Diverse Stallion Talent Among NZB National Online Yearling Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

The 92 yearlings catalogued for New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2023 National Online Yearling Sale are the progeny of 41 different sires, representing a wide range of stallion talent – from proven stars to exciting newcomers and everything in between. 

Proven Quality 

PROISIR 

No content surrounding stallions in New Zealand at the moment could start anywhere other than Proisir. The Rich Hill Stud superstar has opened up a massive lead on the 2022-23 Kiwi sires’ premiership with 37 winners from 78 runners, eight individual stakes winners and over $3.6m in stakes – more than $1.4m ahead of his nearest challenger, reigning champion sire Savabeel.  

Proisir has sired five individual Group One winners this season. He achieved the rare New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and 1000 Guineas (1600m) double with Pier (NZ) and Legarto (NZ) respectively – and Legarto later became the first New Zealand-trained three-year-old to ever win the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.  

Prowess (NZ) took out this autumn’s Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m) at Pukekohe and the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill, along with the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m). Dark Destroyer (NZ) captured the Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings in the spring, while Levante (NZ) won the Telegraph (1200m) and the Otaki WFA Classic (1600m). 

Proisir has also made his mark in Australia, where his progeny have earned in excess of A$3.3 million. The Group One victories by Legarto and Prowess have been backed up by 20 other winners, headed by Tapildoodledo (NZ) in the Group Two Tulloch Stakes (2000m). 

Proisir is the sire of four yearlings in the National Online Yearling Sale.  

• Lot 21 is a half-sister to four winners, including this season’s Group Two Wellington Guineas (1400m) runner-up Duncan Creek (NZ) (Super Easy). 
• Lot 22 is out of Devour (NZ) (Bachelor Duke), who was a winner at two years old and placed in the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes (1400m). Devour is the dam of three foals to race, headed by four-race winner Sir Beets (NZ), who is also by Proisir. 
• Lot 39 is out of Khaseeb (New Approach), herself a two-time winner and dam of I Can Fly (NZ) (Iffraaj), who won two out of three starts in New Zealand this season before relocating to Hong Kong. The pedigree page features Group One winners Rewaaya (Singspiel) and Sense Of Occasion (Street Sense). 
• Lot 70 is a filly from the family of Hall of Fame racehorse and successful sire Starcraft (NZ) (Soviet Star). 

Proisir is joined in the National Online Yearling Sale catalogue by three other members of Rich Hill Stud’s high-flying stallion roster. 

• Shocking, who has sired 10 black-type performers this season including Group One winners I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) and Defibrillate (NZ), is the sire of Lot 52. 
• Lots 32, 78 and 89 are all by Vadamos, who has sired seven stakes performers this season, headed by high-class Group One winner La Crique (NZ). 
• Promising youngster Ace High is the sire of Lots 19, 47, 64, 65, 71, 73 and 81.

OCEAN PARK 

Waikato Stud’s Ocean Park was a five-time Group One winner on the racetrack, including the Cox Plate (2040m), and he has gone on to prove himself as a versatile and high-quality sire. 

His 19 individual stakes winners include Tofane (NZ), who won four Group One races over 1400 metres in Australia, along with triple Group One-winning sprinter-miler Kolding (NZ), while the likes of Ocean Billy (NZ), Oceanex (NZ) and High Emocean (NZ) have starred over much longer distances. High Emocean was a placegetter in this season’s Melbourne Cup (3200m). 

Ocean Park’s yearlings have sold for up to $450,000 at Karaka, and he has four yearlings in the catalogue for the National Online Yearling Sale. 

• Lot 6 is a filly out of the unraced Savabeel mare As You Please (NZ), who is a full-sister to the multiple stakes winner and Group One-placed Milford (NZ). This filly is also closely related to the four-time Group One winner and successful sire Sacred Falls (NZ). 
• Lot 45 is a son of the winning mare Mandalong Belle (Choisir), whose half-brother Spanish Bay (Nadeem) was a multiple stakes winner in Singapore. 

