Many of the vendors at this month’s NZB National Weanling Sale are familiar faces who are renowned for their quality drafts at this sale every year, but the 2025 edition also sees an old friend being welcomed back to the fold.
For the first time since 2010, Highview will present a draft of eight weanlings at Karaka on Thursday 26 June.
“I think it’s my first time selling weanlings at Karaka in almost 20 years,” Highview principal Brent Gillovic said. “Our horse population has swelled a bit – we’re probably going to have about 30 yearlings next season. So we wanted to trim that number back a little bit, and there are some weanlings that are pretty forward, so this is a good tool to put those ones on the market and see how they go.”
One of the main points of interest in the Highview draft is six progeny of the stud’s resident sire Santos.
This is the first New Zealand-bred crop by Santos, who previously stood for four seasons in Australia. He has sired 41 winners from 83 runners, with three stakes winners headed by the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) winner Ulanova (NZ).
“We’re offering some really nice progeny by Santos, who moved over from Australia to stand at Highview at the same time as Divine Prophet,” Gillovic said. “I think they’re a couple of very good stallion prospects.
“Divine Prophet is one of the best-performing active New Zealand-based sires in Australia this season by number of winners and by earnings, including a couple of stakes winners. He’s a full-brother to Proisir, he throws outstanding types of horses and he offers very good value.
“It’s early days for Santos, but he’s already had a Group One winner and a couple of other stakes winners. There’s also Platinum Attack, who was beaten by a whisker when second in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) in March, and he ran fifth in the Group One Railway (1200m) and Telegraph (1200m). I think he’s a work in progress and not the easiest to ride, but you’d reckon he’ll be winning a Group race in the future.
“Santos is by I Am Invincible. I think people will be very taken with his weanlings. They’re nice horses. The colt out of Amparo (NZ) (Colombia), who’s Lot 92, he’s a very, very good individual.
“All of the Santos progeny are good cuts of horses. They’re good, strong and correct. The fillies out of Louisette (NZ) (Guillotine), Moravany (Elusive Quality) and Odisha (NZ) (Darci Brahma) are all really nice too.”
Those Santos fillies are catalogued as Lot 15, 30 and 37.
Continuing as a dedicated weanling-only format, the National Weanling Sale is a happy hunting ground for those searching for their next pinhook success story or racetrack star. A proven source of success on the track, notable NZB weanling graduates include this season’s stakes winners Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns), plus recent Group One winners Pignan (NZ) (Staphanos), Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante), Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and more.
All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series. Graduates can compete for a share in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) as well as the new $1m Mega Maiden Series comprising of 40 non-Saturday maiden races located throughout New Zealand.
Buyers wishing to attend are able to book their stays at the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka hotel onsite here or by emailing travel@nzb.co.nz for assistance.
View the catalogue here. The catalogue can also be viewed on the Equineline app for iPads/tablets, or the Thoroughworks mobile app.
For more information, contact Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz, Sales Representative Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 512 466 or Patrick.Cunningham@nzb.co.nz or Andrew Buick at +64 27 555 0640 or email Andrew.Buick@nzb.co.nz.
