabeel x Sunline, by Desert Sun), is promising to live up to his seven-figure price tag with his second career victory at his first start this preparation.
Dubbed a Group 1 Kelt horse by his conditioner Stephen McKee, four-year-old Sun Ruler beat a field of 11 at Waikato on Saturday and looks one to watch in 2010.
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| �Sun Ruler pictured at Karaka as a yearling |
Making the win the more remarkable, the colt headed off his elder sibling, Sunstrike, by Rock of Gibraltar, to provide their dam, champion racemare Sunline, the quinella in the 1200 metre event.
Top level success for Sun Ruler would have him joining an impressive list of top-priced Karaka lots that have gone on to produce the goods on the racetrack.
Don Eduardo ($3.6m - all time highest) and Shower of Roses ($1.45m - all time highest filly), both by Zabeel from the Eight Carat family, have both topped the Karaka Premier Sale in the last decade and both went on to claim Group 1 glory for Gooree Park in Australia.
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| �Darci Brahma pictured at The Oaks Stud in Cambridge |
In 2004, Darci Brahma topped the sale at $1.1m, and went on to deliver five Group 1 victories for his syndicate of owners. This year he will be represented by his first yearling crop to go through the ring with 48 yearlings lined up for the Karaka Premier session on 1 & 2 February.
Maciano (Redoute's Choice x Popsy, by Sir Tristram) at $1.45m topped the Premier Sale in 2008 and, now in his classic year, is headed at full steam towards a start in the Group 1 NZ Derby after winning over 1600m convincingly at Ellerslie just 12 days ago for trainer John Sargent.
The success of Karaka's top priced lots continued over the weekend when 2008 Ready to Run Sale-topper, $400,000 King Raedwald (Red Ransom x Lady Circles, by Ascot Knight), won his second of four starts at Manawatu's Premiere Day of racing on Saturday.
Fourth in the Group 1 Levin Classic at just his third start, King Raedwald is held in high regard by Kevin Gray and, like Maciano, he heads towards a start in the $2.2 million NZ Derby on 6 March.
The 2010 Karaka National Yearling Sales Series ( 1- 8 February) is set to start in six weeks time with over 1600 horses catalogued over seven days of selling.