BRINGING ASIAN RACING TO THE WORLD
This year’s catalogue features well established sires Savabeel, Ocean Park, Per Incanto and Proisir as well as some new potential superstars.
This Sunday- January 28th the spotlight on this season’s yearling sales shifts across the Tasman to New Zealand when the Karaka Yearling Sale begins. The market there is at a different level to the Australian market, not because of quality but because this sale must feed the local market as well as factoring in the significant difference in prizemoney between Australia and New Zealand. That tempers the level to which locals are prepared to bid.
To demonstrate the difference in prizemoney one has only to look at the NZ leading sires’ list for last season 2022/3. Proisir headed the list when his progeny amassed a total of $NZ4,159,160 and this was a record. (Second was Savabeel $NZ2,664,300; third was Tavistock $NZ2,238,180). Previously Savabeel (leading NZ for eight consecutive seasons from 2014/5 to 2021/2) had set the record in the 2018/9 season when his progeny had won $3,951,419.
To appreciate this difference in prizemoney levels, in Australia for the 2022/3 season I Am Invincible was top sire when his progeny had earned $23,445,073. If we examine the earnings of Savabeel’s progeny in Australia for that season then he would have been champion NZ sire again because they had won $AU 18,481,108 and the comparable figure for Proisir’s offspring was $4,006,152.
Consider the results for the 2022/3 season in Australia this is how NZ sires fared:
| SAVABEEL (AUS) (2001) | 182 runners | $18,481,108 | $101,544 ave per runner |
| TAVISTOCK(NZ) (2005) | 192 | $8,414,045 | $ 43,823 |
| PER INCANTO (USA) (2004) | 64 | $7,770,258 | $121,410 |
| BULLBARS(AUS) (2007) | 7* | $5,836,630 | |
| OCEAN PARK (NZ) (2008) | 89 | $4,872,708 | $ 54,749 |
| REDWOOD (GB) (2006) | 70 | $4,489,932 | $ 64,141 |
| SHOCKING(AUS) (2005) | 46 | $4,351,173 | $ 94,590 |
| PROISIR(AUS) (2009) | 58** | $4,006,152 | $ 69,0719 |
*Mr Brightside won $5,765,500 of this total
** Proisir is the youngest of these sires
Because of this disparity in prizemoney the average for Book 1 at Karaka is about half the average for Book 1 at the Magic Millions Sale.
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| MM average $AUD | 292,926 | 294,159 | 252,801 | 247,645 |
| Karaka average $NZD | 151,980 | 146,868 | 123,184 | 138,698 |
This year’s catalogue features eight sires with 35 or more lots on offer. These include the well established Savabeel, Ocean Park, Per Incanto and Proisir. The other four represent “fresh” blood.
They include, Almanzor (Fr) (2013) who was the leading first season sire in NZ 2021/2 season as well as topping the 2YO sires list because his son Dynastic won the Karaka 2YO Millions. As a racehorse he won the French Derby, was voted top European 3YO with a massive Timeform rating of 133. He is shaping up as a sire of Classic performers. Last season this first crop produced the G1 Victoria Derby winner Manzoice and runners up in the G1 NZ Derby (Andalus) and the G1 Australian Derby (Vicious Circle); also his daughter Mehzebeen was second in the G1 NZ Oaks and another daughter Blue Solitaire was placed in the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas. Almanzor’s stud fee for 2023 was $50K +GST. He is by Wootton Basset (2008) whose progeny sold so well at the recent Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale. Wootton Bassett also has eight colts and 2 fillies from his first crop in this part of the world up for sale at Karaka.
Super Seth (AUS) (2016) was a brilliant winner of the G1 Caulfield Guineas. He is by Dundeel from Salutations, by Redoute’s Choice. Super Seth was retired to Waikato Stud in 2020 and served 130 quality mares. His yearlings were well received last year. At the Gold Coast MM Yearling Sale seven lots averaged $AU230,000 and at Karaka 34 lots averaged $NZ157,500. Those who supported him were soon rewarded. His daughter Poetic Champion (ex-Regally Blonde by Royal Academy) won her first start at Hawera by 6L and subsequently has twice placed at Group level including second in the Wakefield Challenge. To date Super Seth has had five runners for two winners and is leading the first season sires’ list in NZ. He is also currently fourth on the overall 2YO sires list. His 2023 fee was $35,000+ GST
Hello Youmzain (Fr) (2016) First season sire and the first son of Kodiac (GB) (2001) to stand at stud in Australasia. Kodiac’s breeding should be of great interest here. He is by Danehill (nine times leading Australian sire) and he is a half-brother to Invincible Spirit sire of Australia’s current leading sire I Am Invincible. Kodiac holds a world record for the greatest number of individual 2YO winners in a single season (2017). Kodiac was also European champion sire of 2YO’s (by prizemoney) 2016 and 2018- and three-times champion sire of 2YOs by winners. This may give the impression that Kodiac was a speed sire but one should remember that his son Best Solution won the 2014 Caulfield Cup.
Hello Youmzain was a high-class sprinter winning twice a G1 level including the Diamond Jubilee St (6F) and the Haydock Sprint Cup (6F) and also twice placed at G1 level. Hello Youmzain has an interesting female line. In direct female descent he traces to the champion filly Schwarzgold (by Alchimist) who defeated the colts in the 1940 German Derby. (Refer to article “From Longchamps to Oblivion”). He stands at Cambridge Stud alongside Almanzor. His fee for 2023 was $30K + GST.
HELLO YOUMZAIN Wins the 2019 Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock
Circus Maximus (IRE) (2016) is another first season sire. He is by Galileo (IRE) (1998), 14 times Champion sire of UK & Ire and a proven sire of sires. Circus Maximus was out of a mare by Danehill Dancer (1993) and this cross- Galileo over a mare by Danehill Dancer has produced six individual G1 winners apart from Circus Maximus. Furthermore Galileo over a mare by Choisir-son of Danehill Dancer- has produced Winter (2014) a four-time G1 winner.
Circus Maximus was a specialist miler. As a 3YO he beat the best of his generation in the G1 St James’s Palace St (8f) at Royal Ascot, then in the autumn took on the older horses and beat them in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamps (1600m). As a 4YO he was again triumphant at Royal Ascot taking the G1 Queen Ann St (8f) as well as later that year finishing 2nd l in the Breeders Cup Mile. As a 3YO and again at 4YO he was runner up in the Qatar Sussex St (8f). He stands at Windsor Park Stud and his 2023 fee was $17,500+ GST.
In addition to these two NZ based first season sires several Australian first season sires will have progeny for sale. Bivouac and King’s Legacy each have nine lots listed, while Tagaloa and Russian Camelot will each have four lots. Farnan, the top selling first season sire at the recent Magic Millions sale will have only three lots on offer.
Satono Aladdin (JAP) (2011) began his stud career in NZ in the same year as Almanzor. In his first crop he got Pennyweka who won the NZ Oaks and then the Australian Oaks at Randwick. Last season he was the leading NZ sire with two crops of racing age defeating Almanzor for that honour. He was also the leading sire of 2YOs because of his son Tokyo Tycoon who won the Karaka Millions as well as the Sistema St (G1) and the Fairview Matamata Slipper (G3). To date Satono Aladdin has sired two individual GI winners, a G2 winner and five individual G3 winners. He is by the great Japanese sire Deep Impact. Satono Aladdin won the G1 Tokyo Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in 1.31.5 and is a full brother to Lachesis who won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. His fee for the 2023 season was $45,000 + GST. He has 15 lots listed for sale and they will be keenly sought.
Tim Whiffler
