Little Avondale Stud’s yearling drafts have yielded plenty of success for Bjorn Baker, and the expat New Zealand trainer returned to the same formula with his purchase of another Savabeel colt at Karaka on Tuesday.

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing administration ranks will receive an injection of youth and enthusiasm in April with the addition of Brad Taylor to the RACE team.

Renegade Rebel will make the second middle distance appearance of his burgeoning career on Wednesday in his final lead-up to the country’s Blue Riband age group staying feature.

Baldy faced chestnut Cascadian (GB) is a very popular member of the Godolphin stable in Australia winning last year’s Group I VRC Australian Cup and his three year-old half-sister was an interesting winner at Wolverhampton in the UK overnight.

Here is the full list of 20 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

After a record-breaking opening session, Day Two of NZB’s Karaka 2024 Book 1 Sale rounded off with a late flurry of bids, cementing a strong day of trade.

Fond memories of a Group One performer bought from Karaka more than a decade ago flooded back for Victorian bloodstock agent Sheamus Mills when he secured another Savabeel filly from the same sale ring on Monday.

Proisir already held a very special place in Philip Brown’s heart, and results in the Karaka sale ring on Monday have only added to his affection for the exceptional Rich Hill Stud stallion.

As well as making an outstanding start to the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale as a vendor, Elsdon Park principal Lib Petagna added an exciting young prospect to his racing team with a high-priced Savabeel filly late on Monday afternoon.

We’re past the Magic Millions mania and headed towards some serious autumn racing and from the juvenile perspective we had some interesting youngsters feature last weekend with the first round of Blue Diamond Previews, the Karaka Millions and a winning debut for a $1.5million colt, so let’s take a look at the pedigrees.

A day after winning the battle for a highly rated Kingman colt with a $650,000 price tag, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and bloodstock agent Craig Rounsefell struck again at Karaka on Monday and came away with another yearling that was near the top of their wish list.

The Karaka sale ring provided countless major winners for Jamie Richards during his tenure at Te Akau Racing, and the four-time champion New Zealand trainer has returned to the same recipe for his fledgling stable in Hong Kong.

Te Akau Racing’s extraordinary reign in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) was broken at Ellerslie on Saturday, but David Ellis has been on a mission at Karaka this week to return to the top of the podium.

The good times are rolling for Roger James and Robert Wellwood and further feature race success beckons the duo at Te Rapa on Wednesday.

The Group I Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday produced a big upset with race favourite Lucky Sweynesse out of the placings while Victor the Winner led home an all Aussie bred trifecta defeating Lucky with You (Artie Schiller USA) and Wellington (All Too Hard) with his half-sister set to be offered at Inglis Premier.

Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Day One of Karaka 2024’s Book 1 Sale reflected ongoing industry positivity with several records broken and key sale indicators increasing.

A colt by exciting European stallion Kingman attracted plenty of attention during his time in the sale ring at Karaka on Sunday, where he fetched a winning bid of $650,000 from Boomer Bloodstock principal Craig Rounsefell on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

A day of milestones for the progeny of Rich Hill Stud based stallions Proisir and Satono Aladdin was one of the major highlights on the first day of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka.

Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis once again lead the buyers charge at Karaka on Day One of the National Yearling Sale series with an impressive array of youngsters finding their way into the shopping cart of the King of Karaka.

Australian triple Group I winning Fastnet Rock mare Sea Siren is back enjoying life as a broodmare at Coolmore Australia, while her globetrotting daughter Warm Heart kicked off 2024 with a course record breaking win in the Group I Pegasus Invitational Turf (1800m) at Gulfstream on Saturday.

The Almanzor (FR) debutant United Kingdom provided a timely update for his brother, who is set to go under the hammer at Karkaka on Monday when storming home from last to first in the Viatek Fujifilm Maiden Plate (1506m) at Geelong on Sunday.

One of the cult heroes of New Zealand racing has passed away with news coming through that former Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner and successful stallion Jimmy Choux was humanely euthanised earlier in the week.

Waikato Stud resident stallion Super Seth was amongst the major highlight results on Day One of the National Yearling Sales series at Karaka when Patella Bloodstock’s Mike Kneebone outlaid $700,000 for a colt consigned as Lot 146 from the Pencarrow Stud draft.

