Countdown on for Southern Showcase

5 August 2008

The countdown is on for New Zealand Bloodstock's South Island Sale of 2YOs and Mixed Bloodstock, to be held this Friday 8 August from 10am�at the Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch.

Five supplementary lots comprising three two-year-olds, a yearling and a racehorse, have been added to the catalogue from lots 214 to 218. In addition the main catalogue boasts 213 horses including 173 unraced two-year-olds plus broodmares, yearlings and racehorses.

Master-O'Reilly---Caulfield-Cup

�2007 BMW Caulfield Cup winner and South Island Sale graduate, Master O'Reilly.

The Southern showcase has had much to crow about with the past season's racing uncovering some talented graduates, the highlight undoubtedly being this season's Group 1 BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) winner, Master O'Reilly.

Bred in Rakaia, the salmon capital of New Zealand, Liam Sutcliffe Holdings bought Master O'Reilly (O'Reilly x Without Remorse by Bakharoff) from his breeders, David and Pat Jones of Paritai Stud, for $75,000 in 2004. With his hefty purse from winning one of the world's greatest 2400 metre handicap races, the five-year-old's bank balance now stands at A$1,990,150.

Meanwhile in Malaysia, Kiko's Return (Minardi x Joe's Girl by Amalgam) continued New Zealand's extraordinary derby winning streak by winning the Listed Perak Derby (2400m). He was bought at the 2005 South Island Sale by Stephen Marsh who bid $28,000 to secure the colt from Java Lodge. Trained by Johnny Lim, remarkably it was also the four-year-old's sixth win in a row. �

The Sale has also unearthed another Derby winner, this time in the $5,500 purchase Ka Lam Fortune (My Halo x Winkum by Waikiki Star) who added the Listed Macau Derby to his list of successes.

Proving an outstanding investment for Invercargill based owner-trainer Sabin Kirkland, the $1,000 purchase Eel Win (San Luis x Escapade by Deputy Governor) is now the winner of six races with 11 placings, five of them at stakes-level, for $124,475 in prizemoney. Bred by Dave and Pam Platt, he was sold by leading South Island vendors Berkley Stud.

Barbara Wigley's 2006 purchase, Thimble (Pins x Exposed by Exploding Prospect) improved her value, not only as a racehorse, but also for her future as a broodmare, when winning the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes (1400m). The race was the second of four Listed events in New Zealand Bloodstock's Southern Filly of the Year Series, putting her in a three-way tie for second place in the Series with The Pearler and Cherry Creek.

Winner of another of the coveted races, the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes, Cherry Creek (Monashee Mountain x Stage Flash by Lake Coniston) is also a fellow Sale graduate.

This unique Sale of untried two-year-olds has experienced steady growth year upon year, with a busy crowd at the Canterbury Agricultural Park�last year competing hotly for the horses on offer to provide new�record results. Accommodation is still available in Christchurch for the Sale, contact NZB Marketing Executive, Haylie Martin for assistance with bookings haylie.martin@nzb.co.nz

Click here to view the South Island Sale's pedigree updates.