Stallion roster shines brightly at Karaka

An outstanding Karaka debut for Sword Of State exceeded all our expectations while associate stallions Almanzor, Hello Youmzain and Embellish also enjoyed strong followings.

Our Group 1-winning son of Snitzel was royally welcomed by buyers during New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 National Yearling Sale session with seven of his youngsters selling for $250,000 or more and headed by our colt out of Fuld’s Bet.

Lot 628 is a half-brother to our Group performer I’m All In and was knocked down to New South Wales trainer Brad Widdup for $540,000 behalf of Mulberry Racing.

“He was one of the colts that we found pretty early in the sale. We wanted to buy him, we probably didn’t think we’d have to go that high, but it was nice to secure him,” Widdup said.

“He’s by a nice young stallion and comes off a great farm, so hopefully we can make him a racehorse.”

“The Karaka Millions could be an option. He does look like a horse who will get up and run early.”

His progeny will be spread across a host of other leading Australasian operations following sales to leading buyers and trainers including Te Akau Racing, Lindsay Park, Freedman Racing, Ciaron Maher, Tony Pike, Graham Richardson, Trent Busuttin and Ballymore Stables.

Sword Of State, who began his stud career in 2022 at an introductory service fee of $15,000, had limited Book 2 representation but still starred with a six-figure sale, a colt offered by Little Avondale Stud realising $100,000.

Almanzor’s youngsters were again in strong demand with a top price of $450,000 paid by trainer Andrew Forsman and Andrew Williams Bloodstock for Lot 266.

The Elsdon Park-offered filly is out of the stakes winning Savabeel mare Santa Catarina and the family of the ill-fated G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Atlante.

The son of Wootton Bassett yearlings were also secured by Te Akau, Maher, Richardson, Chris Waller, John O’Shea, Wexford Stables, Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald and Tony and Lynn Ottobre.

Hello Youmzain’s top offering was Lot 154, a half-brother to Almanzor’s stakes-winning son Nucleozor whose older sister Qali Al Farrasha has twice been Group 1 placed.

He was offered by Phoenix Park and the final bid of $375,000 came from Hong Kong’s Paul Chow, of Tartan Meadow Bloodstock.

Hello Youmzain had no fewer than 11 lots make six figures with the buyers’ list including Maher, O’Shea, Neasham and Archibald, Mick Price, Chris Rutten and Roydon Bergerson, KPW Bloodstock, Sheamus Mills Bloodstock, Allan Sharrock, Stephen Gray, Stephen Marsh, Ballymore, Wexford, Archie Alexander and Lindsay Park.

Embellish made an impact from a small sample group during the Book 2 session with Wentwood Grange offering his top yearling, Lot 728, and Cambridge trainer Ross McCarroll had the final say on the colt.

He outlaid $100,000 for the youngster whose pedigree page features the elite level winning half-siblings All Our Mob and All Time High.

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