Alamosa On A Roll
10 December 2007
Karaka graduates Alamosa (O'Reilly x Lodore Mystic by Centaine) and Prince Kaapstad (Kaapstad x Brilliant Princess by Spectrum) combined to take the quinella in the Group 2 H.S. Dyke Avondale Guineas (1600m) at Avondale on Saturday.
Bought at the 2006 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$60,000 by the Montego Lodge Partnership, which comprises his trainer Peter McKay, Kim McKay and Trevor Luke, Alamosa has won six of his 13 starts and has been placed second on four occasions. The three-year-old colt his won NZ$386,750 to date, the highlight being his Group 1 Ford Diamond Stakes win last season. This season he burst onto the three-year-old scene winning fresh up at Taupo before taking out the Group 2 Golan Hawkes Bay Guineas and in his last start was narrowly defeated by The Pooka in the Group 1 First Sovereign Trust Two Thousand Guineas (1600m).
Through his fourth dam, the Pakistan II mare Hunza, Prince Kaapstad is related to Alamosa's sire, O'Reilly (Last Tycoon x Courtza by Pompeii Court). Richard Yuill purchased him at the 2006 Karaka Select Sale for NZ$40,000 from Windsor Park Stud.
Alamosa's next assignment will see him make the step up into the weight-for-age ranks forthe Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Fellow Karaka graduate Xcellent (Pentire x Excelo by Centro), who returned to racing last week to down fellow Group 1 winning Karaka graduates Wahid (Almutawakel x Rory's Helen by Rory's Jester)and Sir Slick (Volksraad x Miss Opera by Paris Opera) in the Group 2 Sir James Fletcher Stakes, is also set for the race.
Alamosa, Xcellent and Wahid will all be represented by full or half-siblings at the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale.
Waikato Stud will offer Alamosa's yearling half-brother by No Excuse Needed at Lot 226, Xcellent will be represented by a full-brother on account of Rich Hill Stud at Lot 100 while Highview Stud will offer Lot 330, a half-sister to Wahid by the Stud's first-season-sire Johar.
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