Lot 361 is closely related to Gr1 winner Merchant Navy (pic: Mark Gatt)

When you receive glowing testimonials from racing luminaries such as Sir Patrick Hogan and Waikato Stud Principal Mark Chittick, to mention just a few, it’s easy to understand how your draft balloons to 34 yearlings of the highest class and prepared in the most meticulous manner.

Maluka Thoroughbred’s Melbourne Premier draft is comprised of a whopping 25 different sires, representing some of the best top line strength from both Australia and NZ.

In terms of the new kids on the block, Dissident and Brazen Beau have all had outstanding early success in the sale ring. Maluka has one of each. Lot 322 is the colt by Brazen Beau from a full-sister to Champion 2YO and Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily in Crystal Ruby. This is an outstanding family with second dam Crystal Snip having also produced Listed winners Amaethon, Crystal Web and Crystal Wit.

Meanwhile, the Dissident (Lot 230) is also a colt from a highly precocious black-type family. He’s the first foal of the Northern Meteor mare Akagera, a half-sister to two stakes performers in Elusive River and Rivatorio. Names to jump off the page include Gr2 Magic Night winer Willow Creek, Gr1 Oakleigh Plate winner River Dove (and her Gr2 Silver Slipper winning daughter Headwater). Add in Gr2 winners First Command and Oneworld for extra evidence of pure class. Note – If you like this family be sure to inspect Lot 37, by Lonhro from headwater’s three-quarter-sister Riptide.

Of the top end commercial stallions, Lot 72 is a good place to start your search. The colt by Champion Australian Sire Exceed and Excel from dual Listed winner / Gr3 placed mare Secret Liaison. Interestingly, the family has already had success with Exceed and Excel with Overstep being twice stakes placed up to 1200m. This another super family featuring Malaysian Triple Crown Winner Speed Baby and Gr2 Pago Pago winner Deferential.

New Zealand based sire and Gr1 Cox Plate winner Ocean park has certainly had an impressive start to his stud career. With his oldest still only 3Yo’s he has already produced stakeswinner Ocean Jewal and stakes performers Mongolianconqueror and Ocean’s Fourteen, amongst a plethora of metro winners and performers. Maluka has two of his yearlings in its draft. The first is Lot 272 from stakeswinning mare Bird. She has already produced black-type performers in Flamingo and Preditor. Third dam Torquay is a prolific broodmare with her daughter Seraphic winning at Gr3 level and producing Gr1 winner Chenille.

The second Ocean Park is from Elusive Quality, a half-sister to both Gr1 Myer Classic winner Bonaria and Gr3 Sweet Embrace winner Legally Bay (dam of Gr1 Coolmore Stakes winner and outstanding future sire option Merchant Navy).

The draft has 4 lots by Champion NZ stallion Savabeel in succession. Lot 144 is from Frankly, a sister to Listed winner Keano from the family of Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Courtza and dual Gr1 winner Our Pompeii. Lot 145 is from O’Reilly mare Girls On Top, a half-sister to Singaporean Horse of the Year Currency. While Lot 146 is from Heyday, from the family of Champion NZ 3YO’s Sixty Seconds and Xtravagant. The remaining Savabeel is also a colt and from Natural Rhythm. He’s a full brother to Listed winner and Gr1 NZ Oaks 4th Ray’s Girl. The family traces to the outstanding Gr1 winners Clearly Innocent and Sale of the Century.

Another yearling in the Maluka draft with commercial appeal will surely be the Written Tycoon filly from Exceed and Excel mare Excellent Pins. The dam is a half-sister to Gr3 winning filly Detours.

Zoustar has leapt, probably as expected, from the blocks as a serious commercial 2YO option, with Sunlight thus far his most dominant performer. Lot 659 is his colt from a nice family that you would expect to run early. Dam Belle of the City (by Bel Esprit) is a half-sister to Listed Blue Diamond Prelude winner and Gr2 Pago Pago runner-up Cecconi. The family also traces to Gr1 Golden Slipper winner and leading sire Stratum.

In what really is a classic yearling bag of lollies, other highlights in the massive Maluka Thoroughbreds draft include - a Cluster filly from the family of Gr3 winner A Country Girl (Lot 648) and a Cluster colt from a Zabeel mare (Lot 660); a Eurozone filly from a half-sister to stakes-placed Don’t Change (Lot 597); a Fiorente colt from the family of Gr2 Sandown Guineas winner Scenic Warrio (Lot 737); a Magnus full-sister to Gr3 Naturalism winner Magnapal (Lot 495); a Moyboycharlie colt from the family of talented Qld filly Emmalene (Lot 580); a Pins colt from the a sister to NZ Gr2 runner-up Salsa and the family of Gr3 winner Somepin Anypin (also by Pins) (Lot 44); a Rubick filly from a half-sister to Gr1 Adelaide Cup winner Demerger ( Lot 51); a Sacred Falls colt from a sister to Champion NZ 3YO Sixty Seconds (Lot 490)

There’s also a So You Think filly from Gr3 Tasmanian winner Zacielo’s half-sister in Keeping Score (Lot 454); a chestnut Stratum filly from a half-sister to Listed winners Omnitrader and Stockade; two by Gr1 winner The Quaterback’s sire Street Boss in Lot 189, the half-sister to Listed winning sprinter Pergram from the family of Extension of Time and Snitzerland and Lot 275, the filly from Blessit, a half-sister to Gr3 Mannerism winner Red Flair; a colt by The Factor from the dynamic speed family of Corn (Maizcay, Catbird, Danbird etc) Lot 604; a Toronado colt from a half-sister to Listed Maribyrnong Stakes winner Double Jeopardy (Lot 118); an Unencumbered colt from 8-time winning mare Shabangabang (Lot 601); a Turffontein colt from the family of dual Gr1 winner and Joint Top 3YO Filly of 2005-2006 Mnemosyne (Lot 667); a Zoffany colt from a half-sister to Gr2 2YO winner Byzance Star and a Zoffany filly from the precocious 2YO family of Rosa’s Joy (Lot 714).

The Maluka Thoroughbred draft also features three yearlings by Champion HK Sire and leading NZ sire Tavistock. Lot 130 is the colt from Starbelly, a half-sister to US Gr1 winner Black Mamba. Lot 149 is a colt from five-time winner producer Lady Fashion and Lot 200 is worthy of serious consideration on pedigree alone. She’s the filly from Champion NZ mare and Gr1 winner Veloce Bella.