High Fashion Game in Desert Gold
26 January 2013
The $70,000 Group 3 Tiger Prawn Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham Gardens today was won by the tough High Fashion, winning by nose from Soriano and Lucky Country who dead-heated for second.
Trained by Kevin Gray at Copperbelt Lodge, High Fashion (O'Reilly x High Pin) sat outside the leader after drawing out wide in barrier 14 for jockey Hayden Tinsley and had to dig deep, virtually leading all the way down the long Trentham straight in a great finish.
"I'm very proud of her, she won well last time and she showed a lot of guts today," commented trainer Kevin Gray. "We'll see how she comes through the race, but we are looking at the Lowland next for her as I think she will make a lovely staying filly."
"You never know if they're going to stay or not, but I'm certain she will and we're getting her ready for The Oaks," Gray confirmed.
Soriano (Savabeel) found the line well after being late finding clear air for jockey Opie Bosson, while Lucky Country (Darci Brahma) was gutsy all the way down the straight after backing up from last week's Group 2 Phil Cataldo Bloodstock Wellington Guineas.
High Fashion will collect six points for her win while Soriano will pick up three points and moves into second equal with Rollout the Carpet (Holy Roman Emperor) on 15 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series.
Lucky Country receives three points with the next race in the Series set to be the $100,000 Group 2 Sir Tristram Classic at Waikato on February 9.
High Fashion was bought by Stephen Gray for $30,000 at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale from Waikato Stud and is now raced from his father's stable by Howard and Pam Forbes.
Kevin Gray will be trying something new next week, presenting his first horses at Karaka 2013. Kevin and Kathleen are offering two colts, one in the Premier Sale, Lot 431 from Wellfield Lodge, and Lot 774 from Kirkwall Thoroughbreds in the Select Sale.
"I've been coming to the sales for 40 years and this is the first time that I've ever sold a horse here," commented Gray. "They're both out of mares that we've raced and it's going to be good fun to see how they go."
O'Reilly will be represented by 47 yearlings in the Karaka Premier Sale starting next Monday 28 January and also has 16 yearlings on offer in the Karaka Select Sale with the highlights including:
� Lot 218 is half-brother to stakes winners Amarylis (Red Ransom) and Papilio (Redoute's Choice).
� Lot 231 is a full-sister to Group 1 winner and promising sire Alamosa (O'Reilly)
� Lot 264 is a half-sister to Group 1 winners Headturner (Anabaa) and Anacheeva (Anabaa).
Waikato Stud has 38 yearlings in the Premier Sale, all by their resident sires O'Reilly, Pins and Savabeel. To see their line-up, click here.
For more information contact NZB on +64 9 298 0055