Photo: Trish Dunell
Haunui Farm Managing Director Mark Chitty is eagerly looking forward to Karaka 2026 for a multitude of reasons.
The sale marks 100 years of National Yearling Sales in New Zealand and while the third-generation stud master is proud to present a 40-strong draft across Books 1, 2 and the Summer Sale, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the journey.
“It's a milestone for New Zealand, in terms of the thoroughbred industry,” Chitty said. We were recounting the other day, the first Haunui associated yearling went through the ring in about 1957, and it was not long after that that we actually vended as a farm through the Trentham sales.
“Obviously, I wasn't part of that, but certainly to carry it on, to see the move from Trentham to Karaka has been wonderful.
“The major sale of the year has always been at the end of January. When everyone else is at the beach we're hammering down, preparing the crop that fundamentally, two and a half years ago, people decided what they were going to breed their mares to, and this is the result.
“It is always a time where you're proud to present your draft, but you've also got trepidation with regards to how the market is going to receive the horses that you present.”
The New Zealand National Yearling Sales moved from Trentham Racecourse in Wellington to the purpose-built sales complex in Karaka, Auckland, in 1988, with Haunui Farm these days within 15 minutes of the complex.
Chitty said Sir Patrick Hogan’s methods had been a game-changer for the New Zealand sales.
“What Sir Patrick Hogan did with elite stallions, hospitality and in the presentation of yearlings was certainly a game-changer.
“I never worked for Patrick, but you certainly recognise his expertise and attempted to carry it off in your own particular way.
“It is a horse sale, it's a point in time and you just hope that you're part of the acceptance of the market.”
Chitty doesn’t have to look far in the rear-view mirror for Karaka highlights, having sold a full sister to Orchestral for a sale-topping $2.4 million last year, but says he gets a great thrill out of seeing graduates across all budgets going on to racetrack success.
“The filly last year was massive, but I probably reflect on possibly going into this Karaka Millions 3YO race, where we could have five graduates, and they range from $30,000 to $825,000,” he said.
“We've never stood the elite stallion, but we've had good yearlings go through, and especially after moving to Karaka in 2010. We’ve had some really nice horses come off the property.
“You reflect on a mare like Melody Belle. She only made $57,500 going through the ring but went on to become a 14-time Group One winner.
“You love to sell the high priced yearlings but you also want them to go on and perform. Orchestral made $625,000, and she went on and became a champion of her year.
“I think it's just a mix of emotion, you want all parts of the market to be successful. You want people to go in and try their luck at the low end, and you want the guys that pay really good money to have great success too.”
Chitty is also Deputy Chair of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing and is looking forward to another bumper Ellerslie card on the popular six-race Karaka Millions twilight meeting on Saturday week.
“New Zealand Bloodstock should take a lot of credit for the development of the Karaka Millions meeting and where it's got to now,” he said.
“It is a great event and I'm just a very small part of the cog in the wheel with Auckland Thoroughbred Racing. With the development of the StrathAyr track, what you're seeing is the subsequent confidence in racing from our stakeholders, not only the trainers, but also the owners.
“We are trying to put a bit more back in with regards to stake money through a change in direction. There's still a lot to be done, but certainly, I'm proud to be a part of it, and I'm sure there are further things in store.”
With the opening yearling sale of the year at the Gold Coast off to a positive start, Chitty said that despite selling a completely different product at Karaka, it still shows a good appetite for buying horses.
“Even though we don't have the volume of high-end stallions, we can certainly breed a horse,” he said. “The success of the New Zealand bred horse in Australasia over the last 12 to 24 months has been very good, and I think anyone thinking about buying yearlings has certainly got Karaka on the shopping list.”
With a snappier format that will see Book 1 (567 lots) and Book 2 (281 lots) take place over three days (January 25-27) before the new Karaka Summer Sale (161 lots) on the Thursday (29th), Chitty is pleased to have all his Book 2 horses on the complex.
“Having all Book 1 and Book 2 yearlings on-site at Karaka logistically will be great and an opportunity to showcase those horses, which is pleasing,” he said.
Lots to Watch:
Lot 556 Anamoe x Moet Belle colt
“I've got a very even draft of horses. Our Book 1 draft are predominantly by proven stallions. The horse that is not is a colt by Anamoe out of Moet Belle. This is her third foal. She's a half-sister to Melody Belle and also from the family of Romanoff, who won the 2000 Guineas last year.
“He's a colt that's just kept improving in the prep. He's a really nice medium-sized individual, and he'll meet with nice approval from a family that's currently been doing quite a lot in the last five to six years.”
Lot 459 Proisir x Gracehill filly
“I can't not mention the half-sister to Crocetti. I’m lucky enough to be vending her on behalf of Daniel Nakhle. It's a family that Daniel has developed very well through the likes of Irish Colleen, Crosshaven, Killarney, and Crocetti, who has won a Railway (Gr.1, 1200m) and 2000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m). She's a November foal, but you wouldn't think it. I think the guys from the New Zealand Bloodstock team are quite surprised with where she's got to now. She's a lovely filly going forward into the sale, and got that real residual value.”
Lot 220 Hello Youmzain x Viscountess filly
“We talk about Sir Patrick Hogan and celebrating 100 years of the sale. We're lucky enough to be presenting a filly from the Eight Carat family out of a great-granddaughter of Marquise, a Hello Youmzain filly out of an unraced, a Franch mare called Viscountess.
“It's the mare's first foal and she's a lovely, strong filly. We've got three Hello Youmzain fillies in the sale, and they're all nice physical types and should meet with good demand.”
