NZ Horses Snatch Group 1 Double in Brisbane

An outstanding result for New Zealand was attained on Saturday in Brisbane with Kiwi horses taking out the last three races on the card, including two group ones. The BMW Queensland Derby (2400m) produced an outstanding New Zealand bred quinella with Lachlan River (Desert King x Vivesha) coming in ahead of Lords a Leaping (Zabeel x Turtle Dove). Lachlan River was a $40,000 purchase from the 2003 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale. From the Waikato Stud draft he sold to long time New Zealand Bloodstock client John Morrissey, acting on behalf of Gundaroo Stud's Len Hoyle. Mr Hoyle has been a prominent buyer in New Zealand over the last 15 years, and this was his second Queensland Derby win with a New Zealand Bloodstock yearling purchase. They also won the race in 1999 with Camarena (Danehill x Canny Miss).

In the Group 1 AAMI Stradbrook Double (1400m) the grey New Zealand bred stallion, St Basil (Vettori x Dewarmar), came in with a well deserved win ahead of South African bred, Perfect Promise (Caesour x Meretricious) and Shamekha (Secret Savings x Lifetime Story).

Rounding off a great day's racing for New Zealand was the Kiwi team of Graeme Sanders, Noel Harris and Anna Carina (Danske x Lidahya). The chestnut mare produced a one length victory in the last of the day, the Myer Peter Gallagher Stakes (2212m). Just Polite (Dehere x Polly's Pocket) and Chinbok (Covetous x Candace Pearl) rounded off the placings. Just Polite is a 2001 Premier Sale graduate, from the Bloomsbury Stud draft, she sold for $90,000 to Mr A W Noonan.

Other Results:

Hong Kong

Regency Horse (Stravinsky x Rivertaine) won the Class 3 Kiu Tsui Handicap (1400m) ahead of two other New Zealand Horses, Circuit Kingdom (O'Reilly x Hikutaia Special) and Brilliant Flash (Anabaa x French Flute). Both Regency Horse and Brilliant Flash are graduates of the Karaka sales ring with Regency Horse selling from the Little Avondale Stud draft at the 2003 Premier Sale for $60,000 to Mr Ray Coupland. Brilliant Flash was sold by Trelawney Stud at the 2002 Premier Sale for $85,000 to Mr Geoff Lane.