Graduates Take Harness Racing Stage by Storm

Since NZB Standardbred’s inaugural National Yearling Sale in 2019, graduates have created a wave of Group One success across Australasia that is set to continue at pace. 

Sought-after commodities in the Auckland and Christchurch sale rings, NZB Standardbred graduates have created a golden path towards the richest feature races across Australasia. 

• With the oldest just three years of age, NZB Standardbred graduates claimed 14 Group One wins and 27 stakes wins in the 2020-21 season.
• A source of classic winners, NZB Standardbred graduates won seven Derbys across Australasia last season.
• Showing early talent, two-year-olds purchased from NZB claimed six Group Ones and eight stakes races in the 2020-21 season.
• Trans-Tasman Group One winner American Dealer (NZ) cost just $23,000 and has since won over A$328,000 – over 14 times his purchase price at NZB Standardbred’s National Yearling Sale.
• Champion racehorse and NZB Standardbred graduate Krug (NZ) has earned over A$631,000 from an initial $155,000 purchase price.

New Zealand-bred and sold horses continue to headline major racing events, proving tough competition for their international opponents. This year prospective buyers can bid with confidence, with an abundance of racetrack stars set to go under the hammer at Karaka and Canterbury Agricultural Park later this week.
 

Krug (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight)

Krug has been a dominant force on the racetrack following his purchase at the 2019 National Yearling Sale by Cran and Chrissie Dalgety of Kentuckiana Lodge. The trainers secured the star performer for $155,000 from the Smolenski Stables draft.

A Group One winner and Champion New Zealand Two-Year-old of the Year title holder, Krug recently completed a dominant three-year-old season.

The classy colt produced one of the most stunning and memorable wins ever seen in the $200,000 Group One Northern Derby (2700m), before joining a select group of stars to make it a Derby double by brilliantly winning the $208,000 Group One New Zealand Derby (2600m).

Krug took the step into open class with ease, evident in his crushing victory in the $30,000 Group 3 Junior-Free-For-All (1980m) on New Zealand Cup Day, his seventh black-type success.

Krug is currently campaigning in Australia where he is targeting a series of feature races including the Group One Chariots Of Fire at Menangle.
 

True Fantasy (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) 

True Fantasy has added to the incredible success that prominent owner Jean Feiss has enjoyed with New Zealand National Yearling Sale graduates after a series of brilliant performances.

Feiss secured the filly for $70,000 at the 2020 Christchurch National Yearling Sale from Studholme Bloodstock’s draft.

In just her third and fourth starts, the star filly charged home from hopeless positions to produce brilliant wins in the $90,000 Group One Caduceus Club Classic (2200m) and the $120,000 Group One NZ Sires Stakes Championship (1700m).

The filly has produced outstanding form for trainers Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen in her return as a three-year-old, stamping her class by winning the $138,000 Group One Sires Stakes Fillies Championship (2200m) at Alexandra Park.

The outstanding pacer is set to start a hot favourite in the $150,000 Listed Harness Million 3YO Fillies Pace (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Saturday night.
 

Akuta (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) 

Akuta was a Group One winner and rated a champion two-year-old before he announced himself as a superstar of harness racing at the 2021 Harness Jewels.

The colt was knocked down to the All Stars Racing Stable for $170,000 when offered by Broadfield Lodge at the 2020 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

In his first career start, Akuta showed sensational speed to win the $22,000 Group Three Kindergarten Stakes (1609m).

Just two starts later, the star pacer took out the $200,000 Listed Harness Million 2YO Colts & Geldings Pace (1980m) before sealing an incredible black type hat-trick with wins in the $140,000 Group One 2YO Colts & Geldings Pace (1980m) and the $100,000 Group One Harness Jewels 2YO Emerald (1609m).

Akuta’s Harness Jewels victory simply had to be seen to be believed. Stuck in traffic at the back of the field until the home turn, the pacer produced a rarely seen turn of speed to charge away from his opposition to win by a huge ten-length margin.

After returning in fine fettle as a three-year-old, Akuta is a leading hope in the $150,000 Listed Harness Million 2YO Colts & Geldings Pace (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Saturday 12 February.
 

American Dealer (NZ) (American Ideal) 

American Dealer was purchased by Lincoln Farms for just $23,000 from the White Stables draft at the 2019 National Yearling Sale in Auckland.

Since then, the Ray Green-trained pacer has gone on to repay his purchase price many times over.

American Dealer capped a stellar two-year-old season by winning the delayed running of the $128,000 Group One Sires Stakes Final (1700m) at Alexandra Park as an early three-year-old.

After producing brilliantly consistent three-year-old form, the pacer took out the $42,000 Group Two Elsu Classic (2200m) before crossing the Tasman and winning the A$102,000 Group One Queensland Derby (2680m) with a tough performance.
 

Outamyway (NZ) (Love You) 

Of the star trotters and Group race performers to have emerged from the NZB Standardbred sale ring, none have cashed in on the lucrative Harness Million Race Series as Outamyway has.

Knocked down to Peter Williams for $17,500 at the 2019 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch, Outamyway has gone on to win six races for master trotting trainer Paul Nairn.

As a two-year-old, Outamyway took out the $75,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Two-Year-old Trot (1980m) at Addington.

The trotter then doubled up as a three-year-old, winning the $75,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Three-Year-old Trot (1980m) on the same track.

Outamyway is a key contender in the $50,000 Lyell Creek Stakes (2200m) at Saturday’s Harness Million race night at Alexandra Park.
 

Highgrove (NZ) (Love You) 

Highgrove has shown untapped potential and an electric turn of foot since his debut as a two-year-old for trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn.

The Dunns’ Diamond Racing secured the classy trotter for $34,000 from Laura Smith’s draft at the 2020 National Yearling Sale in Auckland.

After starting his two-year-old career with two wins from two starts, Highgrove ran to a dominant victory in the $28,000 Group Three New Zealand 2YO Trotting Stakes (1980m) to remain unbeaten.

Highgrove then went on to win the $75,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Two-Year-old Trot (1980m) at Addington by another lengthy margin.

Highgrove returned as a three-year-old in incredible style, winning by an incredible 12-length margin in a powerful first-up performance.

The trotter is set to start favourite for Saturday night’s $75,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Three-Year-old Trot (2200m) at Alexandra Park.

Franco Indie (NZ), (Always B Miki), Alta Wiseguy (NZ) (Mach Three), B D Joe (NZ) (Roll With Joe), and Kyvalley Hotspur (NZ) (Muscle Hill) are also among the long list of NZB Standardbred graduates to have made their mark Australasian feature races.

Buyers get their chance to secure a yearling from the next generation of big race performers at the National Yearling Sales at Auckland on 13 February and at Christchurch on February 14 to 16.

View the full catalogue online here