• Lot 46 is a filly from the family of Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) winner Bulla Borghese (Belong to Me) and numerous other black-type performers. 
• Lot 51 is a half-sister to five-race winner and Group Three Summoned Stakes (1500m) placegetter My Pendant (NZ) (Pins). 

TIVACI 

Waikato Stud’s Tivaci was in hot demand in Book 1 of Karaka 2023 this year, averaging almost $118,000 and selling for as much as $350,000. 

Tivaci stands at Waikato Stud

His progeny have performed strongly on racetracks as well, with four black-type performers this season – Listed winner One Kiss (NZ), multiple Group placegetter Wolverine (NZ), Group Two placegetter Lowe Flying (NZ) and the Listed-placed Hoops (NZ). 

Overall, Tivaci is the sire of 48 winners from 122 runners, with three individual stakes-winning daughters. Never Been Kissed (NZ) won the Group One Flight Stakes (1600m) and was runner-up in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), while Wolverine won last year’s Group Two Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and finished second in the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). 

Tivaci has three yearlings catalogued for the National Online Yearling Sale. 

• Lot 11 is out of a half-sister to the stakes winner Beauty’s Beast (NZ) (Guillotine), from the family of Group One winners Zola (NZ) (Volksraad) and So Casual (NZ) (Casual Lies). 
• Lot 26 is a daughter of the winning mare Ensemble (NZ) (Pins) – a half-sister to stakes performer Outfit (NZ) (Tivaci). Ensemble’s dam Costume (NZ) (Savabeel) was a two-time winner at Group One level. 
• Lot 83 is out of Sunalta (Rock Of Gibraltar) – an unraced daughter of the legendary Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun). 

ALMANZOR 

As one of the best-performed European horses to shuttle to New Zealand in recent seasons, Almanzor has had plenty of hype around him ever since he first set foot at Cambridge Stud.  

The triple Group One winner has served books of 140, 160, 145, 142 and 136 mares in his five New Zealand seasons, and his yearlings have fetched as much as $675,000 in the Karaka sale ring. 

Almanzor’s progeny have done the job on the racetrack too, with Dynastic (NZ) delivering a first-crop triumph in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) and Manzoice adding the prestigious Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) the following spring. Virtuous Circle (NZ), Mehzebeen (NZ), Blue Solitaire (NZ) and Andalus (NZ) have all been placed in Group One three-year-old races this season. 

The sire of 81 winners overall including seven at stakes level, Almanzor is represented in the National Online Yearling Sale by Lot 38 – a filly out of the three-race winner Justagem (NZ) (Stravinsky), who is a half-sister to two stakes winners including Group One mare Penny Gem (NZ) (Pentire). 

SWEYNESSE 

Novara Park’s Sweynesse made an instant impact on New Zealand stallion ranks, being champion first-season sire for the 2019-20 season. 

He now has a total of 56 winners to his name, five of them at stakes level. The biggest name is undoubtedly Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), who has scored super-impressive Group One victories in this year’s Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) and Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) in Hong Kong. 

Only Words (NZ) and Dragon Queen (NZ) have won at Group Two level, while Signora Nera (NZ) placed in the Group One Queensland Oaks (2200m). 

Sweynesse is represented by one filly in the National Online Yearling Sale. Lot 60 is a daughter of Pinotage (NZ) (Pins), from the family of Group One winners Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci) and Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel). 

Rising Stars 

STAPHANOS 

Novara Park’s Staphanos has been thrust into the spotlight by his first-crop daughter Pignan (NZ), who won the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni at the beginning of this month. The classy filly had previously placed in the Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m). 

Staphanos, who has had two yearlings sell for over $100,000, will be represented in the National Online Yearling Sale by Lot 12. The filly is out of the stakes-performed Blacken (Rubiton), who is a daughter of multiple Group Two winner Norcir (Bureaucracy). 

