Tavistock and Veloce Bella Add to Karaka Group 1 Tally

Group 1 victories by Tavistock and Veloce Bella at Te Rapa on Saturday took the Karaka Group 1 haul to 17 for the season.

These victories have been accumulated by 13 individual Karaka graduates, a tally which again sees New Zealand Bloodstock leading all Australasian auction houses at the highest level.

Tavistock

Tavistock (Montjeu x Upstage, by Quest for Fame) stamped himself as his sire's most gifted sprinter when he claimed his second Group 1 win over 1400m for the season in the Group 1 Waikato Draught Sprint.

The $200,000 contest drew a top class field of 13 runners including last year's victor and Mercedes NZ Horse of the Year, Mufhasa, along with Group 1 winners Vonusti, Ekstreme, and Kaaptan.

There was also the up and coming brigade which was clearly headed by Wealth Princess, and she proved the strongest opposition in the finish.

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�Tavistock wins the Group 1 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes (1400m)

Rounding into the home bend it was Ruud Van Slaats and Mufhasa who kicked clear with Tavistock and Wealth Princess amongst the tail of the field but improving their positions.

Even 200m from home the pair looked too far off the pace but a powerful turn of foot quickly saw the both of them gobble up the leaders and Tavistock's effort to come from behind Wealth Princess proved him the deserved winner.

Bred by Bloomsbury Stud, Tavistock is a direct descendent of the stud's superior foundation mare, Mrs Moss, herself responsible for over 20 stakes-winners worldwide including Group 1 Japan Cup winner Jupiter Island.

Trainer Andrew Campbell purchased Tavistock from Bloomsbury Stud at the 2007 Karaka Select Sale for $85,000 for Wellington-based owners David Allison, Chris and Johnny Barnao, Bruce Honeybone, Tom Pivac, David Platt, and Tommy Heptinstall.

Though Montjeu no longer shuttles to New Zealand his blood is still available through his four sons including Windsor Park Stud's Guillotine, White Robe Lodge's Gallant Guru, Letham Thoroughbreds' Mettre En Jeu, and the recently retired Nom Du Jeu.

Nom Du Jeu possessed the speed to win his only start as a juvenile and place second in the Group 1 Stoney Bridge Stakes (1600m) behind Princess Coup. An imposing individual, Nom Du Jeu will stand at $6,000 + GST at his first season at Fairdale Stud, wonderful value for a Montjeu's highest racetrack earner in the southern hemisphere.

A limited number of shares are still available in Nom Du Jeu through New Zealand Bloodstock. For more information contact Danny Rolston (021 473 209) or Bruce Slade (021 0256 8282).

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Veloce Bella

Veloce Bella (Volksraad x Wave to Lottie, by Crested Wave) scored a deserved first Group 1 victory when she produced a whirlwind finish to land the Group 1 Whakanui Stud International Stakes (2000m) two races before Tavistock did much the same in the Sprint.

A four-time Group 2 winner, and three times Group 1 placed, Veloce Bella has raced the best athletes since her classic year where she tussled with Princess Coup and fully deserved her top-flight success for trainer Mark Brosnan.

The six-year-old's usual relaxed running style saw her settle sixth on the fence in the field of nine which included Group 1 winners Tell a Tale, Monaco Consul, and last year's winner, MacO'Reilly.

A good pace set up by the bold front-running MacO'Reilly gave Veloce Bella the perfect opportunity to use her unrivalled finishing burst and she took her chance stylishly to beat Tell A Tale and Passchendaele into the minor placings.

Veloce Bella was offered by John and Karin Hogan's JK Farm at the 2005 Karaka Select Sale and she is now raced by Murray and Margaret Hardy, Paddy and Helen Preston, and Tony and Frances Schramm for whom she has won over $600,000.

Curraghmore Stud offered a Darci Brahma half-brother to Veloce Bella at Karaka 2010 at Lot 236.

Veloce Bella is the eleventh Group 1 winner for her seven times NZ Champion sire Volksraad who also sired Sir Slick to win the same race in 2007.

Making a real name for himself as a broodmare sire already with Zarzuela and Beauty Flash, Volksraad was popular right through the recent 2010 Karaka National Yearling Sale Series where his progeny sold up to $230,000.