Anticipation has been rapidly building in the countdown to the milestone 100th New Zealand National Yearling Sale, and a series of significant pedigree updates have only added to the hype.
The catalogues for Karaka 2026 feature siblings to eight horses that have won at black-type level since the catalogue went to print, two of them Group One winners.
The headline act is Lot 513, a colt from the Cambridge Stud draft that has had his credentials elevated on both sides of his pedigree. His sire is the exciting Cambridge Stud youngster Sword Of State, whose stocks have risen sharply with his first crop of two-year-olds in Australia, headed by stakes-winning filly Torture (NZ) and unbeaten colt Warwoven.
Lot 513 is also a half-brother to the superstar Karaka graduate Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock), who added a fourth Group One triumph to his record with another powerhouse performance in the A$3m Group One Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington in November.
The other Group One-winning pedigree update comes for Lot 138, Milan Park’s colt by Super Seth out of Sombreuil (Flying Spur). As well as being a half-brother to last year’s $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and $3.5m NZB Kiwi (1500m) winner Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel), the colt is also a half-brother to Provence (NZ) (Savabeel) who is now a triple Group One winner after taking out the Group One TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham in December.
