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A prosperous season among New Zealand’s juvenile ranks augers well for New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale in May.

This year’s Karaka Million winner Hardline (Showcasing) is a star graduate of the 2013 National Weanling Sale.

Purchased by Hallmark Stud for $NZ43,000 from Haunui Stud’s draft, Hardline returned at the 2014 Karaka Select Sale where Australian trainer Liam Birchley secured him for $NZ130,000.

Birchley trained him to win on debut in Brisbane and after just two starts, Hardline was flown back to his homeland to take out New Zealand’s richest race – the $1m Karaka Million at Ellerslie in January.

Fellow 2013 Sale graduates Rocanto (Per Incanto) and Showboy (Showcasing) have also tasted success as two-year-olds, both winning at stakes level.

One of exciting first season sire Per Incanto’s stakes-winning progeny, Rocanto made a name for himself hitting the track with two wins before claiming his stakes victory in the Listed Matamata Slipper Stakes. He was purchased for $NZ8500, below the average price of the 2013 edition of the Sale.

Showboy made a strong impression winning the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes in December, contributing to the 34 stakes wins to be produced from the Sale in the last five years.

The Matamata-trained Puccini (Encosta de Lago) continues to reap success, getting a second G1 victory in the Thorndon Mile. The G1 New Zealand Derby winner as a three-year-old was sold as a weanling for $NZ175,000 at NZB’s 2011 National Weanling Sale.

Three-year-old fillies Belle Miraaj (Iffraaj) and Tavy (Tavistock) both got their first taste of success at stakes level this season. Belle Miraaj has two stake wins to her name, the Listed Gore Guineas and the Listed Southland Guineas, while Tavy was victorious in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial Stakes.

The National Broodmare Sale has 182 breeding propositions that will be offered, including six stakes winners and eight mares that have already produced stakes-winning progeny.

The dam of recent G1 Australian Oaks winner Gust Of Wind (Darci Brahma), Starrystarrynight, was purchased at NZB’s National Broodmare Sale when in foal to Darci Brahma.

This year’s National Weanling Sale has 65 more weanlings catalogued than last year with 349 lots to be offered. The 2013 edition saw the average youngster sell for $13,282.

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale is on the 11 – 13 May at the Karaka Sales Complex.

The first day is dedicated to the selling of weanlings.

Day 2 will see the final 149 weanlings offered before with yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced stock and racehorses making up the remainder of the day before the broodmare session and stallion shares conclude the Sale on Day 3.