Karaka 2021 - Book 1 - Vendor In Focus
Who are your pick of the colts and why?
Lot 204 is a very nice colt by the late Tavistock from the Redoute’s Choice mare Visa Lisa. An athletic colt, he has plenty of substance to him and the sireline has been very successful across a number of jurisdictions. Visa Lisa has had three foals to race for two winners and a placegetter and this colt should definitely make his presence felt.
Lot 245, a colt by promising young sire El Roca from the Encosta De Lago mare Anthology, will turn a few heads with his striking looks and athleticism. The colt is a grandson of Group 1 winning sprinter Imananabaa and comes from the family which has produced stakes winning two-year-olds Born Rich, Born Priceless, and Rostova.
Lot 354 is an impressive individual by the young Darley stallion Holler and is out of the Group 2 placed two-year-old Dontpokethetiger. A well-balanced colt, he has plenty of presence about him and is an excellent type for a first foal and looks a ready made two-year-old type coming from the family of Golden Slipper Stakes winner Miss Finland.
Who are your pick of the fillies and why?
Lot 562 is a very attractive filly by Reliable Man from the Fastnet Rock mare Mrs Kennedy, and thus closely related to Missrock, Miss Judgement, Fifth Avenue Lady, Aussies Love Sport, Mrs Onassis and Lady Jakeo. A well-grown individual with good length, the filly is bred on the same cross as Group winner De La Terre and Group 1 placed Aalaalune.
Lot 420 is another nice filly by exciting young sire Tarzino from the Encosta De Lago mare Given With Love. The filly is a half-sister to Melbourne winners Lord Markel and Reliable Lovin’, and comes from the family of Presenting, Light Up the World, World Peace, Bentley Biscuit, Thorn Park, Peaceful, Christmas Tree, etc.
Lot 361 is by promising first season sire Star Turn from the stakes winning sprinter Dubleanny who won nine races and more than $540,000 in stakes. This is the family of stakes winners Seannie, Zero Rock, November Rain, Star Style Girl and Race Master. The filly is a powerful running type who is sure to run at two.
Who do you feel has improved most over the prep?
Lot 519, a colt by Savabeel from Love And Kisses, is the most improved horse across the draft in recent months. An average sized foal initially, he has gone through several growing stages but is starting to put it all together over the last few weeks.
How do you feel the 2021 sale will measure compared to previous renewals?
Obviously the Covid-19 position will be a challenge for us all with international buyers unable to be at Karaka. However it was heartening to see how the Ready to Run Sale operated under similar circumstances with the participation just as strong as it would normally be. We will be hoping the same applies to the yearling sales.
How do you think the current COVID pandemic will affect the sale?
Vendors will undoubtedly make a concerted effort to provide as much information as possible to interested parties while a number of New Zealand-based agents have been very busy pre-Christmas. So many top horses originate from the Karaka yearling sales every year and the smart buyers will not want to miss out in 2021.
What do you think are the positives of the pandemic on the way that sales are conducted?
I am not sure whether you would say there are positives, as buyers predominantly want to see the horse in the flesh if at all possible. What has come out of the pandemic is the way buyers have adapted to buying and in some cases found alternative ways to do their due diligence and form an opinion as to which horses they wish to bid on.
The level of information available is extremely broad from the standard x-rays and scopes through to videos, multiple photos, heights and weights.
What is the thing that you like most about the sale?
Karaka is a great place to show horses and the quality of horse (and value) available to buyers never disappoints. We were fortunate enough to sell the top-priced lot at the sale last year, and have sold horses like Bonneval, Miami Bound, Sofia Rosa, Music Magnate, Julius, Ruud Awakening, Hypnos, Inferno, Lord Arthur, Platinum Invador, Romancer and Peaceful.
