The Inaugural Karaka 3YO Mile: A Who's Who

The list of eligible three-year-olds for the inaugural $200,000 Karaka 3YO Mile (1600m) reads like the who's who of Australasian classic racing.

As the richest three-year-old race over a mile in New Zealand after Christmas, a top class group has been lured to the Karaka 3YO Mile's $200,000 in prize-money, a significant reward on top of the $1,000,000 stake money the same crop of Karaka yearlings had the opportunity to grab in their two-year-old season.

Set to take place at the Auckland Racing Club's Karaka Million Twilight Meeting on 31 January - a night before Karaka's Premier Sale kicks off New Zealand Bloodstock's 2010 National Yearling Sales Series - the Karaka 3YO Mile is a NZTR domestic ratings-based event. The eligible three-year-olds with the lowest ratings will be eliminated first until the safety limit is reached, with a maximum field of 18 starters.

�

�Dual Group 1 NZ Guineas winner Katie Lee heads the current Karaka 3YO Mile ratings

A remarkable tally of results has already 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), 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).

This promises to make the Karaka 3YO Mile one of the best three-year-old contests of the season, with the current list of eligible entrants (all graduates of the 2008 NZB National Yearling Sales Series) an impressive selection of the most exciting three-year-old talent around.

The top rated (as at 21 December) Karaka 3YO Mile entrant is undoubted classic queen, Katie Lee (Pins). The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson trained filly became the first to win both the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas and Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas this past November, both races over a mile. Her 90 rating points put her six points clear of leading three-year-old colts Joey Massino (O'Reilly), Keyora (Bachelor Duke), King's Ransom (King's Chapel), and Regal Flame (Not a Single Doubt).

The first three colts have all won at Group level, while Regal Flame has won four from nine with his earnings totalling $50,000 for Te Akau Racing.

Peter McKay's Joey Massino scored in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (1600m) at his last start while John Wheeler's Keyora claimed both the Group 2 Hawke's Bay and Wellington Guineas earlier this season and, like Joey Massino, he heads towards the $2.2m Telecom NZ Derby on 6 March at Ellerslie.

Beyond that the potential is strong, with the mile distance in late January setting up an interesting contest between sprinter-miler types and those that are NZ Derby bound.

Amongst those eligible types who look adept at the shorter distances are last season's Karaka Million 2YO and Group 1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes winner, The Heckler (Lucky Owners). Selected at the Karaka Sale by his part-owner Alistair Sutherland to target the Karaka Million Series, half the job has already been done with the juvenile event under his belt. He is joined by Group 1 Diamond Stakes winner Kaaptan (Kaapstad), Richard Collett's Stravinsky duo of $100,000 Carnival Bonus winner Poetic Music and impressive maiden winner November Rain, and Group 1 placed juvenile fillies Seven Schillings (O'Reilly) and Corsage (Volksraad).

Derby sorts who are eligible to use the Karaka 3YO Mile as a springboard to their main target include Te Akau's Listed Geelong Classic place-getter Our Heir Appparent (Zabeel), 2008 Karaka Premier top-seller Maciano (Redoute's Choice), Listed Great Northern Guineas Prelude placed Haere Mai (Shinko King), and impressive multiple winners Martial Art (Tiger Hill) and Prince of Wales (Bachelor Duke), amongst a host of untapped others.

There are also a number of high class Australian three-year-olds that are eligible for the event including Patinack Farm's leading colt Trusting who beat the likes of O'Lonhro, Mr Baritone, Vision and Power, Racing to Win, and Court Command when taking out the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) earlier in the season.

�

�Patinack's Group 1 winning filly Linky Dink - eligible for the Karaka 3YO Mile�-31 January

Also eligible from Patinack is Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1600m) victor Linky Dink (Keeper), and last start Listed Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m) winner Marquardt (Shamardal) who was good enough to finish sixth in the Group 1 Golden Slipper earlier this year.

Making it over to finish a close second in the $1,000,000 Karaka Million last year, Liam Birchley's Sarge in Charge (Golan) could make his second trip over, while David Payne's Listed placed three-time winner Winter King (One Cool Cat) is another who is eligible and racing in very good form currently.

Australian-based Karaka 3YO Mile entrants will be given a rating by NZTR prior to travelling to New Zealand to determine whether or not they will make the field.

Click here for the current ratings for Karaka 3YO Mile eligible horses.

Click here for the current order of entry for the Karaka Million 2YO event.