Racing News

Jay Rooney MEOWTH - R6 (1) Won from gate one three starts back and can repeat tonight   Owen Goulding CHINA WIN - R8 (12) C&D near-miss before overcoming stall 14 at Sha Tin, more to come   Trackwork Spy ACE WAR - R5 (11) Has been knocking on the door on his past two starts and can break through here   Phillip Woo MEOWTH - R6 (1) Looks a major chance from gate one after drawing 12 in both starts since a win   Shannon (Vincent Wong) ACE POWER - R3 (7) Looks spot on after a good third at Happy...View the full article

The momentum from a record Book 1 session at NZB’s 100th National Yearling Sale continued into Book 2 on Tuesday, where a condensed session saw 188 yearlings sell for an incredible $12,247,000. Surpassing all previous records, the Book 2 session reached an average of $65,144 (up 80%), a median of $60,000 (up 124%) and a clearance rate of 76%.  “As we had expected, putting the Book 2 horses in front of the international buyers has been key,” commented NZB’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook. “To see a $2.5 million increase in turnover from a catalogue with 146 less horses, the results are just extraordinary really. “The Australian spend has more than doubled compared to this session last year, and while the Kiwis were stronger too, there were plenty who missed out so we hope to see them active at the Karaka Summer Sale on Thursday.” Lot 601 was the Book 2 Sale topper. Photo supplied Among the Australian buyers was Wylie Dalziel, who praised the new format of the popular second session. “Credit due to the team here for getting all the Book 2 horses on the grounds early.” “In previous years when they weren’t on the complex, we never got to inspect them. Now, Peter Moody and I have had the chance to steal some good ones. “We’ve had really good success buying out of Karaka, especially at this kind of price point. We couldn’t be happier.” Initially passed in, the top lot of the day came when Busuttin Racing negotiated a sale for Lot 601. $200,000 was outlaid for the filly by Embellish out of Queen of Wizardy from leading vendor Cambridge Stud. After being titled the Leading Vendor for the 34th time during Book 1, Cambridge Stud also took Book 2 honours, selling a further 14 yearlings for just shy of $1.2 million. Little Avondale Stud took the Leading Vendor by average title for Book 2, selling five lots at an average price of $103,000. Lot 762, was Shocking’s highest lot, selling for $160,000. Photo supplied Leading sire by average was Rich Hill Stud’s resident stallion Shocking, who sold three lots at an average of $121,667. Headed by Lot 762 (ex Gardenier), who sold for $160,000 to Hong Kong’s Lok Lor. Attention now turns to the inaugural Karaka Summer Sale kicking off Thursday 29 January from 11am. Inspections continue from Wednesday 28 January, while a welcome BBQ will take place from 4pm at the Garden Bar with all welcome. All yearlings purchased at Karaka 2026 are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series, featuring the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO, $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO and the $1m NZB Mega Maiden Series. To nominate your yearling, contact  finance@nzb.co.nz or call +64 9 298 0055. Entries close Monday 2 March 2026. To enquire about Passed Lots from Book 2 contact Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 181 5898 or email Patrick.Cunningham@nzb.co.nz, or Andrew Buick on +64 27 555 0640 or email Andrew.Buick@nzb.co.nz.  View the full Book 2 results here.   Catch the highlights and Lot-by-Lot footage from Book 2 here. Karaka 2026: Book 2 Statistics (as at end of selling)   2026 BOOK 2 TOTAL (NEW FORMAT) 2025 BOOK 2 TOTAL 2024 BOOK 2 TOTAL 2023 BOOK 2 TOTAL AGGREGATE $12,247,000 $9,759,000 $11,444,000 $11,516,000 AVERAGE $65,144 $36,144 $43,185 $43,131 MEDIAN $60,000 $26,750 $32,500 $32,000 CLEARANCE 76% 76% 70% 71% CATALOGUED 281 427 443 435 SOLD 188 270 265 267 TOP LOT Lot 601 Embellish – Queen of Wizardy (B.F) $200,000 Lot 855 Satono Aladdin – Sparkling Rose (B.F) $260,000 Lot 790 Time Test – Kerre (Br.C) $220,000 Lot 789 Proisir – Harriet Wilson (G.C) $180,000 Karaka 2026: Book 2 Top Lots Lot Sire Dam  Sex Vendor Purchaser  Price 601 Embellish Queen of Wizardry Filly Cambridge Stud Busuttin Young (VIC)  $               200,000 657 Sword of State Tina Again Filly Landsdowne Park Mr RA James / Mr R Wellwood (Waikato)  $               170,000 838 Sword of State Membership Colt Leanach Lodge Riversley Park/De Burgh Equine (Waikato)  $               170,000 762 Shocking Gardenier Colt Rich Hill Stud Lok Lor (Hong Kong)  $               160,000 585 Sword of State Palace Whispers Colt Woburn Farm Mr G Thompson (VIC)  $               150,000 756 Ardrossan Feuilla Colt The Oaks Stud Bleakley Bloodstock (Manawatu)  $               150,000 826 Ace High Maenoha Filly Seaton Park Rising Sun Syndicate/ Henry Dwyer Racing (VIC)  $               150,000 842 Contributer Miss Banff Colt Riversley Park BBA Ireland / BMD Bloodstock / Hurworth Bloodstock / David