The horsemen and women who prepare two-year-olds for the NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka every November are internationally renowned as some of the very best in the world at what they do, and a new generation will join them next month as first-time vendors.
Seivwright Bloodstock, Foxhill Thoroughbreds, Di Leoni Equine and St Kilda Lodge are all new additions to the vendors’ list for the 2025 Ready to Run Sale.
SEIVWRIGHT BLOODSTOCK
Former jumps jockey James Seivwright, who rode 23 winners between the 2017-18 and 2021-22 seasons, is moving into a new role with Seivwright Bloodstock’s debut Ready to Run consignment of five two-year-olds at next month’s Ready to Run Sale, alongside wife and successful event rider, Maddy.
But that’s not to say that the 31-year-old is lacking in experience around the Ready to Run Sale.
“I’ve been around the Ready to Run Sale scene for a little while, having previously worked for Riversley Park and Kiltannon Stables,” he said.
“Selling horses under my own name had been something in the back of my mind, although I probably didn’t intend on doing it as soon as this year.
“But I have a very good client, Ray Fleming, who basically told me that he had these horses heading towards the Ready to Run Sale and I would be selling them for him. So that’s how it got started.
“We have a draft of five, which I think is a nice number to start off with. It’s not too stressful that way and allows us to keep a close eye on everything. It’s only my wife and I who do the riding, so having a draft of this size allows us to do everything that we need to.
“The preparations have gone well so far. The horses are getting pretty fresh now, so it’s a bit of a shame that the weather has forced the Breeze Ups to be put back a week. We’d got the horses quite tuned to go this week. But we’ll just back off them for a couple of days and then bring them back up again. We’re looking forward to the next few weeks.”
The first member of Seivwright Bloodstock’s draft is Lot 82, a colt by Noverre (NZ) out of the three-race winner Saffron Lady (NZ) (Iffraaj). This colt’s three-year-old three-quarter-sister Savvy Donna (NZ) (Savabeel) has had two starts for two placings, the most recent of them at Matamata on October 4.
Lot 115 is a colt by Ace High out of Smartly (NZ) (Fast ‘N’ Famous), who won six races and placed in the Listed Marton Cup (2200m) and two editions of the Listed Rotorua Challenge Plate (1950m). Smartly’s half-sisters Art Beat (NZ) (Captain Rio) and Perfect Start (NZ) (Perfectly Ready) were both multiple black-type winners, and Art Beat’s daughter Art De Triomphe (NZ) (Vadamos) won the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m).
Shamexpress (NZ), the sire of freakish Hong Kong sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ), features in the Seivwright Bloodstock draft as the sire of Lot 410. This gelding is out of two-race winner Kewzero (NZ) (Perfectly Ready), from the family of Group One winner Ligeiro (NZ) (Lanfranco) and Group Two winner Cruzeiro (NZ) (Kaapstad).
Lot 435 is a gelding by Noverre out of the winning I Am Invincible mare Lincoln’s Gal, from the family of Group One Futurity Stakes (1400m) winner Rustic Dream (Rustic Amber).
The final member of the draft is Lot 463, a gelding by Ardrossan out of the unraced Miss Adventure (NZ) (Rios), who is a daughter of Group One winner Macavelli Miss (NZ) (Vettori). Seven progeny of Macavelli Miss have raced, six of them winners including Group One winner Mac De Lago (Encosta De Lago) and stakes-placed Fleetwood Maca (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) and The Odyssey (NZ) (Zacinto).
FOXHILL THOROUGHBREDS
Richmond Downs-based Foxhill Thoroughbreds is operated by Benji King, the eldest son of Brighthill Farm founders Nick and Anne-Marie King, along with his partner Lena Jones.
The Foxhill name has appeared among purchasers lists at Karaka in previous years – buying one yearling from Karaka 2024, two weanlings from the 2024 Weanling Sale, three yearlings from Karaka 2025 and a weanling from the 2025 Weanling Sale. But this is their first time on the other side of the ledger with a draft going through the sale ring under their name.
Foxhill will offer two horses at next month’s Ready to Run Sale. Lot 87 is a gelding by Written By out of the winning mare Savelle (NZ) (Domesday), who is a half-sister to the Group Three winner Vigor Winner (Declaration Of War). Lot 423 is an Almanzor filly out of the Group Two placegetter Lady Krovanh (Dehere).
“Selling at the Ready to Run Sale is something we’ve been thinking about for a while and just waiting for the right opportunity to do,” King said. “You need to make sure that you get into it at the right time. We’ve just taken a bit of time first to get a bit more settled and into our rhythm a little bit.
“This year turned out to be the right opportunity to do it, and it’s all come together well. We’ve been around the Ready to Run Sale before, but it’s our first time having a decent go as vendors. It comes with its challenges, but it’s an exciting opportunity and we’re looking forward to it.
“Unfortunately we’ve had a couple of withdrawals in our draft, but we’re still heading into the sale with two lovely young horses that we’re hoping will be well received by the buyers – a gelding by Written By and a filly by Almanzor.
