As has been the trend of Karaka 2016, the Festival Sale posted increased figures compared with last year’s Sale, completing a highly successful National Yearling Sales Series.

A booming Karaka 2016 Select Sale posted massive increases on last year’s successful Sale and even threatened the record books as it concluded today.

The Karaka 2016 Select Sale continues to track well above last year’s figures with the aggregate surpassing last year’s final total after just two days of the three-day Sale.

The sixth leg of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series will be held this Saturday with the $70,000 Group 3 Wellfield Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.

After just one day of trade at the three-day Karaka 2016 Select Sale the aggregate is already over half of the final aggregate of last year’s Sale, thanks to spirited competition at all levels of the market.

The first yearling to be auctioned in the Southern Hemisphere by the world’s highest rated racehorse of all time, Frankel, lit up the sale ring on the final day of a superb Karaka 2016 Premier Sale, knocked down for $1.3m.

A diverse buying bench fuelled increases to key figures on the first day of the two-day Karaka Premier Sale.

Unbeaten Iffraaj gelding Xiong Feng (NZ) led all of the way to impressively win New Zealand’s richest race, the Res. Listed $1m Karaka Million (1200m) at the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting last night.

Showcasing colt Raghu (NZ) led all of the way to win a dramatic $250,000 Res. Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie at the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting last night.

Consistent mare Rose of Virginia (NZ) (Thorn Park) deservedly won the $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup at the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting last night.

Since the catalogues for New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series went to print in November there has been an abundance of pedigree updates across the Premier, Select and Festival Sales.

A field of 13 three-year-olds has been attracted for the NZB Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile that will be run for $250,000 for the first time at this year's Karaka Million Twilight Meeting at Ellerslie.

A field of 10 horses has been assembled for the $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup (2200m) at Ellerslie for the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting on Sunday.

A field of 14 plus one emergency has been finalised for New Zealand’s richest race, the Res. Listed $1m Karaka Million, to be held at the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting at Ellerslie on Sunday 24 January.

One of the biggest attractions of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series is the great value buyers find each year.

Unbeaten Swiss Ace youngster Nova Swiss (NZ) booked his place in New Zealand’s richest race – Sunday’s Res. Listed $1m Karaka Million – winning the $20,000 Gartshore 2YO (1200m) at Tauranga on Saturday.

The win of promising three-year-old Dukedom (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) in Saturday’s Group 1 $225,000 Woodridge Homes Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham provided the NZB Ready to Run Sale with a second successive win in the Group 1 race.

Talented Savabeel gelding Mabeel (NZ) made the step up to stake company with ease, winning the Group 3 $70,000 Tui - Backing A Winner Since 1889 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday.

Evergreen NZB Ready to Run Sale graduate Nashville (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was back to his best with a brilliant winning performance in the Group 3 $70,000 Mill Reef Winery Trentham Stakes (2100m) at Trentham on Saturday.

There is a group of young sires in New Zealand who are producing results on the track and in the sale ring that is adding new depth to the kiwi stallion ranks and sharing the limelight with their more established rivals.

The highest rated horse of all time, Frankel leads an impressive class of freshman sires at Karaka 2016

A stellar crop of yearlings with an abundance of relatives to Group 1 winners has been catalogued for the Karaka Premier Sale, the showpiece of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series.

Continuing to produce quality racehorses at affordable prices is New Zealand Bloodstock’s Select Sale which celebrated another successful season on the racetracks of Australasia.

Astute buyers know how to find a bargain that can turn into gold at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Festival Sale, finding success both on the track and in the sale ring.

Gust Of Wind winning last year's Group 1 Australian Oaks.

On the track New Zealand fillies do exceptionally well in Australia, winning 34% of 3YO Group 1 filly races in the past five seasons, and off the track New Zealand families keep producing top-class race horses.

Two Karaka graduates won Group 1 races for fillies last season while New Zealand broodmares accounted for nine Group 1 winners. 

