Sibling Double Act as NZB Graduates Star in Singapore

Graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock Sales won five races at Kranji on Sunday, and remarkably that winning quintet included two half-brothers – Refresh (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) and Soonbaby (NZ) (Redwood).

Refresh and Soonbaby are both sons of the Stravinsky mare Wahaha (NZ). A half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Wall Street (NZ) (Montjeu), Wahaha is the dam of eight winners from eight foals to race.

Soonbaby was a $20,000 purchase at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale by Dato Mohd Ariff Bin Mohd. Trained by David Meagher, the four-year-old gelding scored a half-length win on Sunday in an 1100m race worth S$60,000, boosting his career record to 12 starts for two wins, two placings and S$85,972 (NZ$91,654) in prizemoney – four and a half times his purchase price.

Refresh was passed in as a weanling in 2015, but returned as a two-year-old at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale and sold for $31,000.

He was an impressive two-length winner on Sunday in a 1400m race worth S$45,000, and he has now had 10 starts for two wins, two placings and S$83,013 (NZ$88,500).

The first NZB graduate to win on Sunday’s programme was Desert Fox (Not a Single Doubt), who was a $120,000 purchase at the 2012 Premier Sale. He has now had 48 starts for six wins, 11 placings and S$382,512 (NZ$407,795).

Expat New Zealand trainer Donna Logan won the second race with Burkaan (NZ) (Burgundy), who was bought for $30,000 at the 2017 South Island Sale. It was his first win from three starts, and he has already earned S$53,167 (NZ$56,681).

Impressive maiden winner Alamak (NZ) (Alamosa) sold at Karaka for $36,000 as a yearling in the 2016 Select Sale and $55,000 at the Ready to Run Sale later that year. He has earned S$57,566 (NZ$61,371) from his short three-start career to date.

A further six Karaka graduates finished among the placings during Sunday’s meeting.