One of South Island’s Favourite Daughters Returns

The upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale of Two-Year-Olds and Mixed Bloodstock in Christchurch is the annual harvest for South Island Breeders. To be held this Friday 9 August it has attracted a small but select catalogue.

One of the feature two-year-olds is Lot 29, a Pins colt out of the brilliant South Island mare Ombre Rose (O’Reilly) - a true South Island success story.

Lot 29 - second foal of NZB Southern Filly of the Year Ombre Rose

Ombre Rose burst onto the South Island racing scene as a three-year-old filly, winning the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series in the 2005-06 season.

She was called to victory in the South Island by her owner and South Island broadcasting legend Reon Murtha, a race commentator for 47 years in the south. Ombre Rose is owned by Murtha with his son Sheldon, a well-known figure in harness racing circles, along with Michelle House.

The colt is being prepared by Janine Dunlop’s Phoenix Park.

“The owners specifically wanted the horse to go down because they wanted to support the sale,” said Dunlop. “He is a top catalogue horse and could have gone to the Ready to Run Sale in November but the owners decided they wanted to support the South Island Sale.”

Dunlop believes that the horse was well suited to the Sale at this time of year and thinks he will prove popular with prospective buyers.

“He is a good solid horse that is ready to go that next step forward. He is well suited to the South Island Sale and the mare was a fantastic racemare down there as well,” added Dunlop.

The colt is a November foal which was a determining factor in taking the horse to the South Island Sale.

“The family typically matures slowly so we thought it was better to either go to the Ready to Run Sale or take this option,” commented owner Sheldon Murtha.

The owners’ affinity with the south swayed the decision for the colt to go under the hammer at the Canterbury Agriculture Grounds this week.

Ombre Rose was an ultra-consistent racehorse winning seven races, three at Listed level, along with a host of black-type placings in both islands including Group 1 placings in the New Zealand Stakes and Waikato International Stakes.

A full brother to Ombre Rose topped the South Island Sale last year, sold to NC Chan of Hong Kong for $145,000. A half-brother, Golden Treasure (Faltaat), was a successful campaigner in Hong Kong winning on five occasions.

This is the second foal from Ombre Rose, her first foal by No Excuse Needed sold for $130,000 at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sale.

The colt is by champion sire Pins, the sire of 51 stakes winners including six Group 1 winners such as Cox Plate victor El Segundo and Hong Kong’s Champion Horse Ambitious Dragon.

Phoenix Park also has Lot 10 and Lot 18 catalogued for the Sale that will attract plenty of interest.

“Hopefully the buyers will be there because we are keen to support the Sale to the best of our ability,” commented Dunlop.

The catalogue is packed full of quality with some of the highlights including:

• Lot 56, from Little Avondale Stud, a colt by Lonhro out of a Group 1 Queensland Oaks winning mare Vitesse Dane (Danewin).
• Lot 58, offered by Berkley Stud, is a grandson of Group 1 New Zealand One Thousand Guineas winner Plume by Berkley Stud’s resident stallion Edenworld.
• Lot 78, the half-sister to leading South Island performers, the dual Group 3 winner Inferno and last season’s NZB Southern Filly of the Year and stakes winner Ortem Fire from White Robe Lodge.

The Sale commences at 12pm this Friday 9 August at Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch.

Catalogues for New Zealand Bloodstock’s South Island Sale of Two-Year-Olds and Mixed Bloodstock can be viewed online at www.nzb.co.nz. For a copy of the catalogue or for more information please contact NZB on 09 298 0055.