Peter and Philip Vela’s Pencarrow Stud is set to offer a strong draft of horses at New Zealand Bloodstock’s forthcoming National Yearling Sales Series, starting on Monday 28 January at Karaka.

The Stud’s 25 yearling entries – all colts – include representation from some of Pencarrow’s finest mares.

Pencarrow will offer 21 colts at the Karaka Premier Sale (28 & 29 Jan), with a further four colts catalogued in the Karaka Select Sale (30 Jan – 1 Feb).

“We are very happy with the draft,” commented Pencarrow Stud Manager Leon Casey. “It is one of our bigger drafts and it’s also one of our most even.

“We will be offering a strong line-up of colts and also a good number of yearlings that are siblings to some of the top performers we have bred on the Stud, such as Guiseppina, Vapour Trail and Pure Elegance.

“On paper the pedigrees are very strong and the horses really do match on type. We are offering the types of horses that we have had so much success with in the past and we’re thrilled with the line-up for this year.”

One of the stars of the draft is the colt from the four-time Group 1 winner Ethereal (Rhythm) – winner of the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double – by the Champion Sire Encosta de Lago at Lot 132.

Ethereal has made a good start to her career at stud producing the Group 1 New Zealand Derby placed Uberalles and race winners Ebullient and Aetherius.

“He’s a nice colt,” commented Leon. “He’s a good sized horse with a lot of quality about him; he is correct and is an athletic type.”

The colt is one of five in Pencarrow’s draft from the stud’s foundation family which also includes horses such as the five-time Group 1 winner and exciting young sire Darci Brahma, Romanee Conti and Grand Echezeaux.

Another exciting family Pencarrow has had recent success with is that descended from the outstanding racemare Habibti (Habitat) and grand-producer Eight Carat (Pieces of Eight). The Pencarrow bred Lafleur (Zabeel) is a grand-daughter of Habibti and she won the Group 2 NZB Royal Stakes as a three-year-old in the Stud’s colours.

Lafleur’s progeny include the Group 3 winner Amaryllis (Red Ransom) and stakes winner Papilio (Redoute's Choice) and their sibling in the Premier Sale, the colt by O’Reilly at Lot 218. The colt is one of three yearlings from this exciting and rapidly developing family to be offered in Pencarrow’s draft at Karaka 2013.

“Lafleur has been a great mare for Pencarrow both on the track and at stud,” said Leon. “She is from a top family and has left two stakes winners already and her yearling by O’Reilly is another nice colt.”

The first of the draft will be offered early on day one of the Premier Sale at Lot 2 – a half-brother to Group 1 placed J’Adane – by hot sire High Chaparral who has three colts in Pencarrow’s draft.

The other two colts by High Chaparral are:

• Lot 104, the half-brother to Group 1 New Zealand Oaks winner Vapour Trail (Jetball), Group 2 winner Santagostino (Giant's Causeway) and Listed 2YO winner Encosta Diablo (Encosta de Lago);
• Lot 282, the half-brother to Group winners Dolmabache (Redoute's Choice) and Pure Elegance (Redoute's Choice) from the Zabeel mare Our Echezeaux.

Other highlights in Pencarrow’s Karaka 2013 draft include:

• A half-brother by Darci Brahma to Guiseppina (Johar) at Lot 30.
• Siblings to Group winners Winning Belle and Our Ella Belle by Keeper (Lot 205),
• A half-brother to Group 2 Queensland Guineas winner Saxon by Pins (Lot 192)
• A half-brother to Group 2 Rich Hill Mile winner Fears Nothing by Darci Brahma (Lot 239).
• Yearlings by Bel Esprit, Commands, Exceed and Excel, Mastercraftsman, Pentire, Stratum, Zabeel and more.

Video clips of Pencarrow’s Karaka Premier and Select Sale drafts will be available to be viewed online at www.nzb.co.nz in the first week of 2013.