Lot 410's Gr2-winning dam Twilight Royale (pic: Steve Hart)

A centre for breeding excellence for over 100 years, Kia-Ora Stud is the epitome of horse Heaven. Nestled in a lofty area of the Segenhoe Valley that allows for cooler summers and milder winters, and with access to a limestone-enriched water supply from both the Hunter and Pages Rivers, its alma mater includes contemporary names like triple Gr1 winner Igugu, dual Gr1 winner and Champion Stallion Exceed and Excel, and Gr2 Sires Produce winner Zululand.

Like a number of the drafts at the 2018 Magic Millions, its strategy, from a sire perspective, has been to go with the proven elite and a smattering of the leading freshman chances.

Lot 81 opens affairs, the bay colt by Black Caviar’s Gr1-winning half-brother and leading sire All Too Hard from Gr2-placed More Than Ready mare Mihiri. Featuring a double sex balanced cross of breed-shaper Danehill, it is a lovely family that includes French Gr1 winner Cerulean Sky and Gr1 Irish Oaks winner Moonstone.

The third offering (Lot 246) is also by All Too Hard, this colt being from Fastnet Rock mare Rock of Fortune, from another classic family. This time it’s Gr2 winner Twiglet and sons Fairy King Prawn (Hong Kong Horse of the Year twice) and Gr1 Salinger Stakes winner Easy Rocking.

Just shy of 30 lots later (Lot 278) is the exciting Exceed and Excel colt from Gr2 Edward Manifold Stakes winner Se Sauver, a half-sister to Gr1 South Australian Derby winner Escado. It’s a diverse family that excels from 1000m to 2000m plus, providing limitless scope.

Lot 410 is one of two massively commercial Snitzels in the draft. He is the colt from Gr2 VRC Sires’ Produce-winning Testa Rossa mare Twillight Royale. It’s a nice family that traces to Hong Kong Horse of the Year Designs on Rome. Lot 795, meanwhile, is a chestnut colt from dual US Gr3-winning mare Heart Ashley, already dam of stakes-placed Fastnet Rock filly Ameristralia. It's a strong family that includes Gr1 winner Cupid.

Another with its high class roots in the US is Lot 786, the colt by Fastnet Rock from Gr2-winning Gr1 runner-up Gypsy Robin. This is a dynamic black-type family that includes Gr1 Belmont Man O’ War stakes winner Influent.

Kia-Ora Stud has placed a significant amount of faith in freshman yearling sire Deep Field in its Magic Millions draft, with 6 representatives.

Lot 231 is a colt from Danehill mare Reggae, from a pedigree full of stars. She’s a sister to Gr1 Irish Phoenix Stakes winner Spartacus, Gr2 winner and successful sire Johann Cruyff and Gr3-winning South African import Meteor Shower. Lot 388 is from Fastnet Rock mare Tianjin Rock from the family of HKJC $3 million dollar winner Planet Ruler. Lot 411 is a colt from valuable stakes-placed Lonhro mare Twirl. This is the family of Fastnet Rock. Enough said. 50 lots later is another pedigree where you put a dog ear on the page straight away. A half-sister to South African Horse of the Year and freakish talent in Igugu, Lot 514 is another from the family of Cupid, this time from her multiple stakes-winning daughter Ashley’s Kitty. Lot 619, another well bred filly, rounds out a serious selection of Deep Fields. She is a half-sister to Magic Millions Classic place-getter and stakes winner Candika. Highlight her, obviously, as a serious chance for the big race a year down the track.

Three other freshman yearling sires have offerings in the Kia-Ora draft. Lot 797 is by Snitzel’s tough and speedy son Wandjina, and a half-sister to Gr1 Epsom Handicap winner Captain Sonador. Lot 335 is by Northern Meteor’s Gr1 Caulfield Guineas winning son Shooting To Win from the classy ex-Woodlands / Godolphin family of Gr1 Oakleigh Late winner Sports, Gr2 Silver Shadow winner Seika and current top performer and Gr2 winner Classic Uniform. Lot 582 is by Champion 3YO Colt Brazen Beau from Medaglia d’Oro mare Calvados. A very classy and prolifically talented family, essentially from Queensland, and including stakes winners Key Bar Nights (second dam), Barbed, Dynamic Love and Prioncess Margaret, amongst a host of other stakes placegetters.

And certainly inspect Lot 375. By a consistent purveyor of Group speed in Not A Single Doubt from Lonhro mare Talimena, it's another classic Woodlands / Godolphin family that includes incredible broodmare Peach and her brood of Denman (Gr1 winner and sire), Gr1 VRC Sires’ Produce winer Preserve, and Preserve’s flying colt Safeguard.