Ready to Run Atlante is Guineas Bound

A stellar weekend of success for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale saw a treble of stakes victories in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore.

Atlante goes to the line in the Listed Holloway (Builders) Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday.

At home, the 2012 Ready to Run Sale graduate Atlante (Fastnet Rock) produced an emphatic Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas trial as he ran out an impressive winner of the Listed $70,000 Holloway (Builders) Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday.

The Murray Baker/Andrew Forsman trained runner was coming off a last start maiden victory at Avondale with the stable signalling their intentions to head to the NZ 2000 Guineas after that win in early October.

The son of Fastnet Rock had to overcome the outside barrier draw as leading South Island jockey Jamie Bullard bounced Atlante to the front and dictated the race from there.

Down the back straight, the field ran into a strong breeze with Atlante absorbing the brunt of the wind. This did not impact on the horse as he broke away from the field in the straight, running the strongest to the line to win by three lengths.

“He a good strong colt who likes to bowl along and have things his own way,” commented Andrew Forsman. “We have always thought he was quality right from the start and he is starting to prove that on the racetrack.

“It’s always a bonus to get that black-type up, it was only his fourth start, we had a hiccup at his second start when he raced on a heavy track so that was a forgive.

“He was already looking for a mile that’s why we took him down there, any shorter and they probably would have been a bit sharp for him. I’d like to think he would get up over ground in time.

“The plan is to go to the 2000 Guineas. He is down in Riccarton now so he will stay down and all systems are go towards the Group 1.”

It was a timely advertisement for the upcoming NZB Ready to Run Sale with Atlante purchased less than a year ago and already a stakes winner.

Atlante was purchased by Bruce Perry Bloodstock for $200,000 from Lyndhurst Farm and is now raced by JML Bloodstock Ltd (Mgr L Petagna), Ms R Phillippo and M A & Mrs S L Treweek.

It was the second victory from four starts for Atlante who has now earned $45,675 in prizemoney. Bred by Reavill Farm Management, Atlante is the son of the stakes placed mare Readyforcatherine (More Than Ready) and is by the hottest sire in Australasia at the moment in Fastnet Rock.

The NZB Ready to Run Sale also celebrated the stakes success of Savvy Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) at Moonee Valley and Super Ninetyseven (Show a Heart) in Singapore over the weekend.