U S NAVY FLAG 

An elite racehorse at the ages of two and three, U S Navy Flag captured the Group One Middle Park Stakes (1200m) and Dewhurst Stakes (1400m) during his juvenile season, then defeated older horses in the stallion-making Group One July Cup (1200m) the following year.  

European Champion 2YO & Champion 3YO Sprinter U S Navy Flag 

Having begun his New Zealand stallion career at Valachi Downs, U S Navy Flag now stands at The Oaks Stud and has had yearlings sell for up to $340,000. 

His first-crop progeny have come into their own as autumn two-year-olds this season. Aprilia (NZ) and To Catch A Thief finished second and third in the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), with Chantilly Lace (NZ) close up behind them in fifth. Tower Flypass (NZ) has also made a favourable impression, placing on debut in March before scoring a maiden win at Tauranga on April 5. 

U S Navy Flag features as the sire of three yearlings in the National Online Yearling Sale catalogue. 

• Lot 34 is a filly who is closely related to multiple Group One winner Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo) and comes from Cambridge Stud’s legendary Eight Carat line. 
• Lot 44 is a filly out of Macavity (NZ) (Keeper), who is a half-sister to Group One winner Velocitea (NZ) (Volksraad) as well as the stakes-placed Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) – the dam of multiple Group One winner Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible). 
• Lot 85 is a daughter of Swiss Precision (NZ) (Swiss Ace), who won twice and finished fourth at Group Three level. The third dam is Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) winner Sandy’s Pleasure (Dash o’ Pleasure). 

SUPER SETH 

The first winner of the Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) to retired to stud in New Zealand in more than three decades, Super Seth has been greeted with big and well-credentialled books of mares since his arrival at Waikato Stud in 2020. 

Super Seth’s first yearlings were in hot demand at Karaka earlier this year, selling for up to $625,000. 

Super Seth features as the sire of three yearlings in the National Online Yearling Sale catalogue. 

• Lot 16, whose dam Camillino (NZ) (Per Incanto) is an unraced full-sister to Group One winner Dal Cielo (NZ) (Per Incanto). Camillino is also a half-sister to Group Three winner Eloa (NZ) (Volksraad), as well as the dam of Group One winner Lights Of Heaven (NZ) (Zabeel). 
• Lot 24, who is a half-brother to the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) winner Zigwig (NZ) (Zacinto). 
• Lot 69, who is a close relative to a dozen stakes performers including quality stayer Deauville Legend (Sea The Stars). 

Major Melbourne Cup Player for Son of Verdi. 

VERDI 

Long Acres Stud stallion Verdi has soared to prominence in the last few weeks courtesy of his son Goldman (NZ), who is second favourite for the Melbourne Cup (3200m).  

Son of Verdi,Goldman Books his Melbourne Cup Ticket.

Goldman is unbeaten in three starts in Australia, winning them by a combined margin of more than 13 lengths. He secured his place in the Melbourne Cup field with a powerful last-start victory in the A$500,000 Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington on March 25. 

Verdi himself was a three-race winner in a career cut short by injury. He is a half-brother to multiple Group One winners Sir Slick (NZ) (Volksraad) and Puccini (NZ) (Encosta De Lago). 

Buyers have the opportunity to get on board with Verdi in the National Online Yearling Sale with Lot 66 – a colt out of Quintastics (NZ) (Postponed), who is a half-sister to the prolific Australian black-type performer Light Vision (Zerpour). 

Bidding will begin on Friday 14 April and is set to close on Wednesday 19 April via NZB digital platform Gavelhouse Plus. 

Following normal Sale protocol, the National Online Yearling Sale will continue to be run under NZB Terms and Conditions. 

The on-farm parades continue this week. The parade schedule can be found here.

For more information about the Sale, contact NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email Kane.jones@nzb.co.nz 

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