Accolades Flow for NZB’s Top Flight Performers

Media Release - Thursday Aug 18

As each season passes, New Zealand-bred and sold horses continue to rapidly climb the world’s thoroughbred racing ranks.

These results are a culmination of enviable bloodlines, New Zealand’s lush natural environment, and expert kiwi horsemen and women who know what it takes to raise and educate champions.

Last season alone, NZB graduates were victorious in 21 Group One races and 99 stakes races over multiple racing jurisdictions.

The Group One class of the 2021-22 season paints a picture of dominance, endurance and versatility that Karaka graduates are renowned for.

Asterix wins the NZ Derby.

With the likes of classic Derby winners Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock), Jungle Magnate (NZ) (Tarzino) and Pinarello (NZ) (Tavistock), two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year winner Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro), as well as sprinters Sky Field (Deep field) and Roch ‘N’ Horse (NZ) (Per Incanto), NZB graduates continue to punch well above their weight, despite only representing a small percentage of the global racing population.

Here is a seasonal review of NZB’s prolific graduate success and wrap of kiwi-bred performances.

Graduate Overview

In the last five seasons, NZB graduates have claimed 124 Group One wins and 568 stakes wins.

Australian Spoils

New Zealand-bred horses won 22% of all Australian Group One races while making up just 7.8% of the racing population. Plus a total of 45 New Zealand-bred Group winners won 58 Group races in Australia last season.
During the 2021-22 season, New Zealand-bred horses claimed 16 Group One races and 71 stakes races in Australia, earning on average 47% more than Australian-breds.
In the past two seasons, New Zealand horses have dominated Group One Derby races in Australia, claiming 75% of the iconic features.

Australasian Turf

Seven out of the last ten Group One Derbys run in Australasia have been won by New Zealand-breds.
Fillies bred in New Zealand won 43% of all Group One Oaks races in Australasia over the past three seasons.

Hong Kong Heroes

In the last five seasons, NZB has been the number one source for Group One winners on Hong Kong's International Raceday. Graduates have claimed 40% of all feature races, more than any other sales company in the world.
38% of all Group One winners in Hong Kong in the last four seasons were sourced at Karaka.
Champion racehorse and NZB Ready to Run Sale graduate Golden Sixty has earned over HK$113m, 75 times his initial NZ$300,000 (HK$1.5m) purchase price at Karaka.
In the entire history of the Hong Kong Derby, New Zealand horses have been the number one source of winners.

Worldwide Marvels

Specialist milers, New Zealand-breds have won seven of the last ten Stewards' Cups in Singapore.
New Zealand thoroughbreds have dominated the feature 4YO races in Singapore, accounting for 55% of the wins in the current 10 seasons.
Karaka 2019 graduate Cheers Brothers (Deepfield) recorded a sixth win of his 11 start career, after his victory in the 2022 Macau Derby took his prizemoney earnings to more than MOP$1.9 million.

Not only do NZB’s horses punch well above their weight, but their world-renowned Karaka Sales Centre and buying experience is also what differentiates the sales company from others.

Domestic and international buyers flock to Karaka each year, both digitally and physically, to secure not only the blueblood pedigrees, value and exceptional types on offer, but also to enjoy the warm welcome and outstanding kiwi hospitality.

After another outstanding season on the turf, NZB is looking forward to welcoming its clients back to Karaka for the upcoming sales season.