Skelly (Ireland)  $               150,000 592 Trapeze Artist Pickup the Pieces Colt Woburn Farm David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) (Te Akau)  $               145,000 801 Per Incanto Kechika Colt Little Avondale Stud Mr Frankie Ting (Hong Kong)  $               145,000 Karaka 2026: Book 2 Leading Buyers Purchaser Lots Aggregate Top Price Top Lot Mr Frankie Ting 4  $          380,000  $          145,000 801 Lok Lor 2  $          300,000  $          160,000 762 Mr RA James / Mr R Wellwood 2  $          300,000  $          170,000 657 Ritchie Murray Racing / Chris Rutten Bloodstock (BAFNZ) 3  $          275,000  $          110,000 806 Andrew Campbell Bloodstock / T Heptinstall 4  $          266,000  $          110,000 641 Bleakley Bloodstock Ltd 2  $          240,000  $          150,000 756 Forsman Racing 3  $          210,000  $          100,000 754 Benner Racing Ltd 2  $          205,000  $          140,000 607 Busuttin Young 1  $          200,000  $          200,000 601 Ballymore Racing / Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Catheryne Bruggeman 3  $          192,500  $          110,000 812 Karaka 2026: Book 2 Leading Vendors by Aggregate Vendor Offered Sold  Aggregate  Average  Top Price Top Lot Cambridge Stud 15 14  $             1,195,000  $             85,357  $          200,000 601 Waikato Stud 22 18  $                  902,500  $             50,139  $          130,000 631 Woburn Farm 10 10  $                  865,000  $             86,500  $          150,000 585 Rich Hill Stud 14 9  $                  812,500  $             90,278  $          160,000 762 Windsor Park Stud 15 11  $                  805,000  $             73,182  $          120,000 581 Landsdowne Park 10 8  $                  557,000  $             69,625  $          170,000 657 Westbury Stud 16 8  $                  550,000  $             68,750  $          100,000 628 Little Avondale Stud 7 5  $                  515,000  $          103,000  $          145,000 801 HGT Bloodstock 6 6  $                  435,000  $             72,500  $          110,000 752 Hallmark Stud 8 8  $                  415,000  $             51,875  $             75,000 725 Karaka 2026: Book 2 Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold) Vendor Offered Sold  Average  Top Price Top Lot Little Avondale Stud 7 5  $                   103,000  $                   145,000 801 Cambria Park 5 4  $                      98,750  $                   125,000 633 Rich Hill Stud 14 9  $                      90,278  $                   160,000 762 Woburn Farm 10 10  $                      86,500  $                   150,000 585 Cambridge Stud 15 14  $                      85,357  $                   200,000 601 Leanach Lodge Ltd 4 4  $                      78,750  $                   170,000 838 The Oaks Stud 3 3  $                      75,333  $                   150,000 756 Windsor Park Stud 15 11  $                      73,182  $                   120,000 581 HGT Bloodstock Ltd 6 6  $                      72,500  $                   110,000 752 Highline Thoroughbreds 8 5  $                      71,500  $                   130,000 622 Karaka 2026: Book 2 Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold) Sire Offered Sold  Average  Top Price Top Lot Shocking 3 3  $                                                           121,667  $                                                           160,000 762 Embellish 3 3  $                                                           105,833  $                                                           200,000 601 Per Incanto 7 5  $                                                           104,000  $                                                           145,000 801 Sword of State 25 24  $                                                              94,896  $                                                           170,000 838 Tarzino 7 3  $                                                              70,000  $                                                              75,000 804 Derryn 3 3  $                                                              68,333  $                                                           120,000 800 Satono Aladdin 13 8  $                                                              63,875  $                                                           110,000 616 Ardrossan 22 19  $                                                              62,211  $                                                           150,000 756 Noverre 21 18  $                                                              59,583  $                                                           130,000 786 Ocean Park 5 4  $                                                              56,250  $                                                           100,000 754 Shocking 3 3  $                                                           121,667  $                                                           160,000 762 View the full article

