A Century Of National Yearling Sales Success: Australian Derby

Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino), Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) and Shanwah (NZ) (Too Darn Hot) are the three favourites for Saturday’s A$2m Group One ATC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick, where they will attempt to add their names to a proud record of New Zealand National Yearling Sale success.

NZB will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Yearling Sales at Karaka next January. That century of sales has produced no fewer than 34 winners of Randwick’s prestigious classic, including nine since the year 2000 alone.

Those Australian Derby-winning graduates range in price from just $2,400 for the 1971 winner Classic Mission (NZ) (Persian Garden) up to $3.6m for the 2002 winner Don Eduardo (NZ) (Zabeel). The latter still holds the all-time record for the highest price ever paid for a yearling in New Zealand. Another eight Australian Derby winners have come through the Karaka sale ring since Don Eduardo, and they were bought for an average price of $146,875.

Among those 34 Australian Derby-winning National Yearling Sales graduates are some of the most iconic names in the history of the Australasian turf.

That New Zealand influence is set to be strongly felt once again in Saturday’s 164th running of the Australian Derby at Randwick, with a field that includes five Karaka yearling graduates. They were bought for an average price of $275,000. Fellow Australian Derby contenders King Of Thunder (NZ) (Tivaci) and Deal N Dash (Dundeel) are graduates of the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka.

The 2025 Australian Derby will be run as Race 9 at Randwick on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 5.15pm local time (7.15pm NZT).

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