Pulcinella All Class in Avondale Guineas Triumph

Pint sized filly, Pulcinella (NZ) (Stravinsky x Shall We Dance) proved too good for her male rivals in winning the Gr.2 Sky City Avondale Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. The Don Sellwood trained three-year-old withstood a strong challenge from Joyful Life (NZ) (Cape Cross x Joyfulness), who made up good ground, with Mr Jinky (NZ) (Volksraad x Miss Opera) a close up third.

Pulcinella is owned by her Hong Kong breeders, Martin and Priscilla Liao, whose New Zealand Racing interests are managed by New Zealand Bloodstock's International�Sale Manager, John Cameron.

A half sister to Pulcinella by Cape Cross will be offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale in January, through the draft of Wentwood Grange.

Joyful Life, a $130,000 purchase at the 2004 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale turned in another eye-catching performance in finishing second and continues the good run of form for the Richard Yuill stable. Cambridge Stud will offer a three-quarter brother to Joyful Life at next year's Premier Sale, in Lot 288, a Cape Cross colt out of Easter Joy.

A half brother to third placegetter, Mr Jinky, will be offered through New Zealand Bloodstock's Select Sale. Paul Smithies' Monovale Farm will offer the colt by first season sire, Golan out of the Paris Opera mare, Miss Opera.

Meanwhile at Trentham on Saturday, the John Wheeler trained mare, Celtic Rose (NZ) (Pins x Sly One) took out the feature event, the Dixon & Dunlop North Island Challenge Stakes (1400m). Wheeler outlaid $30,000 at the 2003 Select Fillies Sale for the daughter of hot young sire, Pins.

A three-quarter sister to Celtic Rose will be offered in next year's Select Yearling Sale. The filly to be offered by Waikato Stud is by Pins out of Roaring Meg.

Last Wednesday saw the running of the Gr.1 New Zealand Bloodstock Avondale Cup (2200m). Making a successful trip north was the Marton trained mare, Creil (Frenchpark x Fortiare), who downed Kajema (O'Reilly x Vreeland), after the Roger James runner turned in a bold front running display. Creil is trained by Geoff Georgetti and is part owned by his father Jack, who races the six-year-old mare with his partner, Gloria Kenny. At her previous outing, Creil finished a close second to the highly rated Kerry O'Reilly in the Group 2 Eagle Technology Counties Cup (2100m). Ultra consistent mare, Haylee Baylee (Oregon x Mac's Gold) finished a game third for trainer John Morrell.

Creil was ridden to victory by 16-year old apprentice rider, Chad Ormansby, who recorded his first Group 1 victory.

New Zealand Bloodstock now looks to its two sponsored races this weekend, part three of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series at Awapuni on Saturday with the Eulogy Stakes and the second installment of New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance 'Triple Crown'�Series on Sunday at Ellerslie.

Hong Kong

The programme at Sha Tin on Saturday was restricted to the All Weather surface, with Hong Kong's International Meeting to be staged this weekend. Despite racing on the alternative course, New Zealand bred horses and New Zealand Bloodstock graduates continued their fine form in Hong Kong.

In race one, New Zealand Bloodstock graduate, Lucky Years (End Sweep x Desert Jewel) downed Lazy Buddies (Woodman x Sneetch) by a head in a grinding finish. Both horses were sold through the Karaka Sales ring, with Lucky Years fetching NZ$90,000 to the bid of Michael Stedman Bloodstock at the 2003 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale. Lazy Buddies was sold through the draft of Trelawney Stud at the 2002 Premier Yearling Sale for $120,000.

Race two saw New Zealand bred Lighting The World (Senor Pete x Scatter Cat) convincingly win the Class 5 Nathan Handicap (1200m).

Happy Elite (O'Reilly x Eastbourne) dug deep to deny fellow NZ bred, Super Fighter (Gold Brose x Amaroo) in the fifth event of the night, the Class 4 Carnarvon Handicap (1200m). Karapiro Bloodstock purchased Happy Elite at the 2002 National Weanling Sale for $32,000 while The Oaks Stud sold Super Fighter at the 2003 Karaka Select Sale for $135,000 to New Zealand Bloodstock as agent.

Rain In Spring (Rhythm x Irish Wonder) and Shane Dye threaded their way through the field to win the sixth, the Class 4 Hankow Handicap (1650m). The son of Rhythm has won his last two races in succession, which coincides with a switch in stables to the Caspar Fownes barn.

Rain In Spring was bought by Kibblewhite Lodge at the 2000 National Weanling Sale for NZ$15,500, before being re-offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale.

Third to Rain In Spring was fellow NZ bred, Master Able (Woodman x Newsmakers). Wellfield Thoroughbreds sold the son of Woodman at the 2002 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$65,000 to trainer Bruce Wallace.

Eight year old gelding, Dashing Winner (Deputy Governor x Double Liz) came from off the pace to win the Class 3 Ashley Handicap (1200m) in what was his sixth win from 61 starts. He was purchased by Michael Stedman Bloodstock for NZ$135,000 at the 1999 Ready to Run Sale.

In the last of the night, the Class 3 Cameron Handicap (1650m), Victory Treasure (Zabeel x Attempting) and the Paul O'Sullivan trained Easy Game (Straight Strike x Lady Newbury) completed a NZ bred quinella.

Victory Treasure gave trainer Caspar Fownes and jockey Shane Dye their second success on the programme.

Easy Game was purchased by now Singapore based trainer, Bruce Marsh, at the 2001 Ready to Run Sale for NZ$42,000, from the draft of Esker Lodge.