With a history dating back to 1914, Kia Ora Stud has enjoyed its fair share of racetrack success. Taking the reins 24 years ago was the Malaysian-born Ananda Krishnan who is not only continuing to uphold but is strengthening the farm’s legacy.
With the exception of the 2015/16 season, the Kia Ora Stud brand has featured on the shoulder of at least one black-type winner every season for the past 10 years. Responsible for 17 individual stakes winners including two at the elite level, Kia Ora Stud is a proven source of racetrack talent.
Season 2019/20 was a particularly successful year with homebred Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) notching up dual top-flight victories in the G1 William Reid S. and G1 Manikato S. at The Valley. In the same year, current Newgate Farm resident sire Wild Ruler kicked off his career with a superb victory in the R. Listed Inglis Millennium to assert himself as a talent of the future. Returning as a 3-year-old Wild Ruler notched up dual Group 2 wins in the G2 Arrowfield Stud Sprint and G2 Roman Consul S. before claiming elite success in the G1 Moir S. in his 4-year-old season.
Kia Ora Stud have had particularly good luck with Snitzel having bred three stakes winners over the past 10 years by the Arrowfield Stud-based veteran. While elite sprinter Wild Ruler is the most notable Kia Ora Stud-bred progeny by the four-time Champion Sire, Snitzel is also responsible for this year’s Listed Gosford Guineas winner Royal Tribute and G2 Sandown Guineas winner Serasana. Other stallions responsible for multiple Kia Ora-bred stakes winners are Fastnet Rock, All Too Hard and the late Sebring.
Kia Ora is known for its unconventional approach to breeding in that they aren’t afraid of introducing Northern Hemisphere bloodlines to their broodmare band. Almost a quarter of the stakes winners bred by Kia Ora over the past 10 years are Northern Hemisphere purchases. Included is the dam of Wild Ruler and G1 Victoria Oaks runner-up Pavitra (American Pharoah {USA}), Gypsy Robin (USA) (Daaher {USA}), who was a US$750,000 purchase at the 2013 Keeneland November Breeding Sale.
Also acquired in the United States was More Than Real (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}), who’s first foal was the Listed Denise’s Joy S. winner Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock). Raced by Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock, Miss Debutante has certainly proven the recipe successful having produced three successive 2-year-old stakes winning fillies in Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible), Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar) and Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon).
Three eventual Kia Ora broodmares were purchased as yearlings and raced by Kia Ora and/or partners including the dam of dual Group 1-winning sprinter Loving Gaby in Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) who was a NZ$220,000 purchase from the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale. Raced in partnership with astute breeder Alan Bell, Maastricht was a handy filly on the track being Group 2-placed before making an immediate impact in the breeding barn. Since Loving Gaby, who fetched $500,000 at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when purchased by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Maastricht’s yearlings have realised six figures on two occasions while she too realised $2,250,000 at the 2019 Inglis Chairman’s Sale to the bid of Coolmore and James Bester Bloodstock.
A farm steeped in Australian breeding and racing history, Kia Ora Stud continues to assert its status as a producer of elite thoroughbred talent. With the addition of Champion 2-Year-Old and G1 Golden Slipper winner Farnan, G1 Champagne S. winner Captivant and dual Group-winning juvenile Prague to its stallion roster, there is little doubt that the Kia Ora Stud brand will be playing a prominent role in Australia’s black-type races for many seasons to come.
Story courtesy of TTR
