Boundless Bounces Back to Best Form
4 November 2009
Karaka graduate Boundless bounced back to her very best form yesterday in the Group 3 Nicholas Feuillatte Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie a year to the day after she competed in the 2008 Melbourne Cup.
The 2008 Group 1 New Zealand Oaks winner, and 2008 Group 1 AJC Oaks runner-up, Boundless (Van Nistelrooy x Nothing Less, by Star Way) returned as a four-year-old to run fourth in the 2008 Kelt Capital Stakes before flying to Victoria at Carnival time where she ran mid-field in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
This season as a five year old Boundless has been quietly built up to the 2000m journey she faced yesterday. In fact the Group 3 event was her sixth start this preparation and trainer Stephen McKee's patience was well rewarded when the class mare showed her true form by taking the $70,000 event yesterday by three-quarters of a length.
Settled just off the pace by New Zealand's leading jockey James McDonald, Boundless came with a devastating finish in the straight to finish over the top of fellow NZB graduate Sand Hawk (Sandtrap), with Ginga Dude (Istidaad) running home for third.
The win was her sixth from 24 starts, with her earnings now $543,000 for owners Paul Dollimore, Trevor McKee, Neil Miller, and Cherry Taylor.
Boundless, out of a full-sister to stakes winners Twinkling and Zero Limit, will now head towards the Group 2 DHL Counties Cup set to take place at Pukekohe Park on 21 November.
An $80,000 purchase at Karaka by Trevor McKee from the draft of Trelawney Stud, Boundless is by Van Nistelrooy (Storm Cat) who stood his last season at Trelawney in 2006.
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| �Van Nistelrooy (USA) |
The sire of�10 stakes-winners�in New Zealand, from just over 100 runners, Van Nistelrooy�has proved a successful sire with the likes of Boundless, More Bountiful (Group 2 winner and Hong Kong's Most Improved Horse of 2008/09), �Onceuponatime (winner of the Singapore Group 1 Singapore Guineas), and dual NZ Group 2 winner Ruud Van Slaats flying the flag high for Van Nistelrooy.
His last NZ�crop are now two-year-olds and Karaka's Ready to Run Sale on 17 November will see four juveniles by the Group 1 producing sire go through the Karaka ring. These include:
Lot 27 - Bay Gelding - Van Nistelrooy x Montrose (Maroof) - Kilgravin Lodge
- This gelding is from the wonderful full 'Belle' family with his grand-dam, Group 2 winning Christiana Belle, leaving Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes winner Zino Belle.
- Click here for breeze-up clip.
Lot 39 - Chestnut Gelding - Van Nistelrooy x Oloroso (Star Way) - Esker Lodge
- This gelding is bred on the same Van Nistelrooy/Star Way cross as Boundless.
- This is the family of Group winners Lavender Hill and her descendents Khamacruz, Dopff, Rizon, Ready to Lift, and Regent Street.
- �Click here for breeze-up clip.
Lot 99 - Bay Colt - Van Nistelrooy x Snuff (Deputy Governor) - Poplar Lodge
- This colt is out of ten time winning Snuff, herself the dam of four foals to race for four winners of fourteen races between them.
- Click here for breeze-up clip.
Lot 287 - Chestnut Filly - Van Nistelrooy x Jet Show (Jetball) - Phoenix Park
- The sole Van Nistelrooy filly in the Sale, this filly is a half-sister to four winners including stakes placed Flypass.
- �Her dam is a half-sister to dual Australian Group 1 winner Riverdale.
- Click here for breeze-up clip.