"And our bookings have confirmed that. I think we could have 80 Australian trainers and agents here, and that is not counting the owners who come with them or privately.
"So we expect the Australian interest to be really strong, especially after the results we have had there this spring and summer."
Results like Kolding ($170,000 yearling purchase) beating Te Akau Shark in the Epsom, the latter's performance in the Cox Plate, Melody Belle and to a lesser extent Probabeel's form and classic victories like that of Miami Bound ($120,000 yearling) in the VRC Oaks has meant a super-strong spring for Karaka graduates.
"That obviously really helps, horses we sold going on and doing such a big job in Australia," says Seabrook.
"And it also helps to have horses trained here going over there and able to win, or in the case of Te Akau Shark place, in the best races.
"So the Australians have had plenty of reminders of how good our horses are and there will be real interest from there."
Seabrook says the strong array of first-season sires will also add new interest, with plenty of good reports about the stock of Vadamos, Preferment, Belardo and the three new Ts: Tivaci, Turn Me Loose and Tarzino to mention a few of those with their first Karaka reps.
Seabrook and his closest bloodstock lieutenants still expect the greatest interest from overseas buyers to be for the classic type horses, the 1600m-2000m or even extending out to 2400m that New Zealand has become known for.
While Australia specialises in raw speed and Europeans fill plenty of orders for older staying horses, the Guineas, Derby and Oaks have still been fertile ground for New Zealand horses.
"But you might be surprised," says NZB bloodstock sales manager Danny Rolston, who spends much of his working life looking at young horses.
"Those Guineas to Derby type horses might be what many of the Australian buyers predominantly come here for but plenty end up buying others as well, maybe something that might go early and even make a Karaka Million type."
Rolston has been taken by the stock of the first-season sires and says this year's yearlings benefited from the mild winter.
"We saw that right from mid-winter last year when we first get to see these horses.
"There were a lot of well grown, well put together horses and that not only makes for good yearlings but horses who can race on later in life and stay sound."
What is harder to predict next week is the Asian buying bench, with Singapore racing facing its challenges while Hong Kong interest was slightly down on the Gold Coast, so whether the political troubles there impact on next week's sale at all is going to be interesting.
But with champion stallion Savabeel, the unchallenged King of Karaka, certain to hold up his end of the sale and plenty of other positive factors in play the Book 1 sale which starts on Sunday should see plenty of good returns to the industry.
