High Octane Heads NZB Trifecta in Manawatu Cup
21 December 2009
The first three home in the Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) on Saturday were all purchased from Karaka, with High Octane prevailing over Manonamission and Bakup.
High Octane (Towkay x Trendy and True, by Prince True) was a deserved winner of the $70,000 Cup after beginning tardily, working three deep to take a handy position and kicking for jockey Lisa Allpress on the final turn.
The field of 18 closed on High Octane in the final stages but the seven-year-old had done enough to hold on by a long head, with the next ten finishers all within two lengths of victory.
Trained by Gregor Robson, who shares the ownership of High Octane with his wife Donna and Mrs IJP Stewart, High Octane is from the third crop of his successful sire Towkay (Last Tycoon).
Offered at NZB's 2003 National Weanling Sale by Bloomsbury Stud, High Octane fetched $9,500 to the bid of Lawrence Fleming.
High Octane is one of ten stakes winners produced by Towkay, with others including Group 1 victors Armada, Ambitious Owner and Special Mission, as well as Laurie Laxon's rising Singapore star, Ace Aliado.
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| �Little Avondale Stud's Towkay |
With the success of his male progeny throughout Asian racing circuits, and his ability to leave fast and durable race fillies and mares, Towkay has carved a niche for himself within the industry and his 20 yearlings (Premier, Select, and Festival)�and �are sure to attract spirited bidding at NZB's National Yearling Sales in February.
These are highlighted by three colts in the Premier Sale (1 & 2 February):
Lot 32 - Towkay x Lycsis (Final Card) - Wentwood Grange
��������� Lycsis, a half-sister to dual Group 1 winning juvenile Lycra, is the dam of four foals to race for four winners including this season's Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes winner, Brown Eyed Grace (Van Nistelrooy).
Lot 223 - Towkay x Ulmer (Carnegie) - Whakanui Stud
��������� The first foal of Ulmer, a placed half-sister to speedy Australian Group 2 winner Hips Don't Lie (Stravinsky).
Lot 234 - Towkay x Wake Up Suzie (Hereward the Wake) - Little Avondale Stud
��������� From stakes-winning Wake Up Suzie, this colt is a full-brother to fast six-time winning sprinter Kay's Awake who captured the Listed Newmarket Handicap and placed in the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap (twice) and Group 1 Waikato Draught Sprint (twice).
The 2010 Karaka National Yearling Sales Series ( 1- 8 February) is set to start in six weeks time with over 1600 horses catalogued over seven days of selling.