Karaka Ready to Run Sale Topper Group 1 Bound
13 November 2009
In a timely boost for the Karaka Ready to Run Sale, King Raedwald, last year's sale topper at $400,000, produced a top performance yesterday at Otaki to win The Edge 97.3 FM Maiden (1400m).
The win came at just his second start and provided real substance to reports that the colt with a stallion's pedigree could run as well as his physical conformation and 2008 breeze-up would have you believe.
King Raedwald (Red Ransom x Lady Circles, by Ascot Knight) is trained in New Zealand by Kevin Gray, father of Singapore trainer Stephen Gray who purchased the brown colt from Esker Lodge at the 2008 Karaka Ready to Run Sale.
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| �King Raedwald, breezing up before last year's Karaka Ready to Run Sale as Lot 62 for Esker Lodge |
Ridden yesterday by Hayden Tinsley, King Raedwald found the fence three lengths off the leader. Rounding the home bend, the son of Red Ransom needed gaps, and given the ease at which he was travelling behind the leaders, Tinsley was able to angle him out into clear running.
Otaki race-caller Tony Lee said it all on the post, "{King Raedwald] went bang, all over, big performance."
King Raedwald beat his rivals by two lengths and now has in his sights the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) on Friday 27 November, a fortnight from today.
Kevin Gray comments, "I have always thought he was a lovely horse and it was only wet tracks at home that stopped us getting the necessary work into him for a trip to Christchurch for the 2000 Guineas."
King Raedwald will have caught the attention of many of Australasia's leading stud masters being an entire with top selling looks, who is by a top international sire in Red Ransom, and out of Lady Circles, a half-sister to promising young sires Elvstroem (Danehill) and Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus) who both won at Group 1 level in Australia as well as internationally.
King Raedwald is a product of Tom and Shelley Murtagh's Esker Lodge who will present a quality draft of 21 two-year-olds at Tuesday's Sale.
Next Tuesday's (17 November) Karaka Ready to Run Sale will see a sole colt on offer by Red Ransom at Lot 271. From Oxford Thoroughbreds, the bay colt is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Highland Legend and Danabaa (Anabaa), who won his third race in Hong Kong on Wednesday night. Click here to see his breeze-up.
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Ready to Run Success in Hong Kong Too
New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale also tasted success in Hong Kong on Wednesday evening when Jumbo Gold (Flying Spur x Spring Beauty, by Bletchingly) scored in the Oi Man Handicap over 1200m by two lengths.
Jumbo Gold was purchased by Willie Leung's Magus Equine for $280,000 at the 2007 Ready to Run Sale and is now trained by Casper Fownes for Billy Chan Wing Kwong.
Jumbo Gold is a product of Jim Wallace's Ardsley Stud draft who in 2009 will offer two well educated Scaredee Cat geldings at the Ready to Run Sale.
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Impressive Trial Win for Lot 88
Haunui Farm's Lot 88 at the Karaka Ready to Run Sale, a colt from the first crop Group 1 Japan Cup winner Zenno Rob Roy (Sunday Silence), won his first trial at Avondale last week.
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| �Lot 88, Haunui Farm's chestnut colt by Zenno Rob Roy after a bath post trackwork |
The first foal of triple Listed stakes winner Sheka (Sandtrap) started in the first trial of the day over 600m and scored easily by four lengths over Belisarius (General Nediym), with a further five lengths back to third place.
His finishing time of 35.27 was the fastest recorded 2YO Catchweight 600m trial of the day and the strapping chestnut now offers 2009 Karaka Ready to Run buyers the unique opportunity to purchase a trial-winning colt at auction.
The Zenno Rob Roy colt looked good breezing at Te Rapa Racecourse in mid-October where he completed his timed 200m gallop in 12.16 seconds. Click here to view his breeze-up.
New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale begins at 10am, next Tuesday, 17 November, at Karaka.