Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Saturday’s Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick carries some well-timed significance for the NZB National Online Yearling Sale, which concludes on Tuesday from 6 pm.
The 104-lot online catalogue features a three-quarter-sister to the Oaks favourite Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park), while that filly’s stablemate and Oaks rival Soverato (NZ) (Vadamos) is among an impressive list of graduates that has been built up through the sale’s five-year history.
Soverato was a $10,000 purchase by Simon and Katrina Alexander’s Kasa Bloodstock from Rich Hill Stud’s draft in the 2024 edition of the National Online Yearling Sale.
The Vadamos filly, who now sports the colours of OTI Racing, was on-sold following an eye-catching second at the Waipa trials and has amassed two wins and two placings from six starts, including a second in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m).
The honour roll for the National Online Yearling Sale is headed by Well Written (Written Tycoon), who topped that 2024 sale at $80,000 and has earned over $2.6 million from an unblemished six-start career that includes victories in this season’s Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m), Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) and $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).
Other notable graduates include De Armas (NZ) (Ardrossan), who cost just $16,000 and banked more than $126,000 with a victory in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) and fourth in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) before being sold, along with Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and $9,500 purchase Hitabell (NZ) (Embellish).
A quality catalogue for the 2026 edition of the sale contains plenty of notable pedigree credentials, including the three-quarter-sister to Ohope Wins that is being offered by Haunui Farm.
Catalogued as Lot 87, the filly is by the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner’s sire Ocean Park and is out of a half-sister to her dam Choux Mania. This filly’s dam Laced Up (NZ) is also a half-sister to Group One winners Miss Wilson (Stratum) and Jimmy Choux. The latter won five Group One races including the New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Rosehill Guineas (2000m), was runner-up in the Cox Plate (2040m) and was New Zealand’s Horse of the Year in 2010-11.
Laced Up is herself the dam of four winners from five foals to race, headed by Gr.3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) winner Fancify (NZ) (Niagara).
“She’s a three-quarter-sister to Ohope Wins and a lovely filly that’s going to be a very nice prospect for somebody,” Haunui’s managing director Mark Chitty said. “She’s a very nice-moving filly.
“She was a late foal, born on the 23rd of November, so she’s just needed that little bit of extra time to mature, and this online sale has given her that opportunity.
“She’s from a great family and is already a half-sister to a Melbourne Group Three winner in Fancify, and the sire Ocean Park is having an outstanding season.”
The well-related filly is part of a six-strong draft for Haunui Farm, who will also offer a Sword Of State filly (Lot 15), three yearlings by their own former shuttle stallion Ribchester and a colt by Redwood.
“Sword Of State couldn’t have started much better than he has, both with his first two-year-olds on the track and with his yearlings in the sale ring,” Chitty said. “This filly is out of a stakes-winning Savabeel mare, Ray’s Girl (NZ), who also ran fourth in the New Zealand Oaks. She’s left five winners already from six foals to race.
“This is a really nice, athletic filly. We never really thought about preparing her for Karaka, but the owner decided to take advantage of this opportunity with the online sale. It’s developed into a really good sale, and I think one of the advantages is that these horses never really have that pressure put on them in the spring. They’re left to grow out and develop. There have been some terrific horses coming out of the sale in recent years and hopefully that will continue.
“We’re also selling some really nice yearlings by Ribchester. Although we didn’t stand him here last season, he’s got some promising horses coming through. We’ve seen some two-year-olds this season with really good ability (including recent winners Ronaldo (NZ) (Ribchester) and Belle Rebelle (NZ) (Ribchester)), and I think there will be more to come.
“I particularly like the filly out of Fullinbloom (NZ) (Lot 67). The mare has had only two to the races, the Group Two performer Whiskey ‘n Roses (NZ) (Belardo) and the talented filly Ruby Rush (NZ) (Ribchester), who both still have plenty of racing promise ahead of them. This filly is a chestnut, like most of the family has been, and she’s a beautiful mover.”
Sires represented include the likes of Proisir, Per Incanto, Alabama Express, Ocean Park, Toronado, Shocking, Contributer, Satono Aladdin, So You Think, Profondo, Almanzor, Hellbent, Ace High and Sword Of State.
Bidding will run for a five-day period, commencing Friday 10 April with the first lot closing on Tuesday 14 April at 6pm (NZT). Buyers must register on Gavelhouse Plus in advance in order to gain bidding approval.
