Million Dollar Double 

In a rare feat, two of Karaka's million dollar yearling graduates, sharing a common breeder, purchaser, trainer and jockey, took out two of the feature races at Trentham on Saturday.

Darci Brahma (Danehill x Grand Echezeaux) and Don Garcia (Danehill x Beyond the Sunset) stole the show with standout performances at the Wellington meeting.  The million dollar colts both stepped out red hot favourites and never looked like disappointing.

In a winning combination, both were bred by Peter and Philip Vela at Pencarrow Stud in Cambridge, both were sold at Karaka for in excess of $1m, both were purchased by David Ellis of Te Akau Stud, both are trained by Mark Walker in Matamata, and both were ridden by in form jockey, Michael Walker. 

Exciting two year old, Don Garcia, made it two from two with a win in the Listed Life Members Wellesley Stakes (1000m) early in the day.  In spite of Paul Moroney's quip to his team to "send those Te Akau jokers wild", Joker's Wild (Black Minnaloushe x Miss Rory) wasn't able to hold Don Garcia at bay and, despite a strong performance, was beaten by a long neck on the line.

Don Garcia was puchased by David Ellis for $1,050,000 from the Karaka Premier Sale earlier this year and is raced by a syndicate of New Zealand owners. Joker's Wild was bred by Te Mania Thoroughbreds and was purchased from the Karaka Select Sale for $40,000 by Paul Moroney.

The main event of the day, the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1500m), saw blueblood three year old Darci Brahma, once again put pay to his challengers with a stylish one and three quarter length victory.  A $1,100,000 Karaka purchase, Darci Brahma showed his class with his sixth win from eight starts, leaving Captain Kurt (Volksraad) in second place and Chettak (Almutawakel) in third.

Darci Brahma was the country's Champion Two Year Old at the 2005 Mercedes Awards in August. Trainer, Mark Walker, now has Darci Brahma headed for the Group 1 Christchurch Casino Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton on 12 November and after a spell hopes to race him in Melbourne in the Autumn.

Pencarrow Stud will be offering yearlings by both mares at the National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka in January.  Group 1 winning mare, Grand Echezeaux (Zabeel) will see her second foal go through the ring, a colt by Stravinsky. Beyond the Sunset (Gone West), who last week foaled a filly by Thorn Park, will this year offer a colt by No Excuse Needed.