NZB Graduates Dominate Singapore Derby Day

New Zealand Bloodstock graduates achieved an incredible one-two-three-four finish in the S$1.15 million Sgp-1 Emirates Singapore Derby headed by Well Done (NZ) (Falkirk), but their dominance of Sunday’s Kranji meeting was not limited to the feature race as they won nine of the 11 races on the card. An impressive 82% winning strike rate.

It started with the first race of the day, where Mark Eclipse (Nicconi) scored by half a length. He was ridden by Corey Brown for trainer Steven Burridge.

Mark Eclipse was offered by 888 Bloodstock Ltd at the 2014 Ready to Run Sale and sold to Mr I Hartono for $85,000. The three-year-old is well on the way to recouping that cost, having earned S$72,560 (NZ$73,817) so far with two wins and a placing from seven starts.

Pentagon (NZ) (Ekraar) was a highly impressive winner of race two, thumping his rivals by four and a half lengths for rider Sam Subian and trainer David Hill.

Offered by Bradbury Park, Pentagon didn’t reach his $30,000 reserve at the 2014 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. On Sunday he won more than that amount in a single hit. Overall he has now had six starts for one win, two placings and prize-money of S$57,757 (NZ$58,760).

Expat New Zealand trainer Stephen Gray won the third race with Lim’s Dashing (NZ) (Darci Brahma), a comfortable winner by a length and three-quarters under Australian jockey Danny Beasley.

Lim’s Dashing was offered by Wentwood Grange at the 2014 Select Sale and sold to Hiwi Lodge for $100,000. The gelding has had three starts so far for two wins and a second, earning S$94,668 (NZ$96,308) in prize-money.

The Karaka graduates’ winning roll continued in race four as Super Line (NZ) (Shamoline Warrior) scored a thrilling photo-finish win in the S$60,000 sprint.

Trainer Michael Clements purchased Super Line from Emily Holmes Racing’s draft at the 2014 Ready to Run Sale for $70,000. The gelding is unbeaten in two starts to date, earning S$66,937 (NZ$68,097).

It became five in a row when Magstock (NZ) (Tavistock) came from last to score a thrilling win in the next event for jockey Michael Rodd, who later won the Derby on Well Done.

Magstock made two visits to the Karaka sale ring. He was offered by Cambridge Stud at the 2014 Select Sale, where Shailer Thoroughbreds purchased him for $20,000. He returned as part of Bradbury Park’s draft for the Ready to Run Sale later that year, picked up by trainer Cliff Brown for $50,000. Magstock has had 10 starts for two wins, three placings and prize-money of S$96,084 (NZ$97,749).

The Derby was won brilliantly by Well Done, who cost $90,000 at the Ready to Run Sale and has earned more than 10 times that in his 17-start, seven-win career to date. He was followed home in Sunday’s Derby by fellow Karaka graduates Majestic Moments (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Rockfast (Fastnet Rock) and Mr Spielberg (NZ) (Pentire).

The seventh Karaka graduate to win on the day was Viviano (NZ) (Keeper), who scored a two-length win in race nine for trainer Mark Walker and jockey Manoel Nunes.

Viviano was offered by Seaton Park at the 2013 Select Sale and was purchased by Mulcaster Bloodstock for $85,000. The gelding was a winner in New Zealand before joining Walker’s Singapore stable, where he has so far had eight starts for three wins, a placing and S$119,880 (NZ$121,940).

Next up was Elise (NZ) (Faltaat), who won the tenth race of the day. Like the earlier winner Lim’s Dashing, Elise came from the 2014 Select Sale draft of Wentwood Grange. He was purchased by Mr WC Lim for $32,500. Elise has had 13 starts for four wins, a placing and prize-money of S$141,140 (NZ$143,565).

The ninth winning Karaka graduate, and Gray’s second winner for the day, was Murrayfield (NZ) (Pins) who scored by a length and a half in the final race.

Gray purchased Murrayfield from Waikato Stud’s draft at the 2014 Premier Sale for $85,000. The gelding has had nine starts for three wins, two placings and prize-money of S$129,971 ($132,204).

NZB Director of Business Development Mike Kneebone commented “this is a very impressive Singapore Derby Day result for NZB graduates.

“New Zealand breeders and vendors continue to produce and prepare top quality horses for our international markets. I look forward to welcoming a spirited buying bench at Karaka for the two-year-old sale in November.”

The 2016 NZB Ready to Run Sale is on 16 & 17 November at Karaka with Breeze Ups held at Te Rapa Racecourse on 17 & 18 October.