Select And Festival Sales Available Online

The catalogues for the 2009 Karaka Select and Festival Sessions are now available for viewing online.

Following on from the 503 strong Premier Sale session (26 & 27 January), a total of 682 have been catalogued for the Select Sale (28, 29 & 30 January) while 526 will be offered over the two days of the Festival Sale (1 & 2 February).

Both sales have been experiencing an incredible run of success on the racetrack, offering buyers an unbeatable combination of quality and value.

The success of these sales as sources of Group 1 performers was recently headlined by Festival Sale graduate Altered Image (Strategic Image) recording a track record with his scintillating victory in the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m). From the Select Sale reigning Mercedes Champion NZ 2YO Il Quello Veloce (Captain Rio) has provided the Flying Fillies Syndicate with many thrills. She won the Group 1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes at two, and ran a close second against the boys in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas just over two weeks ago.

Further Group 1 winners from the Select Sale last season include Sir Slick (Volksraad), Rockdale (Danroad), The Pooka (Tobougg), and Prize Lady (Prized).

Ces't la Guerre (Shinko King) and fellow Shinko King offspring Eskimo Queen make up the Group 1 graduates of the Festival Sale in 2007/08. Ces't la Guerre took out the Group 1 New Zealand Derby and was recently an impressive third in the Emirates Melbourne Cup while Eskimo Queen has two Group 1 scalps to her credit - the Queensland Oaks and Coolmore Classic.

The catalogues for both sales have followed the Premier Sale's trend of offering a substantial increase in quality on previous years with the Select Sale offering 21% more half or full siblings to stakes winners on last year's sale. A comparison of the same group of horses in 2007 reveals a 215% increase in half or full siblings to stakes winners from 20 in 2007 to 63 in 2009.

The sale will also see nine half or full siblings to Group 1 winners go under the hammer including halves to three New Zealand Derby winners in Hades (HK - Helene Vitality), Great Command, and Roysyn, as well as half or full siblings to Group 1 winners Al Akbar, Explosive Burst, Honor Babe, Hustler, She's A Meanie, and The Mighty Lions.

Group 1 race mares will also be represented at the sale. They include Snap (NZ Oaks, NZ 1000 Guineas, Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes, and Waikato Draught Sprint), On Air (Australian Oaks), Silver Chalice (Thorndon Mile), and Conifer Bay (ARC Championship Stakes)

This increase in quality has flowed through the Festival Sale also with an increase of 133% for catalogued siblings of stakes winners from 2007, while yearlings ex stakes winning mares increased some 200% from the 3 catalogued in 2007 to 10 in the upcoming 2009 version.

This sale will see the auction of half or full siblings to Baby Star, Grace Park, Grindley, Gypsy Babe, Happy Gilmour - Smooth Sailing, Hey Pronto, Lough Rinn, (Our) Sumo, Pushy Too, Resonare, Rum, Sista, Sokool, and Tootsie.

While stakes winning mares with progeny in the sale include Group 1 AJC Sires Produce Stakes winner Comely Girl, along with stakes winners Blessed Sun, Chaleyer, Danjiki, Focal Point, Night Dancer, Perceived Value, Quasin, and Roman Penny.

Sires represented over both sales include first season hot shots:

Benicio, Bradbury's Luck, Castledale, Coats Choice, Domesday, Dubawi, Duelled, Falkirk, Floral Dynamite, Foreplay, God's Own, Gold Centre, Hidden Dragon, Jet Spur, Keeninsky, Keep the Faith, Mr. Nancho, Oratorio, Snitzel, Southern Image, St Reims, Starcraft, Storming Home, Stratum, Undoubtedly, and Zenno Rob Roy.

Following is a full list of sires represented at the Select and Festival Sales (* donates first season sire).

Al Akbar (AUS)

Fusaichi Pegasus (USA)

Riviera (FR)

Al Maher (AUS)

Galileo (IRE)

Royal Academy (USA)

Align (AUS)

General Nediym (AUS)

Ruby's Jester (AUS)

Anabaa (USA)

Golan (IRE)

Rusty Spur (USA)

Antonius Pius (USA)

Gold Centre (AUS) *

San Luis (AUS)

Bachelor Duke (USA)

Gold Mine (USA)

Sandtrap (USA)

Bahhare (USA)

Handsome Ransom (AUS)

Savabeel (AUS)

Benicio (AUS) *

Hap (USA)

Scaredee Cat

Bertolini (USA)

