Big Karaka Cup Payday for August Edition (NZ)

Low-priced Karaka purchase August Edition (NZ) (Alamosa) had the biggest payday of her career to date when she scored a determined victory in Sunday’s $100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup (2200m) at Ellerslie.

The bay daughter of the Reset mare Miranda Miss (NZ) cost just $5,000 at the 2013 National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale at Karaka, and $12,000 at the Festival Yearling Sale a year later. She went into Sunday’s race with $34,025 in prizemoney to her name – a total she nearly trebled with the $56,000 winner’s prize.

Ridden by Rosie Myers for Byerley Park trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, August Edition raced in fourth or fifth position for most of the race before moving forward in the straight alongside the favourites Top Prospect (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Charles Road (Myboycharlie). In an exciting battle to the finish, August Edition edged away to win by half a length.

“We’re really happy,” Emma Clotworthy said. “She did really well. We knew that she wanted a firmer track than last time (sixth in the $100,000 Dunstan Stayers’ Championship on New Year’s Day), and we thought she was working well and would have a good shot at this.”

Raced by Ms C Crosby and C McIlroy, August Edition has now had 16 starts for three wins, four placings and $90,025 in prizemoney.

“It’s really good for the owners,” Clotworthy said. “She’s a difficult horse and it’s been a lot of hard work to get her here. I’m just rapt that today she pulled it off.”

August Edition was bred by Sir Peter and the late Philip Vela along with George and Maryanne Simon, and she is a half-sister to the Group 3 winner The Soultaker (NZ) (Iffraaj). Another half-brother, by Tavistock, will be offered by the Simons’ Mana Park as Lot 385 in Book 1 of Karaka 2018.

The Karaka Cup, which was open to graduates of the National Yearling Sales Series, is a curtain-raiser for two million-dollar races, the Karaka Million 2YO and Karaka Million 3YO Classic, at Ellerslie on January 27.