From Hong Kong’s stunning speedster Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) to a long line of Australian stars including cover girl Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel), New Zealand is a world-renowned source of exceptional thoroughbred talent. The catalogues for Karaka 2025 are crammed with well-credentialled candidates to add to that reputation.
Both Book 1 and Book 2 are stacked with the quality bloodlines that have made New Zealand famous. Book 1 promises to deliver countless highlights across its three days, with 102 siblings to stakes winners including 22 Group One winners. There are also 89 sons and daughters of stakes-winning mares, 11 of them Group One winners.
Siblings to Superstar Karaka Graduates
An early drawcard with a Hong Kong Group One connection is Lot 93, a colt by Sweynesse out of Madonna Mia (NZ) (Red Clubs).
He is a full-brother to Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse), who himself was bought from the Karaka sale ring for $90,000 at the 2020 Ready to Run Sale and has turned that into more than HK$74m (NZ$16m). Lucky Sweynesse’s 16 wins include the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).
Madonna Mia herself won at Listed level and is also the dam of Group One Queensland Oaks (2200m) placegetter Signora Nera (NZ) Sweynesse).
Also check out siblings to proven superstars Orchestral, Prowess and Velocious
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Emerging Stars
- Lot 351 is a half-sister to Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio), who was a $180,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2023. She has made a huge impression in a short career so far, winning three of her six starts and more than A$757,000. She won the Group Three Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) and Group Three Carbine Club Stakes (1600m), then charged home from the back of the field for a close last-start second in the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.
- Lot 113 is a half-sister to Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto), who cost $100,000 in Book 1 of Karaka 2021 and has returned over A$3m in stakes. He has won nine of his 17 starts, including five of his last seven. Since the catalogue went to print, Gringotts has overcome big weights and wide gates to win the A$3m The Big Dance (1600m) and the A$1m The Gong (1600m). Lot 113, a filly by Proisir, also hails from the family of the legendary Winx (Street Cry).
- Lot 335 is a half-sister to Powers Of Opal (NZ) (Ocean Park), who was a $130,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2023. Although she has won only once from an eight-start career so far, she has earned more than A$300,000 from finishing second in the Group One VRC Oaks (2500m), second in the Group Two Wakeful Stakes (2000m) and fourth in the Group One Flight Stakes (1600m).
Sons and Daughters of Group One Mares
- Lot 493 is sure to command plenty of attention. The Waikato Stud colt is by young sire Noverre (NZ) out of the two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi). Herself a $150,000 purchase from Karaka 2015, Bonneval won seven races and more than $1.5m, including Group One triumphs in the New Zealand Oaks (2400m), Australian Oaks (2400m) and Underwood Stakes (1800m). This is the first time one of her progeny has been offered at auction.
- Lot 308 is a colt by Almanzor out of the Group One Australian Oaks (2400m) winner Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi).
- Lot 600 is a filly by Wootton Bassett out of Faint Perfume (NZ) (Shamardal), who won the Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) and Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m). Faint Perfume is the dam of six foals to race, all winners including stakes performers Good Idea (So You Think), Chains Of Honour (Redoute’s Choice) and Mr Black Back (Snitzel).
- The Group One Futurity Stakes (1400m) and CF Orr Stakes (1400m) winner Suavito (NZ) (Thorn Park) is the dam of the Savabeel colt catalogued as Lot 337.
- Lot 374 is the first foal out of Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux), who won eight races including the Group One Captain Cook Stakes (1600m), plus three Group Twos, a Group Three and a Listed race. She also placed in three Group One races. Her first foal is a filly by Snitzel being offered by Trelawney Stud.
- Trelawney Stud’s draft also features another first foal, catalogued as Lot 417. The Snitzel colt is out of Zayydani (NZ) (Savabeel), who won the Group Two Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
- Lot 269 is a filly by St Mark’s Basilica out of Savaria (NZ) (Savabeel), who won the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m). Fellow New Zealand Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) is the dam of the Farnan filly catalogued as Lot 29, while another winner of the Trentham classic, Artistic (NZ) (Darci Brahma), has an Almanzor filly going through the ring as Lot 454.
- Lot 200 is a filly by Russian Revolution out of the Group One New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) winner Perfect Fit (NZ) (Elusive City).
- Lot 214 is a filly by promising Cambridge Stud stallion Hello Youmzain out of the Group One-winning mare Pondarosa Miss (NZ) (High Chaparral), from the family of Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle).
- Lot 616 is a filly by Per Incanto out of the Group One Railway Stakes (1200m) winner Fleur De Lune (NZ) (Stravinsky). This filly is a full-sister to Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto), who has made a big impression in a six-start career that has so far produced four wins and two placings.
Other Notable Lots
- Lot 145 is a full-sister to Pasadena Girl (NZ) (Savabeel), who won the Group One Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick as a two-year-old.
- Lot 261 is a half-sister to Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock), who beat older horses to win the Group One Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide last year as a three-year-old filly.
- Lot 371 is a full-sister to Tuchel (NZ) (Redwood), who made his name in Hong Kong with a victory in the Group Three Premier Plate (1800m) and a second placing in the Hong Kong Derby (2000m).
- Lot 598 is a half-sister to Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls), who earned more than A$5.2m in a remarkable career that featured a victory in the Group One Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) along with placings in the Group One Doncaster Handicap (1600m), the Golden Eagle (1500m), the Group One Cantala Stakes (1600m), the Group One Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) and the Group One George Main Stakes (1600m). Another half-sibling, Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls), was a Group Three winner and multiple Group One placegetter in Hong Kong.
The only yearling by global super-sire Frankel to be offered at Karaka 2025 is Lot 260. The colt is out of the winning Camelot mare Russian Camilla, who is a full-sister to the multiple Australian Group One winner and sire Russian Camelot.
Book 2 Highlights
- Lot 679 is a full-sister to Wolverine (NZ) (Tivaci), who won the Group Two Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and Group Two Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) as a two-year-old, along with placings in the Karaka Million (1200m) and the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). She was a five-time stakes placegetter in Australia as a three-year-old.
- Lot 752 is by Super Seth out of a sibling to Hurry Curry (NZ) (Ocean Park), who placed in last month’s Group One VRC Oaks (2500m).
- Lot 813 is out of a half-sister to the dam of this season’s Group One Melbourne Cup (3200m) hero Knight’s Choice (Extreme Choice).
- Lot 962 is a half-brother to the Group One winner Pondarosa Miss (NZ) (High Chaparral) and multiple stakes winner Ecuador (NZ) (High Chaparral), from the family of Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle).
- Lot 1014 is a half-sister to the Group One Australian Oaks (2400m) runner-up Perfect Rhyme (Poet’s Voice), and closely related to the multiple stakes winner and exciting New Zealand three-year-old Read About It (NZ) (Wrote).
- Lot 1057 is a half-brother to talented Kiwi three-year-old Whiskey ‘N Roses (NZ) (Belardo), whose five-start career has produced two wins and two second placings. He was a last-start second behind the country’s benchmark three-year-old Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Group Two Sarten Memorial (1400m).
Book 1 of Karaka 2025 runs from Sunday January 26 to Tuesday January 28 with selling starting at 10am each day. Book 2 will start at 12pm on Wednesday January 29 and concludes the following day on Thursday January 30.
