Waikato Stud Pledges 100% to Karaka 2014

One of New Zealand’s leading stud farms, Waikato Stud, has announced that all its yearlings for sale in 2014 will be offered at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale Series in January.

Mark & Lisa Chittick’s Waikato Stud has enjoyed stellar success breeding the likes of top class performers Starcraft, Sacred Falls, Slight Chance and Glamour Puss among the 27 Group 1 winners the Stud has produced. Resident sire O’Reilly made a clean sweep of the NZ Champions Awards last season, with Pins and Savabeel also making considerable impact here and throughout Asia and Australia.

Waikato Stud's Champion Sire O'Reilly.

Waikato Stud has been named New Zealand Breeders of the Year on five occasions, the most of any breeder in New Zealand.

Waikato Stud will have 80 horses catalogued at Karaka 2014, the second largest draft at the Sales Series, with a strong representation by their resident Group 1 sires O’Reilly, Pins, Savabeel and No Excuse Needed complemented by the first crop of former shuttle sire Paco Boy.

Waikato Stud also has five horses that have been entered through Highview Stud’s draft for the 2014 Karaka Select Sale.

"We are very proud of our 2014 Yearling Draft, which is predominantly by our very own proven group one sires," said Mark Chittick, Owner/General Manager of Waikato Stud.

"With the results of our successful stallion line-up we are naturally very keen to get people along to see our 2014 offering."

“Waikato Stud is concentrating on Karaka for 2014 with our yearlings as we have found that the market has indicated that people do thoroughly enjoy buying off us at Karaka.

“We feel we have a very powerful draft this year and that it would create quite an impression to be presenting 85 horses all as one at Karaka. 90% of them are by proven Group 1 producing sires such as O’Reilly, Pins and Savabeel.”

O’Reilly enjoyed an exceptional season in 2012/13 with Group 1 winners Sacred Falls and Shamexpress flying the flag for New Zealand-bred stallion as he collected all three sire awards at the New Zealand Horse of the Year awards. With 26 winners providing 30 wins already, the sire also leads the NZ tables for this season with the likes of stakes winners Annie Higgins and Spellbinder, while also providing star Singapore performer War Affair.

Savabeel is enjoying a hot run of form on both sides of the Tasman this season with stakes winners including Savvy Nature, Floria, Eclair Big Bang, Classic Ivory and Savour the Moment, while Sangster was named Champion Stayer at last season’s New Zealand Horse of the Year awards. Savabeel was second on the NZ Sires Tables by earnings and stakes wins last season behind O’Reilly.

On the international scene Pins was named the Champion Sire of Hong Kong thanks in large part to his two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year winner Ambitious Dragon who won the world’s richest mile - the Hong Kong Mile - last season. The son of Snippets has left a string of Group 1 performers that includes El Segundo, Katie Lee and Legs.

Savabeel and O’Reilly ended New Zealand Bloodstock’s recent Ready to Run Sale as the two leading sires respectively by average (with three or more sold), with a son of O’Reilly the second top-priced Lot selling for $340,000.

Waikato Stud was the third leading vendor by aggregate at the 2013 National Yearling Sale Series selling 56 horses for a total of $5,293,000. The Matamata-based farm was third leading vendor for the Premier Sale and the second leading vendor for the Select Sale.

The commitment of all yearlings by Waikato Stud is a huge boost for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale Series and Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela says NZB is thrilled with the stud’s support.

“To have one of New Zealand’s biggest and most successful studs commit its entire draft to Karaka is a huge boost for the New Zealand Sales.

“Waikato Stud enjoys exceptional success year after year and has become an industry leader as much for its hospitality and marketing as well as its horses. The stud’s endorsement of the Karaka Sales is significant and we’re delighted and grateful to have the Chittick family’s full support and hope they will be well-rewarded at sale time.”

Waikato Stud’s 2014 draft will feature sons of Group 1 winners Glamour Puss and Legs, plus a full-brother to multiple Group 1 winner and Champion First Season Sire Alamosa, amongst an array of well-related yearlings.

Catalogues for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale Series will be available from this Friday 29 November. The two-day Karaka Premier Sale will open the action-packed week of selling commencing on 27 January. To order a catalogue for New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale Series email [email protected].