Kia Ora’s reputation of breeding top racehorses has been a century-old tradition and over the years, the farm has been a source of some of Australia’s top Inglis Easter graduates.
Gr1 winners Loving Gaby, Wild Ruler and Gr2 winners Positive Peace, Nafaayes and O’President are all recent products of Kia Ora’s Inglis Easter draft.
Kia Ora’s current crop of three year-olds sold at Easter already have seven individual winners amongst them, led by Listed The Phoenix Stakes winner and JJ Atkins-Gr1 placed Political Debate and VRC Oaks-Gr1 second placegetter Pavitra. The sole runner to date among their two year-old Easter graduates is the highly promising Serasana who won on debut before placing fourth in the Gr3 Chairman’s Stakes at just her second start.
“Kia Ora’s record of producing top-level racehorses and breed-shaping sires speaks for itself and the legacy will continue, especially with the re-introduction of Kia Ora Stallions,” said Shane Wright.
“This particular draft of yearlings demonstrates what Kia Ora is about. Deep pedigrees, current running families, plus a healthy mix of Champion and exciting young sires. We place a heavy emphasis on type here as well. You won’t have to look too closely to notice the athleticism.”
In 2023, Kia Ora Stud will offer a draft of ten yearlings at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, including three by reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible.
Lot 208, the full sister to Champion 3YO Filly Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) is an obvious headline act of the entire sale. Her dam, Maastricht, was a talented racemare, winning twice and placing in group company on several occasions.
She has been to I Am Invincible three times, producing dual Gr1-winning sprinter Loving Gaby, impressive current season three year-old winner Greece, and this yearling filly. Maastricht is a half-sister to Gr1 Goodwood Handicap winner Velocitea, and this is the family of Gr1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Orange County.
“The Maastricht filly is a strong and tough looking individual, much like her full siblings. We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. We know this cross works and this filly looks every bit the running type that her family produces.”
The other two I Am Invincible yearlings in the Kia Ora draft are both colts. Lot 111 is the third foal from the imported Gr2 winner Ektifaa (More Than Ready). This is the family of Gr1 winners Calveen, Dr Grace and English Wonder.
Lot 424 is a colt out of the multiple two year-old stakes winner Twilight Royale (Testa Rossa). Her best career win came in the Gr2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, and she has been a successful broodmare, producing Kia Ora-sold two year-old group performer Serasana, plus eight-time winner and stakes placegetter Royal Hale.
“The colt out of Ektifaa is athletic, forward and a good-moving horse. Reminiscent of many of the good Vinnie colts that I have seen. The Twilight Royale colt is all quality, with a great action and very strong. He will certainly turn heads come inspection day.”
Kia Ora-sold AJ Moir Stakes-Gr1 winner Wild Ruler (Snitzel) at Inglis Easter and in 2023, they will offer his full sister, Lot 160. This filly is also a half-sister to Kembla Grange Classic Gr3 winner Pavitra and is out of the imported Gr2 winner and Gr1 placegetter Gypsy Robin (Daaher).
“The Gypsy Robin filly is a special one. She is your typical strong, well-balanced Snitzel type. She’d be a showpiece to any broodmare band in the future, but given her physicality, we believe that there are plenty of races to be won between now and then.”
One for the linebreeding fans is Lot 206, a colt carrying sex-balanced crosses of Danehill and Zabeel. He is a three-quarter brother to Gr1 winner Pinot (Pierro), being by Pierro out of Pinot’s half-sister Lubiana. His second dam is Gr1 winner Dizelle (Zabeel), while his third dam is Gr1 winner Danelagh (Danehill), dam of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Vengeance of Rain as well as Dizelle.
Gr1-winning first season sire Pierata is represented here by Lot 57, a three-quarter-sister to Holbien (Pierro), with both being out of Gr3 winner and multiple Gr1 placegetter Carribean Sunset (Danehill Dancer). She has been a wonderful broodmare, producing five winners, three of which are stakes performers.
Emerging sire and unbeaten Gr1 winner Justify is the sire of Lot 84, a colt out of Gr1 performer Coral Coast (So You Think). His second dam is dual Gr1 winner Dorabella and this is the family of Gr1 winner Media Sensation.
Exceed and Excel continues to defy all the age myths, still producing top-class two year-olds. Lot 252 is a half-brother to Listed winner Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock), the dam of two brilliant stakes-winning two year-old’s Platinum Jubilee and Queen Of The Ball. His dam, More Than Real (More Than Ready) won the Gr2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes, so it is not surprising to see her descendants run early. This colt’s second dam was a tough racemare, winning eleven races including five at listed level and this is the family of Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor.
A half-brother to stakes-winning two year-old Supreme Idea is Lot 402. By Dundeel, he is out of Sweet Sister (Snitzel), a full sister to Gr1 winner Sweet Idea, dual Gr2 winner and emerging stallion Showtime, and listed winner Rush.
A half-brother to Kia Ora-sold Listed two year-old winner Political Debate, who placed in last season’s Gr1 JJ Atkins Plate, is Lot 260. This Deep Field colt is out of a winning half-sister to New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Fix, from the family of Gr1 winner Foreteller and successful sire Showcasing.
With ten incredibly well-bred yearlings on offer, Kia Ora is poised to build on their record of producing quality racehorses from their Inglis Easter draft.