The Karaka sales series enjoyed another standout day on Saturday as graduates War Eternal, Incandescent and Riverplate delivered black-type victories across Australia and New Zealand, underlining the continuing strength and influence of the renowned auction ring.
Karaka graduates stakes winners.
After a string of near-misses at elite level, War Eternal finally secured a deserved breakthrough at stakes level when taking the A$200,000 Listed Sky Racing Bernborough Handicap over 1600 metres at Doomben Racecourse.
The son of Pierro had previously been placed multiple times in Group Two and Group Three company and had also finished fourth at Group One level, making Saturday’s victory a rewarding moment for connections. Bred by Cambridge Stud, War Eternal was purchased for $160,000 by Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock from Book 1 of Karaka 2020.
The seasoned campaigner has now recorded six wins and eight placings from 38 starts, with earnings climbing to A$934,925.
Stable representative Jim Clarke paid tribute to the gelding’s durability and consistency following the win.
“He’s been a remarkable horse for the stable,” Clarke said. “He’s been around for a long time now and he’s nudging A$1 million in prize-money.”
Clarke noted that the gelding had repeatedly gone close in feature races before finally earning his first stakes success.
“It’s a well-deserved first stakes win, because he’s hit the crossbar a few times now,” he said. “He ran really well at Hawkesbury the other day and he enjoyed getting his toe in the ground here today.”
Top jockey Zac Lloyd partnered the gelding to victory, while Clarke also acknowledged the support of owner Carl Holt and the wider ownership group.
War Eternal’s success added further momentum to the strong season being enjoyed by Karaka graduates.
At Ellerslie Racecourse, promising juvenile Incandescent stamped himself as one of New Zealand’s emerging staying prospects with victory in the Listed Cloudsoft Accounting Champagne Stakes over 1600 metres.
The two-year-old, by Per Incanto, was bought for $200,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2025 after being offered by breeders Little Avondale Stud.
The win continued an outstanding season for Karaka 2025 graduates, with Incandescent becoming the eighth individual juvenile stakes winner from the sale.
Trainer Stephen James said the colt had shown encouraging signs leading into Saturday’s contest.
“I was confident after his work on Tuesday morning, his work was very good,” James said. “It is probably a bit unusual for a Per Incanto two-year-old to be winning over a mile, but I was still confident that he would acquit himself well.”
James also praised jockey Joe Doyle for the way he managed the colt during the race after the tempo eased through the middle stages.
The trainer believes Incandescent is still developing physically and suggested greater improvement could come with maturity.
“When you looked at him in the parade, you could see he is still a little immature,” James said. “This will be his last run. He will come back stronger.”
Previous winners of the Champagne Stakes include notable performers such as Sharp ‘N’ Smart, Quick Thinker and Lion Tamer, adding further significance to Incandescent’s victory.
Meanwhile at Otaki Racecourse, experienced gelding Riverplate produced an emotional victory in the Listed James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup over 1600 metres.
The seven-year-old was originally purchased as a weanling for $55,000 during the 2019 Karaka May Sale after being offered by Curraghmore. He was later bought again from the Leanach Lodge draft at Karaka 2020 by trainer Andrew Campbell.
Riverplate has now won eight races and amassed more than $445,000 in prize-money across a 42-start career spanning both Australia and New Zealand.
Saturday’s success continued a strong autumn campaign for the gelding, whose last six starts have produced three victories.
Campbell described the win as one of the most satisfying of his training career.
“That was just an awesome win,” Campbell said. “In fact, it might be at the top of my list, even though we have won some big races.”
He added that Riverplate’s return from previous setbacks made the achievement especially meaningful for both the stable and ownership group.
“It’s just a feel-good story all round,” Campbell said. “He has a great group of owners who have been with me a long time, plus all my stable staff have a small share in him.”
The trainer also revealed the gelding is likely to enjoy a quieter period before plans are made for his next campaign, while hinting a rise in distance could eventually be considered.
Riverplate’s victory completed a memorable Saturday for Karaka graduates, reinforcing the continuing influence of New Zealand bloodstock on major races across both sides of the Tasman.
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