With big numbers heading to Karaka later this month for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, three fresh faces from the New Zealand stallion line-up have made strong debuts in this week’s Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast.
Westbury Stud’s Tarzino, Waikato Stud’s Tivaci and Haunui Farm’s shuttle stallion Belardo all achieved strong results in the sale, which set new records for its aggregate and average.
Westbury put three Tarzino yearlings through the ring on the Gold Coast, selling all three for a total of A$465,000. A colt out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Eau de Parfum sold for A$230,000 to DGR Thoroughbred Services and Mick Price Racing.
“We were really happy with those results,” Westbury’s general manager Russell Warwick said.
“We followed the same strategy that we used with Reliable Man a few years ago – taking two or three nice yearlings by the stallion over to the Gold Coast, setting a bit of a benchmark and giving the buyers an early taste of the types of horses the stallion is producing.
“The buyers responded very favourably, which has to be a good sign for all of the breeders who have Tarzinos heading towards Karaka.
“It’s great to see the Tarzino yearlings heading to Mick Price, Lindsey Smith and Les Kelly. They’re all going to race in Australia, which is so important when you’re trying to get a stallion established.”
Tarzino has 36 yearlings in the catalogue for Karaka 2020, including 20 in Book 1.
Adding to a buoyant mood at Westbury, Tarzino’s barn mates Swiss Ace and El Roca have sired their first Group One winners over the last two weeks with Julius (Sistema Railway) and Travelling Light (Woodridge Homes Levin Classic) respectively.
Redwood will have the chance to do the same thing when Rock On Wood lines up as one of the favourites in next weekend’s Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham.
“The stallions are flying at the moment,” Warwick said. “I’m rapt for El Roca. From only 40 runners so far, he’s already got two Group One performers – Travelling Light and Bella Mente.
“It’ll be a wonderful few weeks for us if Redwood can do it as well next Saturday.”
Tivaci, who has 55 yearlings in the Karaka 2020 catalogue including 40 in Book 1, made a big splash with his first yearling on the Gold Coast.
Hawkes Racing paid A$240,000 for a colt out of the Snippetson mare Dolly’s Wig, bred by Inglewood Stud in Canterbury.
“The idea was to get the first crack and try to sell the first Tivaci, and it worked out really well,” Inglewood’s general manager Gus Wigley said.
“Brian Nutt at Attunga Stud sold the horse for us. There was a lot of interest in him in the lead-up to the sale, and the main feedback from buyers was that it was nice to have something different.
“It was our first time selling a yearling in Australia. It wasn’t about taking our best colt over there necessarily, but looking for a point of difference.
“He would have been quite late in the sale if we’d sold him at Karaka, and he went on the first day at the Gold Coast, so it worked out well.
“We were trying something a little bit different, and we were very happy to be able to get a horse over there in front of the buyers and get the result.
“Now we’re looking forward to Karaka, where we’re rapt with our draft of seven colts in Book 1. We had 18 foals born that year, and 15 of them were colts.
“Our draft goes along with our philosophy of supporting a range of stallions around Waikato, the rest of New Zealand and Australia. It’s a nice, varied line-up.
“The Teofilo colt (Lot 414) out of our stakes-winning mare Zigwig is an absolute belter, and the Shooting to Win colt (Lot 76) is out of a half-sister to the dam of Loving Gaby. That’s a very good, current family, and hopefully it might attract a bit of attention from the Australian buyers.”
Meanwhile, the multiple Group One-winning shuttle stallion Belardo made his southern hemisphere yearling debut with a colt who sold to David Payne Racing for A$95,000 on the Gold Coast.
Belardo will be represented by 26 yearlings at Karaka 2020, including six in Book 1.
“It was a really encouraging start on the Gold Coast, and a very good amount of money relative to his service fee ($12,000),” Haunui Farm’s managing director Mark Chitty said.
“He was a very nice colt, and it’s great to see him go to a prominent Sydney stable.
“A son of Lope de Vega (Vega One) won the Magic Millions Cup on Saturday, which further illustrates how well that sire line is going in this part of the world.
“The signs are really good. It was a very strong sale on the Gold Coast, and now we’re all hoping that carries over to Karaka.” – NZ Racing Desk
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