Veloce Bella Heads NZ Stakes Features

Karaka graduates triumphed in all three stakes races run in New Zealand over the weekend, winning at Group 2, Group 3, and Listed level.

Heading the line-up was five-year-old Veloce Bella (Volksraad x Wave to Lottie, by Crested Wave) who made it four Group 2 victories when she bounded up and over her rivals, including Group 1 Coolmore Classic placed Culminate (Elnadim), in the Group 2 Cambridge JC Travis Stakes (2000m).

The race for fillies and mares has been won by the likes of Tidal Light, Horlicks, Covered n Grey, and Cinder Bella, and on Saturday it saw a return to winning form for Veloce Bella in the hands of Opie Bosson who won the race last year on Katy Keen (Zorro's Lad).

It was her first win since September 2007, between which times the daughter of Volksraad had performed in at the highest level including third placings to MacO'Reilly in the Group 1 Waikato RC International Stakes and to Dane Julia in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders' Stakes.

Bred by Margaret Hardy, Veloce Bella was offered by JK Farm at the 2005 Karaka Select Sale and is now raced by the Case Lot Syndicate from the stable of Mark Brosnan. Her win takes Volksraad's progeny earnings for the season over the $2,000,000 mark, $600,000 ahead of second-placed Scenic.

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�Volksraad (GB),�will claim�his seventh New Zealand's Champion Sire title in 2008/09

Volksraad will hope to be crowned New Zealand's champion sire for a seventh time this year. He is represented by four weanling colts at New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale.

The Cambridge Jockey Club's second feature race saw Lance Noble's Geeza (Ishiguru x Blazing Bridles, by Unbridled's Song) justify his favouritism in the Group 3 Windsor Park Stud Breeders' Stakes (1200m).

Noble - who purchased the Encosta De Lago x Giovana colt that topped Karaka's 2009 Premier Sale - lined up his charge in front of thirty enthusiastic owners (Easdon No.1 Racing Syndicate) who had the pleasure of seeing Geeza win both his starts this year in good fashion.

The son of Ishiguru delivered again, this time notching his first black type victory in the hands of regular rider Cameron Lammas who found cover from barrier 12 before asking his mount for an effort in the straight.

Geeza, a $30,000 purchase from Chequers Stud at the 2007 Carnival Sale by Lance and his wife Leigh, has now won four of his six starts and over $100,000 in prize-money.

A decision will now be made on a Queensland trip for the exciting young galloper who provided Ishiguru with his first New Zealand stakes winner. Ishiguru is represented by seven weanlings at NZB's May Sale.

The final stakes event in New Zealand has held by the Fielding Jockey Club and it was entire Rios (Hussonet x Gussy Godiva, by Last Tycoon), a half brother to Group 1 AJC Derby winner Roman Emperor (Montjeu), who returned to stakes winning form.

The winner of the Group 2 Wellington Guineas and Listed Bonecrusher Stakes at three, Rios returned to that form for Murray and Bjorn Baker in the Listed Anzac Handicap (1600m) and will now head to Queensland with a view to starting in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap on June 6.

The $65,000 Karaka Select Sale yearling was purchased by current co-owner Stuart Hale from Little Avondale Stud. He will become a very attractive stallion prospect if he wins the race that Thorn Park, Show A Heart, and Danasinga did before retiring to stud.

Rios's sire Hussonet will be represented by a broodmare daughter next week at Karaka. At Lot 449 Petrofyed (2004 x Queen Petrolia, by Farma Way) hails from a strong American family that is responsible for Australian Horse of the Year Makybe Diva. She is sold unreserved by The Oaks Stud carrying a foal by Spartacus. LSD 12-11-2008.

NZB's National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale begins next week and will run from 4-6 May. Weanlings are expected to arrive on complex from Friday 1 May onwards.

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