Pedigree Potential – Karaka 2023 – Nicks that Click

Sponsored Content - by Tara Madgwick - Monday December 19

Cox Plate winning sire Ocean Park has enjoyed plenty of success in Australia and has a real star on the rise in Group III BRC Grand Prix (2100m) winner Kovalica, who has again put the spotlight on his sire, who has 65 entries for NZB Books 1 and 2 at Karaka.

Ocean Park has sired 18 stakes-winners and 12 of them have been successful in Australia including his Group I winners Tofane and Kolding, with Kovalica looking to emulate their success next year.

Kovalica has a half-sister to be offered at Karaka Book 1.

He is trained by Chris Waller, who will seek to target Derby races for the up and comer, who has won four of five starts and was bought for $110,000 from the Curraghmore draft at Karaka Book 1 in 2021.

Kovalica is the first runner for Ocean Park from a daughter of Makfi (GB) and while there are no yearlings bred on this cross to be offered at Karaka, it’s worth having a look at the performance of Makfi as a broodmare sire as he’s building a promising record.

The Group I winning son of Dubawi is sire of the dam of 14 stakes-winners, two of them new Group I winners in 2022 in McKulick (3f Frankel) and Belbek (2c Showcasing) also this season’s promising New Zealand trained two year-old stakes-winner Ethereal Star (Snitzel).

There are 13 yearlings to be offered in Books 1 and 2 from Mafi mares including Lot 626 from Kilgravin Lodge, the half-sister by Super Seth to Kovalica from Vitesse.

Cox Plate winner Ocean Park has sired 12 of his 18 stakes-winners in Australia.

The most successful nick for Ocean Park in terms of producing stakes-winners comes with daughters of Pins. They have combined to produce 29 winners from 39 runners and five are stakes-winners.

There are three bred this way in Book 1 as follows:

Lot 328 Colt Ocean Park x Make a Wish – Waikato Stud

Full brother to Group III winner Another Dollar and half-brother to Golden Eagle winner I Wish I Win.

Lot 436 Colt Ocean Park x Pretty – Waikato Stud

Full brother to SW Pretty to Sea and half-brother to SW Bonny O’Reilly and to the dam of Group III winner Espiona.

Lot 474 Filly Ocean Park x Runway – Carlaw Park

Third foal of winning half-sister to triple Group I winner and Champion NZ 3YO Gingernuts.

All yearlings purchased at Karaka are eligible for the lucrative Karaka Million Series with two $1 million races available for graduates as two and three-year-olds, plus the $120,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup for the duration of their career. 

For all of your hospitality, hotel bookings and travel enquiries, contact travel@nzb.co.nz.

Advertisment
More Reading...
$850,000 Snitzel Colt from NZ Oaks Queen Amarelinha
A late, great sire and a deceased Group One-winning dam combined with an $850,000 colt that topped the opening day of the Book 1 session of Karaka 2026 on Sunday.
Successive Lots for $675,000 and $600,000
Bloodstock agent Kevin ‘Millie’ Walls was a key player on back-to-back big lots at Karaka on Sunday, securing a colt for $675,000 before being underbidder on a $600,000 colt that was the very next yearling through the ring.
Vendors Count Down to Historic NZ National Yearling Sale
Some of the most respected names in the New Zealand thoroughbred industry will be out in force at Karaka over the next few days during the milestone 100th edition of the National Yearling Sale.
Stakes Goals Ahead for Hello Youmzain 3YO
Trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley were rapt with Bulgari’s runner-up effort behind Belle Cheval in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie last Saturday, and they are now eyeing further stakes targets at the Auckland track.
Sires With Winners - Sunday January 25
Here is the full list of 51 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
US Stakes-Winner for Aussie Sprint Star Houtzen
A brilliant winner of the MM 2YO Classic in 2017, I Am Invincible filly Houtzen is beginning to make her mark at stud with her talented three year-old colt Greenwich Village landing his first stakes race at Santa Anita on Sunday.
People at Karaka - Day One
Maree McEwan has been out talking to buyers during a strong Day One of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Yearling Sale.
Brutal Winner Brings Inglis Classic Pedigree Update
The Ron Quinton trained Brutal gelding Bryant has chased home some smart horses in his first three starts won by The Playwright, Miss Freelove and Raging Force, so at Warwick Farm on Australia Day he always looked well placed.
First Aussie Stakes-Winner for St Mark’s Basilica
The 2021 European Horse of the Year, St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) is on the board with his first Australian stakes-winner after hot favourite Aristopolos kept his unbeaten record intact with an impressive win in the Listed Kevin Sharkie Elwick Stakes (1100m) at Hobart on Sunday.
Karaka 2026 makes favourable impression on William Haggas
The milestone 100th edition of New Zealand’s National Yearling Sale has caught attention throughout the thoroughbred world, including one of the United Kingdom’s leading trainers.