Pedigree Updates Add to Appeal of NZB Weanlings

[Wandering Eyes]

Recent racetrack results have delivered a series of boosts to the catalogue for this week’s NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka.

The names of numerous notable performers from the last few weeks feature in the pedigrees of weanlings going through the Karaka sale ring on Thursday. There are relatives to Group One heroes I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) and Bois D’Argent (Toronado), along with more than a dozen other recent stakes winners or placegetters.

Lot 47 comes from the draft of Highline Thoroughbreds and is a filly by first-season sire Noverre (NZ) out of Love Sophia (NZ) (Pins).

Love Sophia is a three-quarter-sister to the dam of the freakish I Wish I Win, who has banked more than A$11.8m in his 21-race career. One of the world’s highest-rated sprinters, I Wish I Win triumphed in this month’s Group One Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) in Brisbane. His current campaign has also produced placings in the Group One TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick and the Group One Doomben 10,000 (1200m).

Another star performer at this year’s Queensland Winter Carnival is Bois D’Argent, who collected his first Group One victory in the Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 25. He also finished third in last Saturday’s A$1.2m Group Two The Q22 (2200m), lifting his total earnings to A$1.47m from a 29-start, six-win career.

Bois D’Argent comes from the same family as Lot 63, a colt by Tarzino (NZ) being offered by Beckam Equine. Another family member, Plantstepsdream (Planteur), was a recent stakes placegetter in Sweden.

Curraghmore will send a well-related Savabeel colt through the sale ring as Lot 56. Closely related to the former Group One stars Criterion (NZ) (Sebring) and Comin’ Through (Fastnet Rock), this blue-blooded colt also comes from the same family as exciting up-and-comer Megastar Heart (Star Turn).

Megastar Heart was the sale-topper at the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka in November with a winning bid of $825,000. He has quickly shown a level of class to match that price tag, winning two of his four starts as a two-year-old including Saturday’s Listed Oxlade Stakes (1300m).

Haunui Farm’s Tarzino colt catalogued as Lot 61 has had two close relatives perform in stakes company in Australia since the catalogue went to print. Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor), who had already won at Group Three level in New Zealand and placed in the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m), ventured to Adelaide and scored impressively in the Group Three South Australia Fillies’ Classic (2500m).

Promising two-year-old Depth Of Character (Deep Field) followed a debut win at Canterbury late last month with a black-type placing in last Saturday’s Listed Oxlade Stakes (1300m) in his second start.

Lot 138 is Grangewilliam Stud’s Vanbrugh colt out of Bright Kiwi (NZ) (Zed). The unraced Bright Kiwi is a half-sister to the million-dollar earner and Group One-performed Hezashocka (NZ) (Shocking), who has recently added victories in the Group Three Premier’s Cup (2400m) and Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2200m) to his outstanding record.

The Satono Aladdin colt catalogued as Lot 70 is closely related to the unbeaten two-year-old Super Photon (NZ) (Super Seth). The Stephen Marsh-trained Super Photon has had two starts for two impressive wins including the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1400m), and he is rated one of the favourites for the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in early November. Lot 70’s other close relatives include the multiple Group One winner and stallion prospect Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel).

Other significant pedigree updates in the National Weanling Sale catalogue include:

• The Sweynesse colt going through the ring as Lot 20 is a close relative of the recent South African stakes winner King Of The Gauls (Vercingetorix)
• Lot 32 is closely related to the proven Group One star Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park), who recently placed in the Group Three Hollindale Stakes (1800m).
• A filly by Derryn, going through the ring as Lot 17, is out of a sibling to the recent Group Three Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) runner-up Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry).
• Lot 85 is a close relative of Princess Rhaenys (Iffraaj), who has run third in the Listed Silk Stocking (1400m) and fourth in the Group Three Drinkwise Mile (1600m) in recent starts. She was a last-start winner at Eagle Farm on June 8.
• A first-crop weanling by Armory, catalogued as Lot 111, is closely related to this month’s Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) runner-up Wategos (Capitalist).

All weanlings offered in the National Weanling Sale this week are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series. Graduates can compete in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), as well as the new $1m Mega Maiden Series comprising of 40 non-Saturday maiden races located throughout New Zealand.

Selling is set to take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 11am (NZT) on Thursday.

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