Trans-Tasman Success for Karaka Grads

Standout preformances by New Zealand Bloodstock graduates over the weekend, saw Group One successes on�both sides of the Tasman.�

At Waikato Racing Club's premier meeting at Te Rapa racecourse on Saturday, top jockey Opie Bosson celebrated by picking up both Group One races.

Underrated gelding Sir Slick (Volksraad x Miss Opera) shook that tag with a second Group One victory in as many starts taking out the Whakanui Stud International Stakes (2000m) by one-and-a-half lengths from Sharvasti (Montjeu x Vedodara) with Kingsinga (Danasinga x Star Reason) a neck away in third.

Bought by Graham Nicholson, who trains and co-owns the gelding, for NZ$48,000 from Mapperley Stud at the 2003 Select Yearling Sale, Sir Slick has now won prize money of over NZ$580,000.

Volksraad (by Green Desert), a five-time Champion New Zealand sire, has three colts and four fillies on offer at the Karaka Carnival Sale on Friday 9 March.

Later in the day, Te Akau Stable's Darci Brahma (Danehill x Grand Echezeaux), also scored his second Group One in a row, showing his dominance in the weight-for-age Waikato Draught Sprint (1400m), beating Australian visitor Shinzig (Danehill x Shindig) by half-a-length with Kay's Awake (Towkay x Wake Up Suzie) in third. Connections have yet to decide where the multiple Group One-winning 2004 Karaka Premier Sale-topper will next race.

Meanwhile, across the Tasman, El Segundo (Pins x Palos Verdes) won the C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in convincing fashion, one-and-a-quarter-lengths ahead of Marasco (Scenic x Bluegrass Belle) with Aqua D'Amore (Danehill x Romantic River) a head back in third.

This was the five-year-old's tenth victory from nineteen starts and his third Group One success.

El Segundo's NZ$140,000 price tag at the 2003 Karaka Premier Sale, where he was secured by Michael Stedman from Ancroft Stud, was an astute purchase with the gelding's earnings now amounting to over AU$1,600,000. El Segundo's trainer, Colin Little, was obviously impressed with the effort, saying after the race "even he can amaze me sometimes".

Pins (by Snippets), already the sire of four individual Group One winners with his oldest progeny only five, is represented by six colts and three fillies at next month's new Karaka Carnival Sale. Thirty-six of his progeny sold for an average of NZ$126,167 at the recent National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka.

Meanwhile at Hobart, Currigee (Danewin x Hi Queen), a Karaka Premier Sale graduate from the 2005 Sale prevailed in the Group 3 Tasmanian Derby (2400m) a long-head over Minibaa (Anabaa x Minerva) and Rhumb Line (Savoire Vivre x Perfect Keli) three-quarters-of-a-length in third. Currigee was purchased by another Australian bloodstock agent, Kieran Moore, from Cambridge Stud for NZ$100,000.

Trained by Peter Moody, the three-year-old has now taken his earnings to over AU$100,000 this his fourth win from six starts.

On the other side of Australia, Cape North (Cape Cross x Olga Palosky) prevailed over Calico Blue (Serheed x Royal Guilt) and Solar Impact (Desert Sun x Acid Flash) in the Listed Detonator Stakes (1800m) at Ascot. This was the four-year-old New Zealand-bred colt's sixth victory.