Ex-pat Kiwi Jamie Richards made his presence felt early in the piece on Day One at Karaka as he and Bloodstock Agent Andrew Williams went to $725,000 to purchase Lot 55, a Zoustar colt from the I Am Invincible mare Evalina consigned from the Elsdon Park draft.

This could be the rags-to-riches story to top them all: a colt that breaks his maiden in a three-horse race at Kazakhstan on a track that would have Birdsville regulars shaking their heads captures the US$1,000,000 Group 1 feature at Meydan on Friday.

Studmaster Mark Baker looked more than a little stunned in the aftermath of a lifetime dream being achieved early on the first day of Book 1 of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka on Sunday.

Karaka graduates were winning everywhere on Saturday and even at the Sunshine Coast where six year-old I Am Invincible gelding Kinloch claimed his first Black Type win in the $160,000 Listed Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m).

Here is the full list of 107 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

The lightly raced Headwater mare Aitch Two Oh returned to the winner's circle for the first time since the Group III Red Roses Stakes at Flemington in November 2022 when she dominated in the Listed Durbridge Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

Roger James and James McDonald teamed up to win the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie in 2012 with Silent Achiever, and the pair reunited at the Auckland venue 12 years later to take out New Zealand’s richest race, the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) on Saturday evening.

Desert Lightning has spent the majority of his career flying under the radar, but there was no denying his place at the top of the tree in the inaugural $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday when he defeated the hot favourite Legarto earning an invitation to the $3.6million All Star Mile in Victoria in March.

Ellerslie racegoers got to witness expat Kiwi jockey James McDonald have his first ride back on home soil in several years at the TAB Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday, and he made an instant impact in front of the sold-out crowd.

The striking 3-year-old colt Veight needed to pull out all stops to make a successful seasonal debut in Saturday’s Group II Sharp Eit Solutions Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

Up-and-comer Akrotiri passed his first staying test with flying colours at The Valley on Saturday, heading a New Zealand-bred trifecta in the A$130,000 Chandler Macleod Handicap (2040m).

Placed in the Group I ATC Randwick Guineas, Golden Rose and Group II ATC Hobartville Stakes last year as a colt, talented four year-old Zou Tiger has always promised to win a stakes race and finally got the job done as a gelding scoring a stylish victory in the $200,000 Listed ATC Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.

It’s been a good 24 hours for Mike and Debbie O’Donnell of Fairhill Farm with not one, but two Group winners produced from their NSW farm at Mulbring.

Group One mare Belclare returned to the peak of her powers on New Zealand racing’s biggest stage on Saturday, scoring a dominant victory in the $500,000 Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.

Undefeated three-year-old Crocetti was billed as one of the headline acts of Saturday’s Karaka Millions mega meeting at Ellerslie, and he got the evening off to a perfect start in the opening race on the card.

Well known southern breeding and racing identities the Dennis brothers were back in the limelight at Riccarton on Saturday as their royally bred mare The Radiant One took out the Listed Speight’s Timaru Stakes (1400m).

A $50,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Kelly Schweida from the Widden Stud draft, talented Star Witness filly El Morzillo gained valuable Black Type when finishing a game second on debut in the $200,000 Listed BRC Calaway Gal Stakes last month and was subsequently eased with the Inglis Millennium in mind.

Can Coolmore make it two Golden Slippers in a row with a blue-blood son of Snitzel?

It’s still January and Frankel already has his first Group I winner of the year with Godolphin’s homebred four year-old stallion Measured Time winning the Group I Jebel Hatta (1m1f) at Meydan overnight on the turf.

On the eve of the NZB National Yearling Sales at Karaka, Savabeel’s Group I winning son Embellish has posted his first stakes-winner and it’s talented three year-old Bold Soul, who produced an amazing last to first win in the $125,000 Listed Launceston Guineas (2100m) in Tasmania on Australia Day.

Here is the full list of 68 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Ayrton added even more shine to his outstanding record at Caulfield with a thrilling win in a photo finish to Friday’s A$175,000 Listed Evergreen Turf John Dillon Stakes (1400m).

The odds-on favourite Naval College (GB) sent punters to the bar when pulling it out of the fire with a last-gasp win in the Listed Inglis Australia Day Cup (2400m) at Randwick.

A stakes-winner last season at two, Brave Smash (Jpn) colt Brave Mead was consistent in stakes races during the spring without winning one, but was rewarded for his consistency with a first up victory in the Group III MRC Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Australia Day.

