Karaka Million Support Acts
The much-anticipated Karaka Million Twilight Meeting on Sunday 31 January will showcase not only a sample of supreme equine prowess, but also the support of four outstanding sponsors including Brighthill Farm, Cambridge Stud, The Oaks Stud and Wexford Stables.
Brighthill Farm
The sponsor of Race 1 on the card this year is Brighthill Farm, showcasing its first season sire Perfectly Ready.
The Group 1 SAJC Goodwood Handicap winner was launched by Nick and Anne-Marie King at their Tauwhare-based property in 2007 where his stud career got off to a flying start, breeding a book of 135 mares in his first season and 149 mares in his second season.
A son of More Than Ready - Australian Champion sire of two-year-olds for two years in a row - Perfectly Ready is himself out of a half sister to the Gr.1 Golden Slipper winner, Belle Du Jour.
Perfectly Ready has eight yearlings in the Karaka Premier Sale, 35 in the Select Sale and 20 in the Festival Sale. Amongst his highlights is the colt at Lot 160, a half-brother to reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year Mufhasa (Pentire), a dual Group 1 winning sprinter last season.
"Obviously breeders have been encouraged with the continuing success of More Than Ready but also they have recognised what a top class Australian Group 1 sprinter Perfectly Ready was himself, with exceptional two-year-old form," said Nick King.
"For many breeders, he is the sort of sire they usually have to send their mare to Australia to access.
"He is the only stallion in the current New Zealand studbook to win an Australian Group race at 2, 3 and 4 years of age, and he backs this up with very good looks and a stallion's pedigree".
Perfectly Ready is currently the only son of More Than Ready to stand at stud in New Zealand, a fact that will no doubt stand him in good stead when his first yearlings are offered at Karaka on 1 February.
Wexford Stables
The sponsor of Race 2 this year is the famed Wexford Stables, long-regarded as one of New Zealand's premier thoroughbred training establishments. With five key partners there's a collective wisdom of 171 years experience being applied to maximize the success of its stable of horses and owners.
Team Wexford's head trainer, Andrew Scott, is one of the most exciting talents in New Zealand racing. Andrew has already guided 451 winners, including 11 Group 1 successes, in his career to date.
Partnering him on a daily basis in New Zealand is all-time champion jockey, Lance O'Sullivan, who brings his experience of riding 2479 winners around the world.
"When it comes to skills and experience, no-one has a better feel for a horse in its preparation, or the skill to plot race day tactics, as Lance," comments Andrew Scott. "The Wexford team has a brilliant and unique mix of skills, and above all that translates into the best results for our clients."
Lance's brother, Paul O'Sullivan, has won 11 NZ training premierships and is now one of Hong Kong's elite trainers. Paul has daily contact with the NZ operation and his wisdom, renowned innovation, plus insight into the latest international trends from Asia provides a critical edge.
Dave O'Sullivan, New Zealand Hall of Fame trainer with 66 Group1 winners, 1898 career winners and 12 NZ premierships, plays the role of mentor and advisor to the Matamata team and plays true to the expression 'you can't beat experience'.
Completing the team is Robbie Hewetson who brings invaluable bloodstock experience when it comes to selecting young horses or realising a horse's value at the end of its career.
When it comes to experience, Team Wexford is unmatched in New Zealand. Their presence at the Karaka Million signals the team's intention to be in action throughout the week at Karaka where they're hoping to find their next crop of young stars for owners banking on the Team Wexford Advantage.
Cambridge Stud
A sponsor since the inaugural Karaka Million in 2008, Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan's Cambridge Stud has been the leading vendor at Karaka for the past 28 years, selling exclusively at Karaka for the past three years in a row.
The Stud was established in 1975 by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan and the following year became home to Sir Tristram who went on to become the multiple champion sire of Australasia with a record of 45 individual Group 1 winners.
Cambridge Stud now comprises 1000 acres of lush pasture located in the heartland of the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry in the Waikato. It has one of the finest broodmare bands of any privately owned stud in the southern hemisphere, and stands a champion sire in Zabeel.
A son of Sir Tristram, Zabeel has followed in his father's footsteps and he is now the most successful active sire in Australasia with 38 individual Group 1 winners with 81 Group 1 wins, and 124 stakes winners, just six shy of his own sire's record.
Cambridge Stud will be offering a draft of 68 yearlings at Karaka 2010.
Amongst the Premier Sale selection, Cambridge Stud sires Keeper, One Cool Cat, Stravinsky, Viking Ruler and Zabeel are all represented, alongside Cambridge Stud's first crop sire Lucky Unicorn, plus Align, Darci Brahma, Dehere, Elusive Quality, Holy Roman Emperor, Redoute's Choice, and Testa Rossa.
The Cambridge Stud draft is highlighted by a strong representation of quality individuals by Australasia's leading living Group 1 producer, Zabeel.
Amongst the draft are Zabeel colts, like Octagonal and Don Eduardo, from the Eight Carat family including Lot 28 from Love Diamonds (Danehill) and Lot 373 from Diamond Like (Danehill), while the Zabeel colt at Lot 357 is from three-quarter sister to Redoute's Choice, Dane Dancer (Danehill).
Other highlights include Zabeel fillies from Group 1 winner Gwen's Rules (Lot 438) and Group 2 placed Miss Power Bird (Lot 55), whilst well performed first season sire Lucky Unicorn's six Premier yearlings include a half-brother to Hong Kong Group 1 winner Able One (Lot 416).
A full public parade of Cambridge Stud's yearlings will be held at Karaka on Tuesday 26 January at 1:30pm.
The Oaks Stud
Sponsoring the final race on the Karaka Million card for the third year in a row is The Oaks Stud, owned by Australian businessman Dick Karreman and managed by Rick Williams.
Dick Karreman currently boasts two New Zealand Owner of the Year titles, two Horse of the Year trophies, along with a Broodmare of the Year title.
Amongst an impressive racing string, The Oaks Stud is most widely recognised for the deeds of champion racemare Seachange, now a first time mother with a colt by Zabeel at foot.
This year marks an exciting year for The Oaks Stud at Karaka, with the first crop of five-time Group 1 winning sire, Darci Brahma. Darci Brahma is represented by 48 Premier Sale yearlings and 20 Select Sale yearlings. Amongst them, the half-brother to last year's sale-topper at Lot 422, from Giovana (Blues Traveller), and the half-brother to New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year, Insouciant, from Loudenne (Palace Music) (Lot 26).
Darci Brahma stands alongside Sakhee's Secret, Bachelor Duke , Keeninsky, and Spartacus.
The Oaks Stud will offer 34 yearlings at Karaka 2010. From its new location in Barn A at Karaka, the Stud will start Sales week with a Premier Sale draft of 18 young horses. Amongst them yearlings by Anabaa (1), Bachelor Duke (3), Darci Brahma (12), Dehere (1), and Pins (1).
Rick Williams' pick of the draft is Lot 402, a Darci Brahma colt whose half-brother Keyora scored in both the Group 2 Wellington and Group 2 Hawke's Bay Guineas (1600m) this season and looks a bright NZ Derby hope.
The quality international broodmare band developed by The Oaks Stud over the past decade sees broodmares sires such as Encosta De Lago, Fairy King, In the Wings, Kingmambo, Machiavellian, Polish Precedent, Rainbow Quest, Southern Halo and Zabeel represented in their Premier draft.
The draw for the 2010 Karaka Million will be announced on Radio Trackside by Peter Earley and Butch Castles at 12:10pm on Wednesday 27 January.
