Karaka Premier Yearling Gains Respect
3 January 2007
Zabeel gelding, Respect (ex Kindness), prevailed by half-a-length in the Group 2 Perth Cup (3200m) at Ascot racecourse on New Year's Day in a timely fillip for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series just weeks away.
One of five winners from the Star Way mare, Kindness, including the Group 1 winning juvenile Kindacross (by Cape Cross) and Group 1 placed Kind Return (by Zabeel), Respect will be represented by a half-brother at Lot 220 by promising Zabeel sire son, Don Eduardo. Bred by Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan, the eight-year-old gelding now has eight wins and over A$500,000 in prize money for his group of ten owners.
Trained by Sydney-based Paul Cave with Jason Whiting in the saddle, Respect beat Bay Story in second place, with Rossam a further length away in third. All things going to plan, Respect is reported to be aimed at the Group 1 Century City Developments 2007 Wellington Cup (3200m) set for later this month.
Cambridge Stud resident sire, Zabeel, has sired 104 stakes winners including exceptional Group 1 winners such as Might and Power, Champagne, Octagonal and recently VRC Derby winner, Efficient. He is represented by 20 colts and 8 fillies at the Karaka Premier Yearling Sale, including yearlings from outstanding mares Sunline, Diamond Lover and L'Quiz.
Meanwhile on the Eastern seaboard of Australia at the Victoria Racing Club's meeting held at Caulfield, also on New Year's Day, New Zealand-breds had a successful day with a trifecta and a win in the two feature races on the card.
Watchyerback (Daggers Drawn x Ballyvaskin), trained by Brent Gray and ridden by Vlad Duric, took out the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) convincingly by one-and-a-quarter-lengths. The five-year-old gelding was bred by Gordon Cunningham of Curraghmore Stud, from whom the yearling was purchased by Murray Gain at the 2003 Karaka Autumn Mixed Bloodstock Sale.
In the next race, the Listed Bagot Handicap, (2400m), the Peter Moody trained Reggie (Germano x Crackastar), with Peter Mertens in the saddle, led a New Zealand-bred trifecta ahead of Karaka graduates Hofmeister (Daggers Drawn x Dancing Doll) and Gallic (Zabeel x Gesine) who filled the minor placings. A half-sister to the consistent Gallic, by young sire Van Nistelrooy, will go through the ring at Lot 170 at the Karaka Premier Sale.
Daggers Drawn will be represented by 13 yearlings at the upcoming National Yearling Sales Series from 29 January at Karaka.