Sale-topping yearlings during the last decade of New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sales Series have included progeny of established star sires Savabeel (three times), Zoustar, Pierro, O’Reilly (NZ) and Fastnet Rock (three times) – proving that when it comes to selecting yearlings, the established top-tier stallions are always a massive drawcard.
For buyers who favour the progeny of the very top echelon of proven sire talent, the Karaka 2023 catalogues provide plenty to choose from. Represented among the 644 lots in Book 1 and 435 in Book 2 are many of the biggest names in New Zealand and Australia’s stallion ranks.
New Zealand-based Stallions
SAVABEEL
Every summary of stallions represented at Karaka has to begin with the kingpin Savabeel. The Waikato Stud supremo has been New Zealand’s champion sire in all of the last seven seasons, and he currently heads the 2022-23 premiership in Australia as well courtesy of a brilliant performance by I Wish I Win (NZ) in the A$10m Golden Eagle (1500m).
Overall, Savabeel has sired 854 winners from 1186 runners, including 128 individual black-type winners. He sired his 28th individual Group One winner when Prise De Fer (NZ) captured the Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham in early December.
Savabeel has dominated Karaka yearling sales in recent years, breaking the barrier of $10m by aggregate four times in the last five Book 1 sessions alone.
Across his career, Savabeel has been the sire of 16 yearlings that have sold for $700,000 or more at Karaka. Ten of those have cracked $800,000, and three have fetched $1m or more.
Savabeel is set to feature prominently again in Karaka 2023, with 40 yearlings catalogued for Book 1.
- Lot 15 is a son of a Lonhro mare who won at Listed level in the United States and is also a half-sister to three other stakes winners.
- Lot 59 is a colt with strong pedigree credentials. He is a full-brother to Hindaam (NZ) (Savabeel), whose three wins include the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m) in Melbourne, while his dam is a full-sister to the multiple Group One winner and sire Merchant Navy, along with Group One placegetter and black-type producer Jolie Bay (Fastnet Rock).
- Lot 107 is out of Cool ‘n’ Sassy (Testa Rossa) and is being offered by Hallmark Stud. Cool ‘n’ Sassy’s only foal to race is this colt’s full-brother Cool Aza Beel (NZ), who won the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) and the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and now stands at Newhaven Park in New South Wales.
- Lot 323 is a full-brother to Group One winner and rookie Waikato Stud stallion Noverre (NZ) (Savabeel). Himself bred by Waikato Stud, who sold him to Te Akau’s David Ellis for $800,000 at Karaka 2020, Noverre won three races in an injury-curtailed career – including a stunning last-to-first performance in the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in what proved to be his final start. Noverre is the only foal to race out of this colt’s dam, Magic Dancer (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), who herself won at Group Three level as a two-year-old.
Click to read the full story featuring all the leading sires represented.
