Book 2 Closes out Successful Karaka 2025

Media Release - Thursday January 30

The curtain came down on the final day of selling at NZB’s 99th National Yearling Sales Series with the last day of Book 2 continuing the trend of steady trade. 

At the close of selling, the Book 2 session turned over $9,759,000 for 270 yearlings sold, with an average of $36,144 and a clearance rate of 76%.

NZB’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook was pleased with the positive mood within the sales complex during the course of the week, while acknowledging a dip in the in the final figures.

“The figures don’t disguise the fact that there has been a softening in the market. The positive to come out of this Sale is the good increase in clearance rate.”

“We have seen a reduction in the average and median, compared with last year’s record Sale, which I think can be directly attributed to the state of the economy. It’s not at all reflective of the positivity that’s in the racing industry at the moment and the great vibe that’s been around all week.”

$150,000 Satono Aladdin (Jpn) colt from High Esteem

The top lot of the day came when Highden Park’s Lot 1079 was presented, a colt by popular stallion Satono Aladdin out of High Esteem, who sold for $150,000 to leading Book 2 purchaser John Foote.

“There are some lovely horses here. It’s not easy to buy them,” commented Foote who purchased eight yearlings for $750,000.

“Book 1 was tough to start with. We bid on 12 horses on Day One, and only got two. The good types and pedigrees are hard to buy here.”

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“Even in Book 2, we bid on several more and still got beaten, so it’s not easy.”

Leading vendor of Book 2 was Westbury Stud with a 100% clearance rate and $1,174,500 in turnover, after earlier in the week announced they would offer their yearlings unreserved.

Ardsley Stud also cleared 100%, and led the average tables with $76,250 for four lots sold.

Windsor Park’s Shamexpress lead the sire tables by average with four lots being secured for an average of $97,500.

Attention now turns to the 2025 National Online Yearling Sale, taking place on Gavelhouse Plus with entries opening early February.

All yearlings purchased at Karaka 2025 are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series, featuring the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO, $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO and the $1m NZB Mega Maiden Series. To nominate your yearling, contact  finance@nzb.co.nz or call +64 9 298 0055.  Entries close Monday 3 March 2025.

To enquire about Passed Lots from Book 2 contact Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 181 5898 or email Patrick.Cunningham@nzb.co.nz, or Andrew Buick on +64 27 555 0640 or email Andrew.Buick@nzb.co.nz

View the full Book 2 results here.  
Catch the highlights and Lot-by-Lot footage from Book 2 here.

Karaka 2025: Book 2 Statistics (at end of selling)
  2025 BOOK 2 TOTAL (new format) 2024 BOOK 2 TOTAL 2023 BOOK 2 TOTAL 2022 BOOK 2 TOTAL 2021 BOOK 2 TOTAL
AGGREGATE $9,759,000 $11,444,000 $11,516,000 $10,036,000 $8,853,000
AVERAGE $36,144 $43,185 $43,131 $40,632 $41,759
MEDIAN $26,750 $32,500 $32,000 $30,000 $30,000
CLEARANCE 76% 70% 71% 64% 76%
CATALOGUED 427 443 435 466 339
OFFERED 354 377 375 384 277
SOLD 270 265 267 247 212
TOP LOT Lot 855 Satono Aladdin - Sparkling Rose (B.F) $260,000 Lot 790 Time Test - Kerre (Br.C) $220,000 Lot 789 Proisir - Harriet Wilson (G.C) $180,000 Lot 1063 Tivaci - Short Tale (B.F) $250,000 Lot 725 Churchill - Astrid (Ch.F) $200,000
Karaka 2025: Combined Statistics (at end of selling)
  2025 COMBINED TOTAL 2024 COMBINED TOTAL 2023 COMBINED TOTAL 2022 COMBINED TOTAL 2021 COMBINED TOTAL
Aggregate $86,061,500 $91,842,000 $82,091,500 $74,382,500 $60,996,500
Average $115,986 $122,783 $111,235 $106,109 $94,276
Median $80,000 $90,000 $80,000 $70,000 $62,500
Clearance 79% 76% 77% 75% 82%
Catalogued 1088 1125 1079 1103 918
Withdrawn 146 141 121 156 127
Offered 941 984 958 947 791
Passed 199 236 220 246 144
Lots Sold 742 748 738 701 647
Top Price $2,400,000 $1,600,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $800,000
Karaka 2025: Book 2 Day Two Top Lots
Lot Sire Dam Sex Vendor Purchaser Price
1079 Satono Aladdin High Esteem Colt Highden Park John Foote Bloodstock (Hong Kong) $150,000.
1061 Satono Aladdin Gerda Colt Seaton Park Ltd Universal Bloodstock (Auckland) $140,000.
1082 Shamexpress High Tail It Colt Windsor Park Stud Patella Bloodstock (Waikato) $125,000.
0981 Shamexpress Blinkie Colt Windsor Park Stud Ben Kwok (Singapore) $120,000.
0964 Shocking Baltis Colt Leanach Lodge Ltd Slade Bloodstock Pty Ltd/Lindsay Park Racing (VIC) $115,000.
0928 Doubtland Yatima Colt Milan Park Upper Bloodstock (Hong Kong) $110,000.
0959 Satono Aladdin Attention Seeker Filly Curraghmore Stephen Gray Racing Syndication (Manawatu-Whanganui) $110,000.
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