Several significant pedigree updates have given a major boost to Pencarrow Stud’s draft for Karaka 2025.

Pencarrow will offer another quality draft of 26 yearlings during Book 1, many of them close relatives to notable recent racetrack performers.

The most significant of these updates is for Lot 498, a filly by Pierro out of Breeze (Sea The Stars). She is a full-sister to the highly talented three-year-old Golden Century (NZ) (Pierro), who ran second and was beaten by a nose in Sunday’s $100,000 Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie.

Himself a $200,000 purchase from Pencarrow’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2023, Golden Century has placed in all of his four starts and has earned $25,160 for major syndicators OTI Racing. He is emerging as a prominent contender for the $1.25m Group One Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 8.

Lot 231 is a colt by exciting first-season sire Hello Youmzain out of Quintessentially (NZ) (High Chaparral). That makes him a half-brother to the highly talented Pencarrow homebred Tomodachi (NZ) (Tarzino), who improved her career record to four wins from just six starts when she kicked off her four-year-old season with a stunning last-to-first performance at Tauranga last Friday. Lot 231 also comes from the same family as the recent Te Rapa winner Pericles (NZ) (Rubick). Lot 281 is another close relative to both Pericles and Tomodachi.

The All Too Hard colt catalogued as Lot 465 is a half-brother to Pencarrow’s promising three-year-old filly Sesimbra (NZ) (U S Navy Flag). The Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie-trained Sesimbra scored back-to-back wins at New Plymouth and Wanganui, then finished a close fourth in a strong three-year-old race at Ellerslie on Sunday. Lot 365 is also closely related to Sesimbra.

Lot 460 is a filly by Circus Maximus out of the stakes-placed mare Assume (Fastnet Rock). This filly’s half-sister Medina (NZ) (American Pharoah) added a fourth win to her record when she scored an emphatic sprint victory at Ascot Park in December.

Other noteworthy pedigree updates in the Pencarrow draft include:

• Lots 99, 199 and 634 are all out of siblings to the Pencarrow graduate Tavi Time (NZ) (Tavistock), who scored his first black-type victory in the Group Three Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day. Tavi Time has now had 18 starts for eight wins and four placings. These three yearlings are all the progeny of promising young stallions, with Lots 99 and 199 being by Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State while Lot 634 is a son of Golden Slipper (1200m) winner Farnan.
• Lot 12 has received pedigree updates from four different close relatives. Talentoso (NZ) (Tarzino), Chartin (NZ) (Tarzino) and Storm To Win (NZ) (Storm Creek) have been recent winners in New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia respectively, while Sure Joyful (NZ) (Tarzino) has recorded two recent placings in Hong Kong.
• Lot 171 comes from the same family as the recent Group Three Nakayama Kimpai (2000m) runner-up Meiner Mond (Gold Ship).
• Lot 237 is closely related to the stylish recent Rotorua maiden winner Fosse (NZ) (Darci Brahma). This filly by Home Affairs is also a half-sister to the recent placegetter Toa Haka (NZ) (Iffraaj).
• Lot 274 is closely related to the recent Listed Meydan Business Bay Challenge (1400m) placegetter Danyah (Invincible Spirit), as well as Apache Outlaw (Churchill), who has won two races since the catalogue went to print.
• Lot 302 comes from the same family as two recent black-type performers. Talisker (NZ) (Embellish) ran third in the Group Three Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) at Trentham, while Moravia (Snitzel) finished fourth in the Listed Razor Sharp (1200m) at Randwick.
• Lot 372 is out of a sibling to the recent Australian winner Dodgeball (NZ) (Vadamos), while another close relative, Starry Eyed (NZ) (Darci Brahma), won at Rotorua in late November. Lot 617 comes from the same family.
• A filly by exciting new stallion St Mark’s Basilica will go through the ring as Lot 455. She is from the same family as talented American three-year-old Bullard (Gun Runner), who has had three starts for two wins and a placing. He won the Grade Three Bob Hope Stakes (1400m), then placed in this month’s Grade Two San Vicente Stakes (1400m). Another relative, Lake Bee (Bee Jersey), recently placed in the Listed Silver Goblin Stakes (1300m).

Book 1 of Karaka 2025 runs from January 26 to 28, with selling starting at 10am each day.