Curraghmore’s Title Defence

Karaka 2013 was a historic year for vendor Curraghmore Stud, becoming the leading vendor of the Sale Series for the first time, breaking the 32-year reign of the formidable Cambridge Stud.

Gordon Cunningham with Tom Magnier at Karaka 2013.

Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud finished on top of the Vendor tables by both aggregate and average for the Premier Sale and the combined National Yearling Sales Series, selling 29 Lots for a total of $7,974,500 at an average of $274,983.

The Stud was also responsible for the sale-topping yearling, a colt by Fastnet Rock out of Celebria, the dam of Group 1 winner Gathering (Tale of the Cat) and Group 3 winner Florentina (Redoute’s Choice). The colt fetched $1,975,000, the fifth highest price ever go through the ring at Karaka, purchased by Coolmore Stud’s Tom Magnier.

The Waikato-based farm has a proven record of selling top class yearlings at Karaka, including five individual stakes winners coming from their 2010 Karaka Premier Sale draft alone. Amongst them were the $1m Karaka Million winner Fort Lincoln (Charge Forward), a $110,000 purchase by Lisa Latta, and Group 2 Matriarch Stakes winner Girl Gone Rockin’ (Redoute’s Choice), a $380,000 purchase by Australian-based Rosemont Stud.

Cunningham, originally from Ireland, will be looking to defend his Leading Vendor title at Karaka 2014 and once again brings a strong draft of yearlings by the best local and international sires including Fastnet Rock, Galileo, High Chaparral, O’Reilly, Pins, Redoute’s Choice and Stravinsky.

“We are very proud of what we achieved in the sale ring last year but most importantly it is what the horses go on and do afterwards, that is the most important thing,” stated Cunningham.

“Ultimately we are about producing good racehorse. Our aim is to raise and condition good racehorses, what they achieve in the sale ring is out of our control.

“I feel our draft this year has been well-received and I have confidence that it is up to our normal high standard in terms of potential as racehorses. I feel we are providing more potential in our draft every year and in my eyes that is based on the number of well-performed horses we have had over the years, those good yearlings that have gone on to be good racehorses.”

Curraghmore Stud has 40 yearlings catalogued for Karaka 2014, with 27 Lots in the Premier Sale and 13 Lots in the Select Sale.

Curraghmore’s Premier Sale highlights include:

• Lot 9 – A son of Fastnet Rock out of stakes performed Irish mare Festival Princess(Barathea).
• Lot 207 – A colt by Fastnet Rock out of triple Group 2 winning American mare Randaroo (Gold Case), the dam of stakes performer Gripsholm Castle (Dynaformer).
• Lot 423 – A filly by Stravinsky from the winning Zabeel mare Clarissa, the dam of Listed winner Holy Moly (Holy Roman Emperor).
• Lot 429 – A colt by High Chaparral out of Crimson Dawn (Fasliyev), the dam of this season’s Listed winner Miss Rose de Lago(Encosta de Lago).
• Lot 459 – By High Chaparral out of the stakes placed American mare El Laoob (Red Ransom), the dam of three stakes performers including the dual Group 3 winner Pachattack (Pulpit).

Curraghmore also has a strong Select Sale draft of 13 yearlings that include well-related horses such as:

• Lot 605 – Full-sister to stakes performer Poste Restante (Postponed) out of the stakes placed mare Little Tee (Volksraad).
• Lot 648 – The first foal of Listed winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter Mill Duckie (Magic Ring) by freshman sire Shocking.
• Lot 923 – Daughter of stakes winning mare Aimee’s Idol (Colombia) by Volksraad.
• Lot 1001 – Daughter of dual Group 1 winning mare Cinder Bella (Victory Dance) by Alamosa.

Currghamore Stud also has online videos to accompany each of its 2014 Karaka entries in the Premier Sale draft and Select Sale draft.