Buyers heading to Karaka for next month’s NZB Ready to Run Sale can do so with confidence, knowing that recent editions of the world’s leading sale of two-year-olds have delivered a return on investment unlike any other sale of its kind.
Graduates of the last six editions of the NZB Ready to Run Sale have achieved overall average prize-money earnings of more than $160,000, which is higher than the average sale price across those six sales.
That statistic suggests that buyers are putting the odds in their favour by purchasing at the NZB Ready to Run Sale – and particularly buyers from Australia, where prize-money levels continue to hit record highs, while the current exchange rate with New Zealand provides an automatic 24% discount to the sale price.
On their own, those overall statistics from recent editions of the Ready to Run Sale do plenty to illustrate the value on offer at Karaka in November. But some of the headline-grabbing graduates of the sale during that same period are worthy of every bit as much attention.
INVINCIBLE IBIS
Offered by Kilgravin Lodge at the 2023 Ready to Run Sale, Invincible Ibis (Hellbent) was bought by trainer Mark Newnham for $425,000.
His 12-race career has produced six wins, four placings and HK$26.96m in stakes – the equivalent of NZ$6.1m, which is almost 15 times his purchase price.
Invincible Ibis was a superb winner of the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) earlier this year, headlining a five-win season as a four-year-old that earned him the title of Champion Four-Year-Old in Hong Kong. He recently began his five-year-old season in the same vein, winning the Group Three Celebration Cup (1400m) on September 27, and is being pointed towards the lucrative and prestigious Hong Kong International Races in December.
CEOLWULF
Joe Pride and Leighton Howl paid $170,000 to buy Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) from the Riversley Park draft at the 2022 Ready to Run Sale.
Ceolwulf has turned that into more than A$11.1m in prize-money, winning seven times in a 30-race career including the Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m), Group One Champions Mile (1600m) and the last two editions of the A$5m Group One King Charles III Stakes (1600m).
The Joe Pride-trained Ceolwulf is continuing to make his presence felt in the top echelon of Australian racing as a six-year-old this season. He has finished fifth in the Group One Winx Stakes (1600m), second in the Group Two Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and third in the A$1m Group Two Seven Stakes (1600m) in his first three starts this spring and will take another shot at the Epsom Handicap at Randwick on Saturday.
MR BRIGHTSIDE
Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) was offered at the 2019 Ready to Run Sale through Phoenix Park’s draft, where he could have been snatched up for NZ$50,000.
Under the care of trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes of Lindsay Park, the now nine-year-old warrior has racked up over A$19m in prize-money and 10 elite Group 1 victories, including three consecutive wins in the Makybe Diva Stakes (2023, 2024, 2025) and back-to-back Doncaster Miles (2022, 2023).
ANTINO
Superstar Queensland racehorse Antino (NZ) (Redwood) retired earlier this year with a record of 33 starts for 13 wins, seven placings and A$3.46m in stakes – a far cry from the $27,000 that New Balance Racing paid to purchase him at the 2020 Ready to Run Sale.
Often described by leading Queensland trainer Tony Gollan as the best horse he has ever trained, Antino’s wins included spectacular performances in the Group One Toorak Handicap (1600m), Group One Doomben Cup (2000m), Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) and Group Two Victory Stakes (1200m). He was also a four-time Group One placegetter.
FEROCE
From the first crop of an emerging sire sensation in Super Seth, Feroce (NZ) was offered by Kilgravin Lodge at the 2023 Ready to Run Sale and was bought by McKeever Bloodstock and Sutton Racing for $160,000.
Feroce has earned more than 10 times that amount on the racetrack so far, with his 19-start career producing three wins, six placings and A$1.64m in stakes. He was narrowly beaten in a photo finish to the Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in the spring of 2024, then came back in the autumn and triumphed in the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m).
WAR MACHINE
War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) was passed in at the 2022 Ready to Run Sale, where he failed to meet the $100,000 reserve set by his breeders and vendors Ardsley Stud.
From a 20-race career to date, War Machine has recorded seven wins and six placings. He has earned A$3.4m in prize-money.
His biggest win came in last year’s Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Brisbane, while he has also won the Group Two Gilgai Stakes (1200m), Group Three BRC Sprint (1350m) and Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m).
GRINGOTTS
Another Ready to Run Sale graduate who was passed in was Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto), who fell short of his $450,000 reserve when he was a member of Kilmore Farm’s draft at the 2021 Ready to Run Sale.
He has become a major money-spinner for his connections and his sire Per Incanto, racking up more than A$6.6m from his 31-race career so far.
His 12 wins include the Group One George Ryder Stakes (1500m), two editions of the A$3m The Big Dance (1600m) and two editions of the A$1m The Gong (1600m).
PERFUMIST
Bred by Gerry Harvey and offered in the Westbury draft at the 2023 Ready to Run Sale, Perfumist (NZ) (El Roca) was bought for $190,000 by Bjorn Baker Racing, OTI, Phill Cataldo Bloodstock and Clarke Bloodstock.
Perfumist has so far had 21 starts for eight wins, four placings and A$854,158 in stakes. She burst on the scene with four consecutive wins in Sydney as a three-year-old, earning herself a spot in the inaugural $3.5m NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie in March of 2025, in which she finished a close fifth.
The Bjorn Baker-trained Perfumist has roared back to top form this spring with an outstanding first-up win in the Group Three Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at Newcastle, earning a shot at the Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The 2026 edition of the Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 11am (NZT) on 18 & 19 November, with Breeze Ups to be held across two consecutive days on one turf track at Te Rapa Racecourse on 12 & 13 October from 9.30am.
