First Australian Stakes Winner for Van Nistelrooy

New Zealand Bloodstock's upcoming Ready to Run Sale, scheduled for the 20 & 21 November, received a further boost on Saturday in the form of Listed MRC Winning Presentation Cup winner Vandalo (Van Nistelrooy x Riverly Lass).

A graduate of the 2006 Sale Vandalo was bought for NZ$115,000 by Lee Hope before being placed in training with Melbourne-based Shannon Hope. Partnered by Jockey Blake Shinn, the handsome chestnut showed a late burst of speed to see off tough competition from Clinton McDonald's Blue Sky and Lee Freedman's Teskara to take the 1400m contest by a neck.

The blue blooded colt is a half-brother to Group One winner Zirna (Deputy Governor) and to stakes winner Amazing Me (Deputy Governor). His victory marks the first Australian stakes winner and sixth stakes winner worldwide for his promising young sire Van Nistelrooy. MORE

WEEKEND WINS FOR NZB GRADUATES

Also flying the flag for Karaka graduates over the weekend was the winner of the Rotorua RC Lion Red Plate, Irlanda (O'Reilly x Cenphic). Bought for $38,000 by the Broadway Partnership from the Karaka Select Sale, Irlanda edged ahead of second-placed challenger, and fellow Select Sale graduate, Kay's Awake (Towkay x Wake Up Suzie) to take the Listed contest by three quarters of a length.

Karaka graduates registered two further strong performances at Rotorua with the second and third-placed finishers in the Listed Rotorua Challenge Plate. Dead Rabbits (Slavic x Blanche Amelia) was bought by Poplar Lodge at the National Weanling Sale for NZ$2,000 before being resold at the Festival Yearling Sale for NZ$15,000 to Mr Don Dwyer and third-place finisher Figure of Speech (Seven Figures x Colmerino) was knocked down to Mr McCarroll for NZ$5,000 at the National Weanling Sale.

Other notable performers also include Hong Kong campaigners Medic Power (Bertolini x Quintessence) and Egyptian Ra (Woodborough x Egyptian Queen) who both finished third in the Group Three HKJC Premier Bowl and Group Three Sha Tin Trophy respectively. Medic Power was purchased by Lance O'Sullivan for NZ$45,000 at the Select Yearling Sale from Kirkwell Thoroughbreds while Egyptian Ra was offered at the same sale by Canterbury Park Farm.