Ready to Run Sale Shoots for VRC Derby

The Ready to Run Sale has produced two Derby winners since 2010 and will be looking to take number three in one of Melbourne's spring features, the $1.5 million VRC Derby on Saturday.

With Military Move (NZ) (Volksraad) winning the Group 1 New Zealand Derby in 2010, and the Ready to Run Sale's newest Group 1 winner Shootoff (NZ) (Duelled) taking the Group 1 Queensland Derby in June, the inform Sangster (NZ) (Savabeel x Quinta Special) will be representing the Sale in the big race.

New Zealand bred horses have a strong record in the VRC Derby winning four of the last five runnings with Efficient (Zabeel), Kibbutz (Golan), Monaco Consul (High Chaparral) and Lion Tamer (Storming Home) and Sangster looks a leading chance for the kiwis.

Pins has nine entries in the Ready to Run Sale including the half-brother to the VRC Derby runner Collar (NZ).

Sangster's last two starts have both been over 2000 metres and have seen him place in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes and run the closest of seconds when caught just short of the line in the Group 3 Norman Robertson Stakes. He is among the leading contenders for the VRC Derby and is in the fourth line of betting at $11.

The Ready to Run Sale will see last year's leading vendor Lyndhurst Farm offer a half-brother by Pinsto the VRC Derby hope Collar at Lot 185.

A stakes winner since the catalogue went to print, Collar (NZ) (O'Reilly x Laebeel) won the Listed Doncaster Stakes (1400m) and is a half-brother to the Group 3 winner Larry's Never Late (Pentire).

Racing in solid form coming into Saturday's feature, Collar ran a good second behind the super talented Derby favourite Manawanui (Oratorio) in the Group 2 Mooney Valley Vase last weekend.

Collar boasts one of the best damsires in the book in Zabeel who is having a phenomenal season as a broodmare sire in Australia with his daughters producing eight individual stakes winners - double that of his closest rival Danehill on four.

Master trainer Bart Cummings went to $250,000 to secure Rapidus (NZ) (Darci Brahma x Rivertaine) from Little Avondale Stud at the 2010 Karaka Premier Sale and he will make his black-type debut in the VRC Derby. He too has a half-brother in the Ready to Run Sale, a colt by Savabeel at Lot 283, and was a winner at his last start over a mile since the catalogue went to print.

With a large book of 16 two-year-olds in the Ready to Run Sale, Savabeel is represented with Sangster (NZ) in the VRC Derby.

Fellow Karaka graduate Scelto (NZ) (Pentire x Our Discretion) ran a good third in the Mooney Valley Vase and should be race hardened with seven races under his belt this prep. Mr Chez (NZ) (Duelled x Tittletaat) rounds off the NZB graduates in the feature and comes into the race looking to add another Derby title to his sire's record.

A leading graduate for the Ready to Run Sale over the last two seasons, Linton (Galileo x Our Heather) already has the Group 2 Alister Clark and Herbert Power Stakes to his name and will line up in the $1 million Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.

Group 1 placed in the Australian Cup (2000m) and BMW Stakes (2400m) in Sydney last season, Linton holds a nomination for the Melbourne Cup. A win in the Mackinnon Stakes would guarantee him a spot in the $6 million feature on Tuesday next week.

Breeze Up clips for the Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds are now online and can be viewed by clicking here.

DVD copies of the Breeze Ups are also available and can be ordered by contacting reception@nzb.co.nz or call 09 298 0055. DVDs are available in TV and PC format so please include with your request the format you wish to receive.