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Rapid improver Wild Night (NZ) (Vanbrugh) took his winning sequence up to stakes level on Saturday, playing a starring role in the $120,000 Group Two James and Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa.

The chestnut gelding has now won three of his four starts, with his three victories coming from his last three appearances. He has earned $100,140, which is already double what Te Akau Racing's David Ellis paid to secure him from Book 1 of Karaka 2021.

Ridden by Craig Grylls for trainer Mark Walker, Wild Night was taken back from his wide gate and was still last at the home turn.

But he quickened impressively down the Te Rapa straight, running down fellow Karaka graduate Academy Award (NZ) (Star Turn) and scoring by half a length.

"They had him off the bridle a bit," Grylls said. "They went fast enough where I had to niggle at him a little bit, but at the 600 metres he gathered up underneath me. Gee, he had a good turn of foot once he balanced up.

"He is a beautiful big horse, and when he gets to a mile or further, he is going to relish that."

The Sarten Memorial is traditionally a lead-up to the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in early November, but the Te Akau team is looking further down the track for Wild Night's next major target.

"He is a big, showy horse who keeps stepping up," assistant trainer Sam Bergerson said. "From here, we will most likely tip him out and then aim for the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m)."

The $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic, this year at Pukekohe Park, will be run on January 21.

Wild Night is a half-brother to Group Two Eclipse Stakes (1200m) winner and Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) runner-up Play That Song (NZ) (Showcasing).

Wild Night was bred by Windsor Park Stud and is by their emerging sire Vanbrugh, who has sired the first three stakes winners of his career this spring with Group One winner Mustang Valley (NZ), Listed Wanganui Guineas (1340m) winner Sheez Dominant (NZ) and now Wild Night. His yearling progeny are set to be in demand when Karaka 2023 rolls around in late January.

Runner-up Academy Award was a $180,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2021. Although she is still a maiden, she now has a valuable Group Two placing on her CV, and she has earned $36,630 in a seven-start career that has featured six placings.

The strong-finishing third placegetter in the Sarten was last season's Karaka Million 2YO hero Dynastic (NZ) (Almanzor). Bought for $360,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2021, he has had seven starts for two wins, three placings and $671,025 in stakes.