Karaka graduate First Seal (Fasnet Rock) was an impressive winner of the Group 1 Flight Stakes last season. The Fastnet Rock filly was unlucky not to add to her Group 1 tally during the Sydney Autumn Carnival with close seconds in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic and Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes. Bart Cummings purchased First Seal for $700,000 at the 2013 Karaka Premier Sale.

Also to the fore in Sydney was kiwi filly Gust of Wind (NZ) (Darci Brahma), a brilliant winner of the Group 1 Australian Oaks, beating Winx (Street Cry). The daughter of Darci Brahma was purchased by Apollo Ng for $90,000 at the 2013 Karaka Premier Sale.

Gust of Wind’s victory in the Group 1 Australian Oaks followed in the footsteps of another New Zealand filly, Rising Romance (NZ) (Ekraar), who took out the race the previous year.

Group 1 winning three-year-old Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel) returned as a four-year-old to add a second victory at the highest level, capturing the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in the spring.

While these fillies have enjoyed their own Group 1 success, it is off the track that New Zealand mares have been making a mark on Australian racing, with 11 Group 1 winners out of New Zealand mares in the past 18 months alone.

Progeny of New Zealand mares to win Group 1 races in Australia in past 18 months include Winx, Lankan Rupee, Hucklebuck, Suavito, Plucky Belle, Terravista, Mongolian Khan, Mourinho, Lucia Valentina, Volkstok’n’barrell, Turn Me Loose and Stratum Star.

New Zealand’s Broodmare of the Year last season was Parfore (NZ) (Gold Brose), the dam of Australian Group 1 winners Terravista (Captain Rio) and Tiger Tees (NZ) (Dubawi) along with dual Singapore Horse of the Year Super Easy (NZ) (Darci Brahma). She is also the dam of Group 1 runner-up Ball of Muscle (Dubwai).

This season’s brilliant Group 1 Cox Plate winner Winx is out New Zealand mare Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (Al Akbar), a dual stakes winner in her homeland. Winx is her second foal and has also won the Group 1 Queensland Oaks and the Group 1 Epsom Handicap.

Once the highest rated sprinter in Australia, Australian Horse of the Year Lankan Rupee has won five Group 1 races and is out of Stravinsky mare Estelle Collection (NZ), a daughter of Zabeel mare Ana Zeel (NZ).

One of the most consistent mares in Australia is Group 1 Australian Oaks winner Royal Descent. Out of New Zealand mare Mulan Princess (NZ) (Kaapstad), Royal Descent has been placed at Group 1 level on eight occasions.

While it is no surprise that Group 1 winning Karaka graduates and New Zealand-bred winners such as Lucia Valentina, Suavito, Mongolian Khan, Volkstok’n’barrell and Turn Me Loose are out of New Zealand mares, it is worth noting Group 1 winners such as Hucklebuck, Plucky Belle, Mourinho and Stratum Star are all also out of New Zealand mares.

These results are evidence that you can buy a filly at Karaka that will not only have the potential to perform on the racetrack but also hold residual value with a proven record of being able to produce top-class racehorses.

Promising youngster Sacred Elixir (NZ) (Pour Moi) booked his place in the $1m Karaka Million with victory in the $20,000 Countdown to Karaka Million 1200m on Saturday at Ellerslie.

The chance to buy a kiwi three-year-old at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series is a major factor why buyers converge on Karaka in January, and given the stellar season of kiwi three-year-olds, buyers have every reason to believe they can find a ‘classic’ horse of the future.

New Zealand Bloodstock celebrated 26 Group 1 wins last season, the most of any sales company in Australasia. The new season has started off in fine fashion as well with seven Group 1 winners already.

10 Reasons to Buy at Karaka 2016

Highly rated two-year-old Manolo Blahniq (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) lived up to his billing with a comfortable win in the Group 3 $70,000 Barneswood Farm Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

Trainer Stephen Marsh’s decision to back-up Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi) proved to be right on the mark with the filly capturing the Group 2 $100,000 Mongolian Khan Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

Excitement had been running high at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day well before Hasselhoof (NZ) (Tavistock) impressively won the Group 2 $100,000 Rich Hill Mile (1600m).