Karaka Snares Second Tasmanian Cup
25 February 2010
Karaka graduates snared their second Tasmanian feature cup for the season when Larry's Never Late ran away with the Group 3 AAMI Launceston Cup (2400m) yesterday.
The Rodney Douglas trained four-year-old gelding matched up against last start Group 3 Hobart Cup winner Growl (Montjeu), himself a Karaka graduate, and the pair dominated the betting following the late scratching of De Fine Lago.
Positioned just off the pace by Ben Malham, Larry's Never Late (Pentire x Laebeel, by Zabeel) got rolling and took over the lead before straightening. Clearly travelling well Larry's Never Late moved through his gears with the opposition chasing hard but it was clear the bay had outstayed them in the $300,000 event.
Owned by Jonathan Munz's Pinecliff Racing, the Group win was most deserved considering Larry's Never Late, last season alone, had finished fourth or better in five Group or Listed events including the Group 1 Queensland Derby and Group 1 South Australian Derby.
The son of Group 1 Caulfield Cup place-getter Laebeel, Larry's Never Late was bred and sold by famed breeders Te Parae. Fetching $77,500 to the bid of Robert Rouslton at the 2007 Karaka Premier Sale, Larry's Never Late has now earned A$430,000 in prize-money from six victories.
Currently being bred by Little Avondale Stud Laebeel has produced a colt and filly by Pins, and a colt by O'Reilly in the past three seasons.
Larry's Never Late represented the 28th stakes-winner for leading New Zealand sire Pentire whose versatility has seen him produce Group 1 winners at 1200m, 1400, 1600m, 2000m, 2400m, and 3200m.
Pentire proved extremely popular at Karaka 2010 averaging $128,765 for 34 lots sold with a top price of $600,000 paid by Hajime Kaneko of Japan for a full brother to Group 1 placed Resolution.
The stock of Pentire were especially popular with Australian buyers who included Team Corstens, Danny O'Brien, Peter Moody, Mark Kavanagh, Johnston Houlahan Bloodstock, John Chalmers Bloodstock, Bede Murray, Bevan Laming, John Foote Bloodstock, Chris Waller, Waratah Thoroughbreds, Richard Jolly, G & G Bloodstock, Doug Harrison,� and Bert Vieira.
Pentire is already making a name for himself as a broodmare sire as well through the deeds of Shoot Out (High Chaparral) in the Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes and Cassandra Shadow (Johannesburg) in the Group 3 West Australian Oaks.
Your next opportunity to purchase Pentire mare will come at the Selwyn River Stud Sale to be conducted on 26 March.
Lot 50, Indigo Moon, is a race winning daughter of Pentire from four-time winner Chinablue (Half-Iced). Her half-brother China White (Danske) is most famous for winning four races in seven days over the Christmas-New year period last season for Michael Pitman, with the family also including Group-winning and Group-performed gallopers Chance for Gold, Esquire Gray, and Squire Gray.
Indigo Moon will be sold with a filly at foot from the first crop of Champion Canadian 2YO Edenwold, and carrying a foal in utero by the same sire with a last service date of 3-Nov-2009.