Half-Brother to Midnite Promise at Karaka 2014

The Karaka Festival Sale received a timely boost ahead of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series with Midnite Promise (NZ) (Librettist) prevailing in the Listed $50,000 Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m) on Saturday.

The Ready to Run Sale graduate has a half-brother by Ekraar catalogued in the Festival Sale at Lot 1143 for Highbury Park.

The John Reece trained gelding was a winner on debut, coming from well back to win over 1200m at Timaru. The son of Librettist maintained his unbeaten record with his second win from as many starts on Saturday.

Ridden by Jamie Bullard, Midnite Promise missed the start but recovered to sit mid-field in the three-year-old feature at Gore. Bullard was able to find a gap in the straight through a wall of horses and Midnite Promise burst to the front to win by three-quarters of a length from Timy Tyler (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) and Lukander (NZ) (Henrythenavigator) a further three lengths away in third.

“He is a horse that it doesn’t matter what I have done with him he has shown a lot of improvement, he is a very intelligent horse,” remarked Reece. “The way he won at Timaru, he didn’t just win that race he bolted in, he was near last and he just blew them away.

“I did expect a good run but I said to Jamie Bullard if he runs in the money I’ll be over the moon. Jamie said when this horse learns to race you will have a lot of fun.

“I have been in horses a long time and I don’t think I have had a horse with such a laidback attitude, nothing is a problem with him.

“If he is not sold, he will go to the Dunedin Guineas and if he goes well there he will go to the Southland Guineas.

“I would love to get up to the Festival Sale, the half-brother is not a bad type, he has a bit of growing to do and is virtually a spitting image of this guy but a different colour.”

Saturday’s stakes success was the second win in the horse’s career and has earned $35,625 for his owners J P Reece & Miss J Webster.

Bred by Killarney Bay Bloodstock Ltd, Midnite Promise is out of La Luciole (Last Tycoon), a daughter of Group 3 winner Mamzelle Perdu (Vite Cheval). The gelding was passed in at the New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2012 Ready to Run Sale when offered by Bydawhile.