Group Three Feature Headlines NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series
24 September 2020
Saturday’s Group Three NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series (1400m) at New Plymouth is the headline event in a series of new spring sponsorships by New Zealand Bloodstock.
The $70,000 feature is one of eight NZB Ready to Run Sale race sponsorships introduced this spring as an incentive to support New Zealand trainers to attend the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka in November.
Saturday’s Group Three feature has drawn a quality field with the likes of Group One winner Ladies First (NZ) (Dylan Thomas), Group Two winners Demonetization (All Too Hard) and Watch This Space (NZ) (Elusive City), Listed winner London Express (NZ) (Shamexpress) and black-type performers Go Nicholas (NZ) (Danroad), Rosewood (NZ) (Redwood), Lady Kartel (NZ) (Tavistock) and Blue On Black (Camelot).
The Group Three NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series will be run as Race 7 at New Plymouth on Saturday with a start time of 3:30pm.
Working alongside partners, NZB will award the winning trainer of each sponsored race the following prize package:
- A $500 travel voucher towards the 2020 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka.
- A $600 insurance voucher towards insurance for one purchase at the 2020 Ready to Run Sale, courtesy of NZB Insurance.
- A Majestic Horse Transport voucher ($150 for a central series race or $300 for a southern series race) towards transport of one 2020 Ready to Run Sale purchase, courtesy of Majestic Horse Transport.
- A three-month subscription to the Raceform weekly production, including courier delivery.
In the lead-up to the Ready to Run Sale on 18 and 19 November, the remainder of the NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series Races will be run at Riccarton on 3 October, Hawera on 10 October, Hastings on 17 October, Riccarton on 24 October, Trentham on 25 October and Riccarton on 7 November.
This year’s Ready to Run Sale will be held as a physical sale at Karaka on 18 and 19 November, with Breeze Ups conducted at Te Rapa Racecourse 12 and 13 October.
View the full catalogue online here.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Go Nicholas | 7 | The well-performed Go Nicholas (NZ) (Danroad) has won nine of his 43 starts and more than $248,000 in stakes. He hit a purple patch of form last season, winning four times in eight appearances and finishing close up behind Group One winner The Mitigator (Master of Design) in the Group Three Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m). | Shelley Hale | Chad Ormsby |
| 2 | Ladies First | 17 | Bought for just $8,000 at the 2014 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale at Karaka, high-class stayer Ladies First (NZ) (Dylan Thomas) has won nine races and more than $500,000. Her biggest win came in the Group One Auckland Cup (3200m) in March of 2018. | Allan Sharrock | Sam O'Malley |
| 3 | Rosewood | 11 | Rosewood (NZ) (Redwood) was another low-priced purchase at the 2014 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale, picked up for $4,000. Her career has so far featured 10 wins and more than $264,000 in stakes, including second placings in the Group Three Winter Cup (1600m) and Listed Opunake Cup (1400m). | Marilyn Paewai | Darryl Bradley |
| 4 | Demonetization | 6 | Formerly a high-class three-year-old who won the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1600m), Demonetization (All Too Hard) has made a welcome return to top form in his latest campaign. He kicked off with back-to-back wins at Avondale and Matamata, then flew home for a last-start fourth in the Group Two Foxbridge Plate (1200m). He was a $220,000 purchase at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. | Nigel Tiley | Johnathan Parkes |
| 5 | Swisswatch | Scratched | |||
| 6 | Watch This Space | 3 | Watch This Space (NZ) (Elusive City) is no stranger to this level of competition. His biggest win came in the Group Two Japan-NZ Trophy (1600m) in 2016, and he has placed in another four black-type races including two editions of the prestigious Group One Thorndon Mile (1600m). | Wayne Hillis | Kozzi Asano |
| 7 | London Express | 2 | A talented daughter of Shamexpress, London Express (NZ) won the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old and later placed in the Listed Wanganui Fillies' Stakes (1200m). She has finished first and second in her last two starts, and she has won twice from four starts on her home track. | Allan Sharrock | Hazel Schofer |
| 8 | Supreme Heights | 18 | Supreme Heights (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) was passed in with a $10,000 reserve at the 2017 Festival Sale at Karaka. She has won five of her 14 starts, placing on another three occasions and earning almost $90,000 to date. | Mark Brosnan | Samantha Collett |
| 9 | Happy Star | 19 | By unheralded sire Fabulous, the talented Happy Star (NZ) has picked up five wins and two seconds from his 13 starts to date. He was close up behind the placegetters in last month's Group Three Winter Cup (1600m). | Johno Benner & Hollie Wynyard | Rosie Myers |
| 10 | Lupelani | 14 | Veteran mare Lupelani (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) has struggled for form in recent starts, but she has won eight races and more than $112,000. She was a close sixth in the Group Three Taranaki Breeders' Stakes (1400m) around this time last year. | Nigel Tiley | Chelsea Burdan |
| 11 | Cherry Lane | 9 | Redwood mare Cherry Lane (NZ) is compiling a good record, having won six races from 22 starts to date. She has scored strong wins in two of her last four starts, and ran good races for fourth placings in each of the other two. | Nicholas Bishara | Danielle Hirini |
| 12 | Lady Kartel | 4 | Lady Kartel (NZ) (Tavistock) was a $13,000 purchase at the 2015 Festival Sale. She has picked up three wins, nine placings and $67,950 from 26 starts, including a third placing in last year's Group Three Taranaki Breeders' Stakes (1600m). | Trudy Keegan | Trudy Thornton |
| 13 | Blue On Black | 5 | Bought for $90,000 at the 2016 National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale, Blue On Black (Camelot) has had 14 starts for three wins, four placings and $64,600 in stakes. He placed in last year's Group Three Manawatu Classic (2000m). He has won two recent trials to prepare him for this resuming run, including a five-length defeat of subsequent Group One winner Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) at Foxton. | Anne Herbert | |
| 14 | Spring Tide | 13 | Darci Brahma gelding Spring Tide (NZ) has shown admirable consistency, recording three wins, three placings and two fourths from just nine starts to date. | Chrissy Bambry | Leah Hemi |
| 15 | Conor O'Ceirin | 10 | Conor O'Ceirin (NZ) (Dial a Prayer) comes into this race in impressive form, having won all of his three starts in this preparation. | Kevin Rohloff | Temyia Taiaroa |
| 16 | Sweet Clementine | 16 | Sweet Orange mare Sweet Clementine (NZ) has won three of her nine starts and was a close last-start fifth behind Group One star Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux). | Richard Collett | |
| 17 | Tammie Wynette | Scratched | |||
| 18 | Boundtobehonoured | 12 | Boundtobehonoured (Darci Brahma) has recorded two wins and four placings from 15 starts, and she was a close last-start fourth at Te Rapa behind black-type performer Karalino (NZ) (Zacinto). | Tony Pike | |
| 19 | Viktor Vegas | 1 | Tavistock gelding Viktor Vegas (NZ) has had 18 starts for three wins and three placings. He has a particularly good record on heavy track conditions. | Peter Lock | |
| 20 | Bransome | 15 | Still going strong at the age of 11, Bransome (NZ) (Handsome Ransom) has had 30 starts for four wins, nine placings and $63,920 in stakes. | Frank Neill |