Zululand's half-sister is Lot 113 (pic: racing.com)

Celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2014, Kia Ora Stud continues to produce equine athletes that excel. Partly it’s situational. Kia Ora is ultra-modern, irrigated by the Pages River and boasts the alluvial soil profile synonymous with prime nutritional pastures.

In recent years, Listed (R) Magic Millions 2YO placed Candika and stakes winning Ravi are two graduates who have flown the flag for Kia Ora.

This year’s Kia-Ora Easter draft is low on numbers but lofty on class.

Three of the six are by Gr1 Blue Diamond winner Catchy’s sire of the moment Fastnet Rock. Lot 185 is from Hennessy mare Inglorious and the first foal of the Champion 3YO Filly in Canada of 2011. The first 4 dams in fact are all stakes winners. Second dam Noble Strike was Canadian Broodmare of the Year, also producing Gr3 winner Dixie Strike, while third dam Green Noble won 8 and also produced stakes placed Sir Frederick. This is a great chance to buy into a leading Canadian family from a breed-shaping Australian sire. Lot 248 is also sings with an impressive page. Dam More Than Real took the Gr2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and has produced dual winner Miss Debutante (also by Fastnet Rock) as her first foal. Second dam Miss Seffens is also a five-time stakes winner in the US.

The Fastnet Rock / More Than Ready cross has significantly produced 13 winners from 15 runners and includes Gr1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner Atlante. Kia Ora is also offering a gorgeous Fastnet Rock filly from Bel Esprit mare Se Sauver. She’s Lot 331. Se Sauver won the Gr2 Edward Manifold and is a half to Gr1 South Australian Derby winner Escado. Featuring a nice, sex-balanced duplication of Royal Academy through Piccadilly Circus and Bel Esprit, this filly should show precocity but promises to blossom into a middle distance prospect at three and four.

Two other fillies with serious credentials are by Champion Australian Sire Exceed and Excel. Lot 101 is from multiple stakes winning Dehere mare Decelerator. Her Fastnet Rock filly sold at last year’s Easter Sale for $400,000, indicative of the quality she produces. This is a really strong US family with Gr1 winner Fabulous Notion being third dam. Kia Ora’s second Exceed and Excel filly is not long after (Lot 113). Like Lot 185 she’s from a stakes winning Hennessy mare. Dream Play won at Gr2 level in the US and is a half-sister to Gr1 winning mare Diplomat Lady. Dream Play has already had two winners from two runners, one being the imposing Gr2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Zululand, a $1.5 million Easter yearling in 2013.

The remaining Kia Ora offering is very early in the sale at Lot 9. She’s a filly by Gr1 Golden Slipper winning and producing sire Stratum, from the stakes winning Reset mare Warpath. Like sire Zabeel, a multiple Champion Broodmare Sire, Reset is shaping as an heir apparent of sorts as a broodmare influence. Leading Gr1 Golden Slipper contender Houtzen and Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes winner Madeenaty are just two recent granddaughters of Reset.