Value is a relative measure, and in 2021, Seaton Park will present one of their best drafts yet, and for a farm known for producing good horses from unlikely sources, this is an exciting development.
Seaton Park made their name when they sold a first crop Tavistock colt for $50,000 and he went on to greatness as Volkstok’n’barrell; winning four Gr.1 races and over $1.4million. They backed that up with another $50,000 sale, Gr.3 winner The Soultaker, and then the real bargain $28,000 for Gr.2 winner Hello It’s Me. Not to be content with continuing to churn out quality horses at prices that should attract all good judges, Seaton Park’s latest graduates include 2019 MVRC Gr.3 Alexandra Stakes placed Arctic Shock (Shocking) ($65,000) and 2019 Gr.2 Auckland Guineas placed Langkawi (Helmet) ($55,000).
But like the old ad says – wait, there’s more. Current promising three year-old and 2020 Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes placed Tivaan Warrior (Swiss Ace) was sold by Seaton Park for only $9,000. It’s not all bargains at Seaton – the most expensive yearling they’ve ever sold (and the only one they’ve ever sold for more than $200,000) cost his new owner $470,000, and he was also great value. Named Kingdoms (High Chaparral), he won two Listed races in Australia and ran third in the Gr1 Australian Derby. In the same draft as Kingdoms were group winners Decorah and Perfect Start. Seaton Park also sold the very tough jumper Slowpoke Rodriguez (Istidaad) for $9,000, who has won eight races and over $300,000.
Seaton Park’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft in 2021 promises to herald a change in fortunes for Seaton Park with ten yearlings in Book One, with a strong improvement in sire quality compared to previous drafts, and a further five yearlings in Book Two. A standout on pedigree is Lot 113, a colt out of proven broodmare Shinko Princess (Shinko King), by Champion Sire Fastnet Rock, making this colt a half-brother to Listed winner Thorn Prince who won nine races, and to Listed winner Alinko Prince who won six races and was placed in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup. Fastnet Rock is now making a name for himself as a sire of sires with the likes of Hinchinbrook, Foxwedge, Smart Missile, and Rothesay among his sons who have left Gr.1 winners.
Seaton Park will present two yearlings by Iffraaj, a quality sire of Gr.1 winners, including Lot 10, a colt out of Listed winner Options (Casual Lies) who won eight races including the Listed Stanley Group Stakes, and her first foal to race has already won four races as well as running fourth in the Listed Singapore TC New Year Cup. This colt descends from a strong NZ family that continues to throw up stakes winners. The second Iffraaj filly, Lot 523, is a half-sister to last season’s two year-old winner Tivaan Warrior, who placed in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes. This filly is also a three-quarter sister to group placed winner Laaffaire (Iffraaj).
Belardo kicked off his stud career in this Northern Hemisphere nicely and his oldest progeny from New Zealand are currently two year-olds. His colt, Lot 148, is a son of Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner Steel Rose (Guillotine) whose first foal to race is the two year-old winner, American Princess. Gr.1 winner Shalaa also has his first crop of two year-olds on track in Australia, and has already left Gr.3 Breeders Plate winner Shaquero. Seaton Park will present a Shalaa filly, Lot 435, whose winning dam, Heavenly Princess (Galileo) is a three-quarter sister to stakes winner Atlantic Waves (Sadler’s Wells), from a strong European family. Tavistock’s Guineas/Derby winner Tarzino is also represented by his second crop at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale and Seaton Park have a colt on offer, Lot 252, with an outstanding pedigree. He is a half-brother to group placed winner, and Seaton Park graduate, Arctic Shock, out of Gr.3 winner Art Beat (Captain Rio) who won nine races and has a perfect record as a broodmare with all three of her foals to race being winners. Seaton Park has one other yearling by a second season sire; Divine Prophet who won the Caulfield Guineas, and his colt, Lot 742, is out of a young winning half sister to Gr.3 Concorde Handicap winner Mosse. This is the sprinting family of Terravista, Tiger Tees, Super Easy, and Ball of Muscle.
Sacred Falls sired his first Gr.1 winner recently with the unbeaten Guineas winner Aegon, and more is surely to come. Seaton Park will offer a filly, Lot 681, by the sorely missed stallion, and this yearling filly is the first foal of Thee Auld Stick, a half-sister to Gr.1 Thorndon Mile winner Thee Auld Floozie.
Sons of Invincible Spirit are all the rage at the moment, thanks to the deeds of I Am Invincible and Kingman, and Gr.1 winner Charm Spirit has kicked off his stud career in fine fashion collecting the title as Leading New Zealand First Season Sire in 2018/19, and now having clocked up nine stakes winners including Gr.2 winner and Gr.1 placed Aretha. Seaton Park will offer three colts by the sire of the promising Sansom (Gr.3 VRC Chatham Stakes winner), including Lot 235, a half-brother to Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner Steel Rose and dual Hong Kong winner Flying Victory. The first foal of group placed winner Dreamcrafter (Mastercraftsman) is Lot 359, a Charm Spirit colt, and his dam is a half-sister to Gr.2 MVRC Australia Stakes winner Sea Lord, from the family of quality precocious stakes winners Vigor, Joey Massino, and Vincent Mangano. The other Charm Spirit colt, Lot 659, in the Seaton Park draft is not only bred on the same cross as Lot 359, but is also from a different branch of the same family which includes Gr.1 winner Gold Onyx.
Proven Gr.1 sire Darci Brahma gets a good horse every year he’s the sire of 11 individual Gr.1 winners, one of the best sires in Australasia, and given the ability of Seaton Park to sell quality racehorses at reasonable prices, their offering of four Darci Brahma yearlings is well worth an inspection. Seaton Park will offer two colts in book one and two fillies in book two at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. A standout colt on paper is Lot 128, being a full brother to two year-old stakes winner Dugan (Darci Brahma), who won twice at two including the Listed Castletown Stakes, and their dam, Snipza Gold (Pins) was a tough racemare who won seven races and was multiple times group placed. Lot 417 is a colt out of a young mare, Giant Hunter, who descends from quality broodmare Anna Matrushka (Mill Reef), the dam of three stakes winners in Europe, as well as being the dam of Accessories who is one of Australia’s greatest living broodmares. Accessories has left four group winners from five foals to race, headlined by Gr.1 winner Helmet and Epaulette, as well as Gr.2 winner Pearls, and Gr.3 winner Bullbars.
Of the two Darci Brahma fillies, Lot 912 may just prove to be a smokey. Her dam, Nancho Bella, is a stakes placed winner whose two winners to date include Midnight Gossip (Showcasing) who run fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand One Thousand Guineas behind La Bella Diosa. Meanwhile, Lot 904 is from the family of Gr.1 winner Vin De Dance, and her second dam is Listed Castletown Stakes winner Extra Explosive.
Seaton Park have done extraordinarily well, selling group quality racehorses for value prices, and this draft looks to be their best yet on paper. Good judges would be advised to pay attention to this offering, although they may just have to pay a little more than expected to pick up some of these pedigrees.
