Select Graduates Continue to Impress

Karaka Select Sale graduate Irlanda (O'Reilly x Cenphic by Centaine) clinched her third stakes victory on Saturday, when she produced a commanding performance to win the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1400m) during Counties Cup Day at Ellerslie.

Trained by Lance Noble at Matamata she picked up where Karaka Select Sale graduates left off last week at Riccarton, where they won four on the day the highlight�including The Pooka's Group 1 First Sovereign Trust Two Thousand Guineas victory.

Winning by a head, Irlanda and jockey Michael Coleman held off a challenge from Michelle Wenn and the Stephen McKee trained Ististar (Istidaad x Marlanda Star by Star Way). The Tim Carter trained My Hangover (My Halo x Hangover Street by Whiskey Road) was a half-length back in third.

The Broadway Partnership purchased Irlanda for NZ$38,000 from Waikato Stud in 2005. She has won six of her 12 starts and been placed on four occasions including second in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes, having now earned prize-money of almost NZ$280,000.

My Hangover was a NZ$800 purchase by Craig Linton at the 2003 National Weanling Sale from Wynyard Lodge Stud. With five wins and four stakes-placings to her credit the handy five-year-old has now won almost NZ$100,000. Waikato Stud will offer a half-brother to Irlanda by Pins at the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale while Ashwell Farm will offer a half-brother to My Hangover by Keeper at the 2008 Karaka Festival Sale. In the same Sale, JK Farm will offer a Spectatorial half-brother to Ististar.

Two races later, fellow Select Sale mare Brianna (Sudurka x Lightning Tree by Blazing Keel) won the Listed First Sovereign Trust Stakes (1100m) by a neck to down stable-mate Imananabaa (Anabaa x Iman by Zemindar) and Crossyourheart (Show A Heart x Red Century by Centaine) who dead-heated for third.

Trained by Don Sellwood, Brianna is the first stakes-winner for her Group 1 Oakleigh Plate and Salinger Stakes winning sire, Sudurka (Perugino x My Sparkling Star by Copper Kingdom) who now stands at Okawa Stud. She was purchased by the Robt Dawe Agency in 2005 for NZ$31,000 from Bloomsbury Stud.

Oughtered Farm will offer a half-sister to Brianna by the sire of Oaks winners Bramble Rose and Eskimo Queen, Shinko King (Fairy King), at the 208 Karaka Select Sale.

Imananabaa was a NZ$310,000 purchase by Stuart Hale at the 2005 Karaka Premier Sale from Rodmor Stud while Collett Racing Stables secured Crossyourheart for owner Gerald Shand for NZ$210,000 at the 2006 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale from Ascot Farm. Rodmor Stud will offer a half-brother to Imananabaa by Rock of Gibraltar at Lot 175 in the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale.

Earlier in the day Peter McKay's promising two-year-old Vincent Mangano (No Excuse Needed x Rationable by Housebuster) produced a commanding performance in the Listed Murdoch Newell Stakes (1100m) to finish a long neck ahead of Key Message (Sandtrap x Regal Message by Vice Regal) and Lady Alberton (Golan x Alberton Star by Stylish Century) in third.

Now a dual Listed winner, Vincent Mangano is heading towards the Karaka Million on 27 January at Ellerslie after being purchased at the 2007 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$80,000 from Waikato Stud. His O'Reilly half-brother is entered at Lot 314 under Waikato Stud's draft in the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale. In the same sale, Windsor Park Stud will offer a half-sister to Lady Alberton by Thorn Park.