Karaka Colts Deliver Stable Quinella in Northland Breeders’ Stakes

Trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley played a starring role at Ruakaka on Saturday as classy Karaka-sourced colts So Naive (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) and Toruk Makto (NZ) (Eminent) finished first and second in the $100,000 Group Three Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

Wallace Thoroughbreds paid $37,500 to buy So Naive from Book 2 of Karaka 2023, and his five-start career has so far produced three wins and $133,000. Runner-up Torak Makto was a $28,000 purchase and has earned $35,450.

So Naive is the tenth individual stakes winner to come out of Karaka 2023, joining Velocious (Written Tycoon), Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth), Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel), Archaic Smile (Saxon Warrior), Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan), Discretion Rules (Alabama Express), Imperialist (NZ) (Churchill) and Super Photon (NZ) (Super Seth).

A highly promising two-time winner as a two-year-old last season, So Naive also finished fourth in the Group Two Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and midfield in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m). Saturday’s Northland Breeders’ Stakes was the launchpad for his three-year-old season, and he kicked off his campaign on the best possible note.

So Naive had an awkward draw of seven in an eight-horse field, and rider Craig Grylls found himself caught wide in the early stages of the race. But he was happy to stay well away from the rail and let the flashy colt stride forward to settle in third coming down the side of the track.

So Naive pounced on the two leaders in the home straight, overpowering I’m All In (Zoustar) and taking command. Toruk Makto charged home late to eat into his stablemate’s margin, but So Naive sailed past the finish line a length and a quarter in front. On a track that deteriorated significantly on a rainy afternoon, the time was an impressive 1:12.73.

“With the inside getting a bit cut up, I was happy to stay out three wide,” Grylls said. “I was quite happy out there. He is a beautiful, big horse and I was pretty confident a wee way out that we would pick them up. He let down well.

“He wasn’t really comfortable in the ground today, but he showed last season that he has a good turn of foot. I think they are going to be in for a lot of fun with him.”

Cooksley expects So Naive to continue to improve as he gets further into his three-year-old season.

“He has grown and got a bit stronger,” he said. “The further he goes, the better he will get. Give him another six months and he will be even bigger and stronger. So will the second horse, who ran a good race today as well.

“It’s good to see the two-year-olds come back well as three-year-olds, so hopefully they can keep going. I’m not sure where we will see them next, but we will work it out.”

So Naive’s heroics at Ruakaka on Saturday earned him a place on a star-studded roll of honour for the Northland Breeders’ Stakes. Other recent winners of the spring three-year-old feature include Group One stars Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly), Vespa (NZ) (Elusive City), Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock), Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), Lickety Split (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) and Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto).

Vendor	Kilgravin Lodge
Purchaser	Wallace Thoroughbreds (Auckland)
Breeding	U S Navy Flag – Altai Rose
Sale	Lot 654, Karaka 2023 Book 2, $37,500
Bred by	Dr K C Tan