“We’ve been really happy with how the preparation has gone so far with both of them. They’re coming up very nicely and it’s all gone to plan.”
DI LEONI EQUINE
Enzo Di Leoni’s Di Leoni Equine is primed to make a big first impression with a six-strong draft for the Ready to Run Sale.
Uruguay-born Di Leoni moved to New Zealand almost 20 years ago at the age of 22. He initially worked with polo horses but then switched to breaking in thoroughbreds and never looked back, making a name for himself as equine manager at Te Akau Stud.
The first horse to go through the Karaka sale ring under Di Leoni’s name will be Lot 52, a gelding by Ace High out of Prickley Princess (NZ) (Thorn Park). Herself a four-race winner, Prickley Princess is a half-sister to Group One winner Pondarosa Miss (NZ) (High Chaparral) and Group One placegetter Ecuador (NZ) (High Chaparral). Other close relatives include multiple Group One winner Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and his Group Two-winning dam Bak Da Chief (NZ) (Chief Bearhart).
Lot 203 is a gelding by Vanbrugh out of the unraced Zamoyski (NZ) (Charm Spirit), from the family of Group winners Leebaz (NZ) (Zabeel), Polish Knight (NZ) (Encosta De Lago), Zebrowski (NZ) (Savabeel), Euro Angel (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and Mr Mozart (Snitzel).
A son of Shocking will go through the ring as Lot 288. The gelding is out of the two-race winner Cristal Heights (NZ) (O’Reilly), a close relative of Group winners Rising Heights (NZ) (Stark South) and Supreme Heights (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) and from the same family as Group One Australian Derby (2400m), Caulfield Cup (2400m), Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Caulfield Stakes (2000m) winner Sky Heights (NZ) (Zabeel).
Lot 376 is a gelding by Vadamos out of an unraced half-sister to stakes winners Winter King (NZ) (One Cool Cat) and How Good Is He (Fasliyev) and full-sister to the stakes-placed Art Deco (NZ) (Road To Rock).
Emerging stallion Banquo is the sire of Lot 428, a gelding out of the three-race winner Lavaglo (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop). The dam’s half-sister Afterglo (NZ) (Ardrossan) won at Matamata on October 4 and has now won twice from six starts. This is also the family of Group One winners Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel) and Metal Bender (NZ) (Danasinga) along with Group One placegetter and sire North Pacific.
Lot 439 is a gelding by Ocean Park (NZ) out of Lolla Lee Lou (NZ) (Darci Brahma), whose dam is a half-sister to the Group One winner and successful producer Imananabaa (Anabaa).
Last but not least is Lot 477, an Ardrossan gelding out of the winning mare Mrs Twinkletoes (NZ) (Ekraar). He comes from the family of Group Three winners Excites Zelady (Excites) and Zelady’s Night Out (Myboycharlie) along with multiple Malaysian black-type winner Good Fight (Super One) who was himself a Ready to Run Sale graduate.
ST KILDA LODGE
In addition to operating their racing stable in Cambridge, the father-son partnership of Ben and Ryan Foote have added another string to their bow with the establishment of St Kilda Lodge as a Ready to Run Sale vendor.
With a draft numbering no fewer than 17, the first St Kilda Lodge draft is set to make its presence felt during the Ready to Run Sale. The Footes will offer progeny of Bivouac, Wrote, Captivant, Home Affairs, Lucky Vega, Saxon Warrior, Proisir, Anders, Toronado, Wooded, Alabama Express, Time Test, Rubick, Brazen Beau, Farnan, Written By and Portland Sky.
Lot 68 is by Bivouac, who sired the recent record-breaking Group One Golden Rose (1400m) winner Beiwatcht from his first crop of three-year-olds. This gelding is a half-brother to the Group Three Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) winner Run Naan (Makfi).
The Captivant colt catalogued as Lot 125 is a half-brother to Group One winner Happy Archer (Dubawi) and the Listed winner and black-type producer Femina Fashion (Shamardal).
Lot 158 is a gelding by Home Affairs out of the Group Three Epona Stakes winner The Pinnacle (So You Think).
Lot 219 is a colt by Saxon Warrior out of New Zealand’s champion two-year-old of 2010-22, Anabandana (Anabaa). Herself the winner of the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Anabandana is the dam of four winners from four foals to race including Group Two winner Packing Rockstar (Fastnet Rock) and Listed winner Anavinci (I Am Invincible).
Lot 295 is a colt by Toronado out of a half-sister to the triple Group One winner Behemoth (All Too Hard).
The Rubick colt going through the ring as Lot 382 is a half-brother to the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) and Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1000m) placegetter Packing Treadmill (Manhattan Rain).
Lot 397 is a Brazen Beau half-brother to stakes performers Newhart (Fighting Sun) and Derasa (Squamosa).
Lot 476 is a half-brother to three winners including Australian and Dubai black-type performer He’s A Balter (Spirit Of Boom).
The 2025 edition of the Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 10am (NZT) on Wednesday 12 & Thursday 13 November, with Breeze Ups to be held at Te Rapa Racecourse on Monday 20 & Tuesday 21 October.
