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.