Cambridge Stud enjoyed another strong day of selling at the Book 2 session of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales at Karaka. The famed nursery were leading vendors of the Book 1 Sale and also held that mantle on Tuesday, clearing all but one of their 16-strong draft in Book 2 Progeny of Cambridge Stud’s emerging sire Sword Of State were again in vogue, while barn-mate Embellish provided the day’s top lot, with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young signing for a filly out of Queen Of Wizardry for $200,000. “She is a lovely filly that had a lot of her sire and grand sire (Savabeel) about her and she is out of a good Not A Single Doubt mare who is a half-sister to a Group One winner (Coco Sun),” Busuttin said. “We trained Emphasize, who is also by Embellish, who had good ability and we have a couple by the sire that are pleasing us at home. “It’s always great to be able to buy one from Cambridge Stud, who have presented a terrific line-up of horses this week and we’re delighted to get her.” All three lots by Embellish sold at Karaka on Tuesday, with fillies sold for $75,000 and $42,500 respectively to Gold Coast trainer David McColm and Southland trainer Robert Dennis.   A Sword Of State filly out of Tina Again fetched $170,000 to the bid of Roger James and Robert Wellwood  Photo: Angelique Bridson  Sword Of State provided the sale-topper of the Book 1 Sale at $1.1 million and was again at the pointy end in Book 2, with three of the top five lots.  The Group One winning son of Snitzel has made a good impression with his early runners, headed by Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) winner and Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) placegetter Torture and smart two-win colt Warwoven, who is currently favourite for the Gr.1 Golden Slipper. A filly out of the four-win El Roca mare Tina Again set the early pace, knocked down to Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood for $170,000 from the draft of Landsdowne Park. Robert Wellwood and Roger James at Karaka Photo: Angelique Bridson  “She’s a filly that we loved on farm and she’s got a great flow and walk,” Wellwood said. “She looks like she’ll go early and she has got the upside of Swiss Prince in her pedigree, who’s now won a stakes race and run second in a Group Two. We are terrifically happy to have her walk into the stable.” Later in the day, a Sword Of State colt from the draft of Leanach Lodge also made $170,000, purchased by Riversley Park’s Sam Beatson in conjunction with Martin Buick of De Burgh Equine and will likely be re-offered at November’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale. Flemington trainer Glen Thompson went to $150,000 to purchase a Sword Of State colt out of Palace Whispers from the draft of Woburn Farm. With 24 lots sold for a total of $2,278,000 at an average of $95,000, Sword Of State was the highest-grossing sire in a strong day of trade in which $12.3 million worth of horses changed hands, significantly up on the previous year. View the full article

I used to have a decent go on a good Auckland night with full fields and the pick six a few years ago but it is a complete waste of time these days.  FFS  - seven races with an average field size of 7.8 So many trainers have left the Auckland area or downsized or given up because of one reason or another and never been replaced by the younger generation. Sign of the times with stakes not keeping pace with inflation. It is just not worth it for the guys with no big owners to keep paying the bills which go up every year.  HRNZ are delusional if they think they can bring back the glory days using the plan they are currently going with. Stakes vs expenses coupled with a poor racing product for punters is a downward spiral that will take North Island racing out completely in the next 20 years if not sooner. 

Per Incanto stock as usual looked outstanding! If only I was as rich as @Chief Stipe