The Listed MRC Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on Australia Day delivered the perfect result for the Newgate / China Horse Club and partners with their expensive colts High Octane and Holmes a Court running the quinella on debut.

A sensational way for Leneva Park’s Royal Meeting (IRE) to get off the mark with Hayasugi leading home a first-season trifecta in the $200,000 Group III Sportsbet Blue Diamond Preview for fillies at Caulfield on Saturday.

New Zealand-bred mare Eternal Flame passed a crucial test at Caulfield on Friday and is now on a path towards bigger and better things.

Rich Hill Stud’s managing director John Thompson is hoping to make a habit out of million-dollar racetrack success on the eve of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales.

Te Akau Racing have a rich history in the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), having won the last seven editions of the race, and Sam Bergerson is hoping to extend their run in his first year at the helm of New Zealand’s leading stable, alongside co-trainer Mark Walker.

Peter and Dawn Williams will take on the Karaka Millions meeting’s two hottest favourites with their pair of runners at Ellerslie’s eagerly anticipated twilight blockbuster on Saturday.

The Toole family of Kambula Stud, South Australia, are saddened to announce the sudden passing of Brian John Toole (BJ) aged 85 on Monday.

The winners just keep coming from Hunter Valley nursery Segenhoe with a debut winner by I Am Invincible on Thursday at Pakenham an obvious eye-catcher.

Triple Crown hero Justify enjoyed ground breaking success in 2023 and 2024 has started in spectacular fashion with the emergence of undefeated Australian 2YO colt Storm Boy and in the US, Coolmore have come up with a novel way to recognize his achievements with a unique opportunity for breeders.

Here is the full list of 45 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Highclere Racing Australia have today announced the retirement of high class stayer Durston (GB), who has not raced since winning the 2022 Group I MRC Caulfield Cup.

Western Breeders Alliance graduates are on fire at home, interstate and internationally ahead of the Perth Magic Millions on February 22 and 23 in the Swan Valley.

It will be a sentimental sale for Wentwood Grange at Karaka this year, with brothers Sean, Leigh, and Dean offering the final foal out of the mare that kicked everything off for the trio.

There is plenty of excitement surrounding Saturday’s TAB Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie, and standout three-year-old Crocetti is expected to kick the night off with a bang when he lines-up in the opening race of the six-race card, the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m).

Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso couldn’t be happier with heir glamour mare Legarto ahead of Saturday’s inaugural running of the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m).

A return to a proven buying formula may once again deliver the ultimate reward for Albert Bosma’s Go Racing syndication company.

Plenty of intrigue at Rosehill on Thursday morning with seven time Group I winner Alligator Blood cruising around in the first heat for an easy win, while there were five heats for juveniles that featured wins for some expensive youngsters and several of the place-getters were just as interesting as the winners.

Favoured fillies Velocious (Written Tycoon) and Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) have strengthened their status as headline acts for Saturday’s $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) after drawing neighbouring midfield gates for the 17th running of the lucrative juvenile feature.

Top-flight filly Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) will attempt to join exclusive company when she takes her place among an elite field in Saturday’s $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie.

Here is the full list of 40 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Durham Park’s Bruce Edward is hoping his first ever thoroughbred purchase in today’s Inglis Digital January Online Sale is the beginning of a long and fruitful journey.

A $460,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for Cameron Cooke Bloodstock in 2022, this Pierro filly broke the ice in style at Sandown on Wednesday.

Two high-priced yearlings, carrying the hopes of connections, fought out the finish of the 2024 Stud And Stable Staff Awards Maiden Plate (1300m) at Sandown-Hillside on Wednesday.

A quality packed line up of stock from one of Australia's leading breeding operations will go under the hammer at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Sale.

Ellibaby’s racetrack debut was delayed after coming off second best when tangling with a fence, which made it all the sweeter when the daughter of Merchant Navy got off the mark at her first start in the Stradbroke Season On Sale Now Maiden Plate (1300m) at Doomben on Wednesday.

Excitement is mounting at Windsor Park Stud, not only for the imminent fall of the hammer to open the 2024 NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka, but also for the future of racing and breeding in New Zealand, not to mention the sales debut for yearlings by their exciting young sire Circus Maximus (IRE).

Mongolian Falcon recorded his first stakes win as a sire last Saturday and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Vicki Wilson, who stands the son of Fastnet Rock at her Hawke’s Bay property.

