Southerners Set to Showcase the Region’s Best

The tightknit breeding community of the South Island has thrown its support behind New Zealand Bloodstock’s new South Island Sale on 13 April, offering a unique selection of the region’s best stock.

South Island vendors make up 20 of the 29 vendors with yearlings entered in the South Island Sale, supplying 102 of the 150 yearlings catalogued for sale.

The new-format Sale now forms part of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale Series and, like the Premier, Select and Festival Sales held at Karaka, every yearling that goes through the ring is eligible to be entered in the Karaka Million Series.

Edwina Morris and Alan Jones’ Berkley Stud provide the largest draft with 24 yearlings catalogued in the session. The eight-time leading vendors are predominately represented by their resident sires Coats Choice and Edenwold.

Coats Choice’s racetrack performers are led by pin-up boy Natuzzi (NZ), the winner of back-to-back Listed Lightning Handicaps and a close second in the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap. The son of Redoute’s Choice has 11 yearlings in the Sale, nine of which will be offered by Berkley Stud including Lot 46, a half-brother to Listed performers Maine (the Jogger) and Mystical (My Halo).

Barnmate Edenwold – a Canadian stakeswinning son of Southern Halo - has eight yearlings catalogued with six of them to be offered by Berkley Stud. Among his progeny in the draft is Lot 111, a grandson of former New Zealand Filly of the Year and Group 1 winner Plume (Crested Wave).

Brian and Lorraine Anderton’s White Robe Lodge displaced Berkley Stud as the leading vendor last year and returns with a 14-strong draft this year made up of progeny of their resident sires Gallant Guru and Raise the Flag.

Gallant Guru is the sire of leading three-year-old filly Include (NZ) and has five of his seven progeny at the Sale offered by White Robe Lodge. Among the son of Montjeu’s yearlings at the Sale is Lot 3, the half-brother to Australian Group 3 placegetter Red Eye Special (Yamanin Vital), and Lot 108, a three-quarter-sister to Southern Filly of the Year Ortem Fire (NZ) (Gallant Guru).

Second season sire Raise the Flag, by Sadler’s Wells, was highly regarded at this year’s Karaka Select Sale, ending the Sale as the leading sire by average at $86,667 with a top price of $147,500 for a close relation to Lot 108.

Mike & Barbara Cooney of Willow Glen have 10 yearlings catalogued for Sale including progeny of their resident sires Saperavi and Minstrel Court. One of the feature horses in their draft is Lot 89 by Saperavi out of Listed winner Shock Attack (Inviting), the dam of Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes winner Hurrah (Bahhare) and Hong Kong stakes winner Best Gift (Bahhare).

Three Valleys from Timaru has a diverse selection of 11 yearlings catalogued by varying sires from the North and South Island. Among their notable entries is Lot 103, a colt by Battle Paint who is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Al Farouk (Cape Cross).

Waimate establishment Pear Tree Farm has eight yearlings on offer at the Sale by Any Suggestion, Captain Rio, Man of Power, Monaco Consul, Raise the Flag, Shocking and Showcasing. First season sire Man of Power is represented in their draft by Lot 131, a half-brother to Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Gold Cup runner-up Boninsky (Keeninsky) out of a half-sister to Group 3 New Zealand Cup winner My Scotsgrey (Golan).

A draft of eight yearlings has been catalogued by Myles Gordon & Deborah Clark’s Long Acres Stud of Darfield. The draft includes progeny of South Island stallions Minstrel Court and Remind, the stud’s sole resident sire who has four entries in the Sale.

Longacres’ draft also features yearlings by freshman North Island sires Per Incanto, Shocking and Rip Van Winkle. The filly by Rip Van Winkle, Lot 109, is out of dual stakes placegetter Vision (Entrepreneur), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Gaze (Cape Cross).

Local Christchurch vendor Hedwood Thoroughbreds has seven yearlings catalogued featuring sires from the South and North Islands along with Australian stallion representation. Lot 105 is the only horse in the Sale by Australian sire Exceedingly Good. His filly is out of Zabeel mare Tiffany Ruby, a daughter of Group 1 winner Ruby Clipper (Rubiton) and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Seventh Rock (Rock of Gibraltar).

Among other Southern vendors featuring at their local auction are Belmont Park, L. Daly, R. W. Gibson, C. M. Harris, Joy Holdaway, Inglewood Stud, Leafland Stud, Mansfield Farm, Paritai Farm, Park Hill Stables, Tapildo Lodge, Te Mania Thoroughbreds, G. Tomlinson, Twin Oaks, D. G. & H. A. Voice and C. P. Wilson & B. A. Sheat Partnership.

Catalogues for the 2014 South Island Sale at Christchurch’s Canterbury Agricultural Park can be requested from reception@nzb.co.nz  and can be viewed online at www.nzb.co.nz.