Pedigree Boosters: New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

The catalogue for the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale was released on November 25, 2024. Since then, a host of yearlings that will go through the ring at Karaka have had their pedigrees enhanced, which is important information for vendors and buyers alike.

Lot 99 - Sword Of State x Maria Grazia (NZ)(Tavistock {NZ}), filly - on account of Pencarrow Stud

This lot’s dam may be unraced, but she is a full sister to accomplished galloper Tavi Time (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), who had already racked up seven wins when the catalogue had gone to print. A multiple winner in the city, the Kris Lees-trained gelding went one step higher on Boxing Day, when he won the G3 Summer Cup at Randwick. Runner-up Osipenko (NZ) (Pierro) came out on top in the Listed January Cup last weekend.

Bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds and offered in their New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft, Tavi Time sold to Kiltannon Stables for $60,000. He crossed the Tasman to be sold through the Inglis Ready2Race as a gelding, where part-owner Adrian Pazman outlaid $130,000 for the son of G1 Telegraph H. winner Guiseppina (NZ) (Johar {USA}).

Tavistock (NZ) passed away the year that Tavi Time was born, but he has left a prolific record at stud, with 53 stakes winners - 36 at Group level - from 10 crops. Four of his 12 Group 1 winners are mares, including G1 Livamol Classic and G1 Zabeel Classic winner Snazzytavi (NZ). He has produced eight Group winners as a broodmare sire, including the eight-time Group 1 winner Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars). Four of those stakes winners are fillies.

Lot 228 - Ardrossan x Pwerfect (Pentire {GB}), colt - on account of Elsdon Park

This colt’s full brother Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan) had already picked up the Listed Phelan Ready S. at his second start as a 2-year-old, but the best has always been yet to come from the son of Waikato Stud resident Ardrossan. The lightly raced Ardrossan showed his best work as a 4-year-old, winning the G3 Concorde H. at Ellerslie and finishing third by only 0.3l to the great Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) at Te Rapa in the G1 BCD Sprint.

It comes as no surprise then that the Tony and Maddysen Sears-trained Beau Dazzler has improved with age, having a dynamite summer campaign with back to back wins at Eagle Farm. Key is that the first of those victories was a 2.92l domination in the G3 Grand Prix S., elevating him from Listed to Group winner, and the second being in the $160,000 Eagle Way QTIS 3YO. In the latter contest, he carried 8kg more than the runner-up Sun Worshipper (Sun City) and still beat her by 1.73l.

Full brother Toretto (Ardrossan) bids to add to the action in Saturday, where he is due to line up for the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO for Hollie Wynyard.

Paul Moroney Bloodstock, Catheryne Bruggeman, and Sears Racing secured Beau Dazzler for $85,000 from Mapperley Stud’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale two years ago, where he was offered on behalf of his breeders, the Dewar Partnership. Pwerfect has returned to Ardrossan every year since Beau Dazzler’s birth, as clearly it’s a match that works.

Lot 337 - Savabeel x Suavito (NZ) (Thorn Park), colt - on account of Waikato Stud

This lot sells himself without any pedigree updates - a son of New Zealand’s multiple Champion Sire Savabeel, out of dual Group 1 winner Suavito (NZ) (Thorn Park) - but every update helps. Indeed, this lot’s half-sister Sethito (NZ) (Super Seth) stepped up three times since the catalogue was compiled, first with her maiden win in November where she flattened a field at Rotorua by 6.5l.

In December, the 3-year-old filly went one better again, winning the G3 Bonecrusher S. at Ellerslie by 1.3l to become her sire’s first filly stakes winner. She stepped up to the mile on Boxing Day, just beaten 0.1l in the G2 Eight Carat Classic by Hitabell (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}). Excitingly, Sethito has been entered for the G1 New Zealand Oaks in March and may also be a worthy candidate for a slot in the inaugural running of the The NZB Kiwi.

Chittick Investments-bred Sethito was not offered at public auction, but her full brother was a $325,000 acquisition for John O'Shea Racing and James Bester Bloodstock from Waikato Stud’s offerings at last year’s edition of Karaka. He has since been named Stratford (NZ), and has a few heavy hitters amongst his ownership group, including Finemore Thoroughbreds and Ridgmont Farm. Of Savabeel’s offspring that sold at the Gold Coast earlier this month, they averaged $282,000 to astute judges including Te Akau’s David Ellis (BAFNZ), Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing, and Kestrel Thoroughbreds.