A dual Group I winning two year-old by champion sire Redoute’s Choice, King’s Legacy posted encouraging results at Magic Millions with 27 yearlings selling for up to $775,000 and he has a strong selection of eight for Book 1 of the NZB Yearling Sale Series starting on Sunday at Karaka.

Some exciting stakes racing will highlight the Australia Day card at Caulfield on Friday with five stakes races including the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for fillies and the colts equivalent which for some weird reason is only Listed or maybe the better question is why is the fillies a G3 given the list of past winners is largely made up of fillies that never win another stakes race

Many of the yearlings about to be sold at Karaka 2024 have had their profiles boosted with big-race performances by siblings since the catalogues went to print.

A couple of lightly raced maiden winners at Sale on Tuesday caught our eye as horses that can win much better races and one of them is named after the Australian of the Year in 2014.

Here is the full list of 22 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Leading Sydney hoop James McDonald has been ticking up the air miles of late and will add some more to his tally when he heads home to New Zealand this weekend to ride at the TAB Karaka Millions race meeting at Ellerslie.

An outstanding line up of yearlings from across Australasia will converge on South Australia in March with the catalogue today unveiled for the 2024 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.

A warm early welcome for Little Avondale Stud’s draft at Karaka has further fuelled its New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale expectations.

It was a timely win by Sudbina in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham last Saturday, with co-breeder and part-owner Haunui Farm gearing up for a busy week ahead of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales at Karaka, which kick-off on Sunday.

Taranaki couple Carole and John Lynskey are enjoying some time down in Queenstown this week toasting the success of their Group One winner Puntura following his victory in the Thorndon Mile at Trentham last Saturday.

Karaka Book 1 kicks off on Sunday January 28 with three sessions showcasing 682 of New Zealand’s finest yearlings and first season sires will be a big part of the action with New Zealand based shuttlers Hello Youmzain (Fr) and Circus Maximus (IRE) well represented with 45 and 40 entries respectively.

The Wootton Bassett (GB) show rolls into Karaka this week and given the response to his first Southern Hemisphere bred yearlings at Magic Millions earlier this month we can expect serious interest in his offering of nine yearlings for the NZB National Yearling Sale Series Book 1.

The inaugural National Pony Racing Series is full steam ahead to April’s Finals over the Sydney Autumn Carnival, with the next round of heats set to be run at Warwick Farm this Friday, on Inglis Australia Day, January 26 with free entry for all to the track.

The unofficial order of entry for the $2million Inglis Millennium over 1100m for 2YOs to be run at Randwick on Saturday February 10 has been updated with last Saturday’s impressive Rosehill debut winner Fully Lit zooming into contention.

Here is the full list of 14 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Good families are good families because they keep delivering stakes horses and there is no better way of increasing your chances of success than buying into them and we’ve found a few with current horses involved that are on the up.

Westbury Stud has an enviable feature race roll of honour with graduates of the farm excelling to the highest level over a wide range of distances.

An $8,000 purchase in 2003 has continued to pay dividends for Gareth Downey over two decades later, when the filly’s son won the inaugural $350,000 The Oaks Stud Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham last Saturday.

David Benjamin, a noted marketing innovator in the thoroughbred breeding industry, passed away on Friday.

Six heats for juveniles at Randwick on Monday morning and we saw some of the pre-Christmas stars in action and whether they can take it to the next level in the autumn remains to be seen or will the up and comers go straight past them?

In another raft of positive announcements made by TAB New Zealand, Entain and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, the Southern Hemisphere will soon be witness to the richest three-year-old race – ‘The NZB Kiwi’.

Torryburn Stud bred and sold Voyage Bubble was a sale ring star as a baby and has blossomed in later life to be a race track star in Hong Kong leading home an Aussie bred trifecta in the Group I Stewards’ Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday when defeating Beauty Eternal (Starspangledbanner) and Beauty Joy (Sebring).

Here is the full list of 65 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

It was a momentous day for Rachel King as she became the first female to win a JRA Group race when lifting the 6-year-old Heart’s Cry (JPN) gelding Chuck Nate to victory in the Group II The American Jockey Club Cup (2200m) at Nakayama on Sunday.  

The 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale has been released with 500 lots and not surprisingly there is big representation for our champion sires with I Am Invincible leading the way with 44 entries, but there is no guarantee he’ll produce the sale-topper.