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Phenomenal Season Concludes for Karaka Sourced Talent

Media Release - Friday September 3

New Zealand Bloodstock sales are a proven source of elite thoroughbred talent, with Karaka graduates consistently demonstrating their strength, stamina and Group One-winning abilities on the world stage. 

New Zealand-bred and sold horses continue to headline major racing events, proving tough competition for their international opponents. Featured below is a seasonal review of NZB’s sensational graduate success.

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NZB’s 2020-21 Group One honour roll lists an outstanding calibre of top-class performers who have taken their racing jurisdictions by storm, including the likes of Explosive Jack (NZ), Golden Sixty, Melody Belle (NZ), Mo’unga (NZ) and Probabeel (NZ) just to name a few.

Graduate Highlights
 
Explosive Jack won three Derbies in Australia.
  • Karaka graduates took out an incredible 100% of all six Australian Derby races in Australia last season.  
  • NZB graduates claimed four consecutive Hong Kong Derbys with Sky Darci (NZ) victorious in the 2021 edition, cementing Karaka as the number one source of winners.
  • Last season alone, NZB graduates were victorious in 32 Group One races and 108 stakes races.

Australia
  • New Zealand-bred horses won 24% of all Australian G1 races this season while making up just 7% of the racing population.
  • Kiwi-bred horses claimed 100% of all G1 Derby races in Australia this season.
  • On average, NZ-bred horses earned 56% more than Australian-breds during the 2020-21 season in Australia.
  • The strong and persistent Kolding (NZ) cost just NZ$170,000 and has since won A$6.3 million, almost 40 times his purchase price at Karaka.

Hong Kong
HK Horse of the Year, Golden Sixty  
  • 42% of all G1 winners in Hong Kong in the last three seasons were sourced at Karaka.
  • In the entire history of the Hong Kong Derby, NZ horses have been the number one source of winners.
  • In the last five seasons, NZB Graduates have claimed 35% of all feature races during Hong Kong's International Raceday, more than any other sales company in the world.
  • Graduates of NZB sales claimed six out of nine trophies at Hong Kong’s 2020-21 Champion Awards, with superstar Golden Sixty leading the charge claiming Horse of the Year, Champion Middle-Distance Horse, Champion Miler and Most Popular Horse.

New Zealand
  • Five consecutive G1 New Zealand Oaks have been claimed by NZB graduates with Amarelinha (NZ) taking out the 2021 edition.
  • Karaka Million hero Aegon (NZ) cost NZ$150,000 and has since won NZ$1.1 million – over seven times his purchase price at Karaka.
  • Karaka Million 2YO winner On The Bubbles was a NZ$90,000 purchase and has already won over NZ$700,000 – more than eight times his Karaka yearling sale purchase price.
Singapore 
  • A source of speed, Karaka graduates have dominated the Golden Horseshoe, claiming six of the last eight editions.
  • 50% of all stakes races in Singapore from 2016 - 2020 have been won by NZ-bred or sold horses.
  • Superstar racehorse The Inferno claimed eight of his nine career starts, earning SGP$906,000 in prizemoney from a NZ$140,000 purchase price at Karaka.


The value found in an NZB catalogue is a testament to the quality of New Zealand horses, who are born, raised and educated in the country’s temperate climate and nutrient-rich pastures, while being expertly prepared by kiwi horsemen and women.

NZB readily anticipates the commencement of its upcoming sales season, with the 2021 Ready to Run Sale catalogue set to be released online at nzb.co.nz Monday 6 September.


NZB Sale Calendar

2021 Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds: 17 and 18 November at Karaka
Breeze Ups: 11 and 12 October at Te Rapa Racecourse

Karaka 2022: 23 – 28 January at Karaka
Karaka Million Twilight meeting: 22 January at Ellerslie Racecourse

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