Hawkeye (IRE)

Secret Savings (USA)

Black Minnaloushe (USA)

High Chaparral (IRE)

Senor Pete (USA)

Black Tuxedo (JPN)

His Royal Highness

Shamardal (USA)

Bradbury's Luck (AUS)*

Howbaddouwantit (USA)

Shinko King (IRE)

Brilliance (USA)

Iglesia (AUS)

Show a Heart (AUS)

Canny Lad (AUS)

Ishiguru (USA)

Snitzel (AUS) *

Cape Cross (IRE)

Istidaad (USA)

Southern Image (USA) *

Captain Rio (GB)

Jet Spur (AUS) *

Soviet Flash (IRE)

Carnegie (IRE)

Johannesburg (USA)

Spartacus (IRE)

Castledale (IRE) *

Johar (USA)

Spinning World (USA)

Catbird (AUS)

Jungle Pocket (JPN)

St Reims *

Charge Forward (AUS)

Kashani (USA)

St. Petersburg (AUS)

Chianti (IRE)

Keeninsky *

Starcraft *

China Cat (USA)

Keep the Faith (AUS) *

Star Way (GB)

Choisir (AUS)

Keeper (AUS)

Stark South (USA)

Citi Habit

King's Chapel (AUS)

Storm Creek (USA)

Coats Choice (AUS) *

Le Bec Fin

Storming Home (GB) *

Colombia

Lion Heart (USA)

Strategic (AUS)

Commands (AUS)

Lonhro (AUS)

Strategic Image (AUS)

Danasinga (AUS)

Lord of Warriors (USA)

Stratum (AUS) *

Dance Floor (USA)

Lucky Owners

Stravinsky (USA)

Dane Shadow (AUS)

Magic Albert (AUS)

Street Cry (IRE)

Danroad (AUS)

Magic Ring (IRE)

Sudurka (AUS)

Danzero (AUS)

Mediator (USA)

Sunray

Deputy Governor (USA)

Monashee Mountain (USA)

Tale of the Cat (USA)

Domesday (AUS) *

Monolith (AUS)

Testa Rossa (AUS)

Don Eduardo

Mossman (AUS)

Thorn Park (AUS)

Drama Critic (USA)

Mr. Nancho (ARG) *

Tiger Hill (IRE)

Dubai Destination (USA)

Mujahid (USA)

Towkay (AUS)

Dubawi (IRE) *

No Excuse Needed (GB)

Traditionally (USA)

Duelled (AUS) *

Noverre (USA)

Undoubtedly (AUS) *

Ekraar (USA)

Occidental Tourist (USA)

Untouchable (AUS)

Eltawaasul (USA)

Octasong (AUS)

Ustinov (AUS)

Elusive City (USA)

One Cool Cat (USA)

Van Nistelrooy (USA)

Exceed and Excel (AUS)

Oratorio (IRE) *

Viking Ruler (AUS)

Express Duke (AUS)

Oregon (USA)

Viscount (AUS)

Falbrav (IRE)

O'Reilly

Volksraad (GB)

Falkirk *

Pentire (GB)

Woodbury Lad (USA)

Faltaat (USA)

Pins (AUS)

Yamanin Vital

Fantastic Light (USA)

Postponed (USA)

Zenno Rob Roy (JPN)

Fastnet Rock (AUS)

Pure Theatre (AUS)

Zerpour (IRE)

Footstepsinthesand (GB)

Red Ransom (USA)

Foreplay (AUS) *

Reset (AUS)

Given the success of the inaugural Karaka Million - the one million dollar incentive race for graduates of the Karaka Sales Series - earlier this year the Sales week will again start with a Twilight Race Meeting at Ellerslie on Sunday 25 January. Race one of the six-race card is scheduled to jump at 4:30pm with great Kiwi hospitality and a live band set to give international visitors an impressive welcome to New Zealand.

All graduates of the 2009 National Yearling Sales Series will be eligible to enter for the 2010 running of the Karaka Million with the added bonus of being up for a start in the NZ$200,000 Karaka Mile as three-year-olds in 2011.

The dates for the 83rd National Yearling Sales Series are as follows:
· Premier Sale: 26 & 27 January
· Select Sale: 28, 29 & 30 January
· Festival Sale: 1 & 2 February

To view catalogues visit http://www.nzb.co.nz/
Catalogues for the Karaka Yearling Sales Series consisting of the Premier, Select and Festival sales will begin to be posted from Friday 5 December.

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