How much money do you need to outlay to have some hope of buying a New Zealand Oaks contender?

If the field for the $400,000 Group I feature at Trentham this weekend is any indication, the answer is – not very much.

Half of the 14 horses who comprise the Oaks field have been retained, at least in part, by their breeders and just two came from Book 1 at the 2020 national yearling sale at Karaka.

Three others went through a public auction, with none of the trio making more than $15,000.

Owning a Proisir filly might also be an advantage, as the Rich Hill Stud sire has three runners in the Oaks.

Le Villi, the third favourite for the Oaks, cost just $10,000 as a weanling but was sold to the syndication company Australian Bloodstock this month, following the filly’s impressive run in the Sunline Vase at Ellerslie. I would be safe to assume that the sale prices was a great deal more than $10,000.

Australian Bloodstock have raced a host of top-class horses, including Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist and the 2021 All-Star Mile winner Mugatoo and another recent buy has been leading Kiwi two-year-old Wolverine.

Le Villi is from the first crop left by the New Zealand Derby winner Puccini, who stood for $3,000 at Mapperley Stud last season.

Le Villi will be having just her fifth start on Saturday but has already won twice and caught the eye when running on late for fifth, beaten 2.4 lengths, in the 2100m Sunline Vase. She settled last at Ellerslie, after drawing the outside barrier, and recorded the fastest sectionals in the race for the final 800m, 600m, 400m and 200m.

That was her first run past 1600m and she should be a fitter filly this weekend and suited by a return to a left-hand track.

El Roca filly Flash Mary, who confirmed an Oaks bid when third in the Lowland Stakes, cost $9,250 as a yearling, and Proisir filly Rue Cler was a $15,000 yearling buy from Book 2 at Karaka.

At the other end of the scale, Pierro filly Achieve cost $375,000 at Karaka in 2020 and her yearling half-brother, by Savabeel, was a $575,000 buy for David Ellis this year.

Achieve, who looks a solid chance this weekend, is closely related to race rival and Oaks second favourite The Perfect Pink. Both fillies are from the famous family developed in

Southland by the Dennis brothers and have The Grin, the 2003 NZ Broodmare of the Year, as their third dam.

Achieve was bred by Milan Park proprietor Tony Rider, who is a co-breeder and part-owner of The Perfect Pink.

The other Oaks runner to come from Book 1 at Karaka is Apache Anne, a Tavistock filly from the good racemare La Sizeranne, who was a $40,000 buy for Go Racing.

La Sizeranne, a Group II winner and runner-up in the NZ One Thousand Guineas, has left eight winners, but just one stakes winner. As a result, Apache Anne cost a great deal less than the mare’s first foal, a Redoute’s Choice colt, who made $700,000 at Karaka in 2009.