Weekend Winners Highlight Karaka 2006

With catalogues for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales not due out until the end of November, weekend racing in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong offered a glimpse of some of what can be expected from Karaka.

Australia

On Saturday, the Gai Waterhouse trained, Aqua D'Amore (Danehill x Romantic River) took out the Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes (2100m) at Sandown in Melbourne in emphatic style.

Raced by Susan Magnier, Aqua D'Amore is a full sister to consistent Hong Kong performer, Green Century, and a half sister to Greenessy.

A three-quarter sister to Aqua D'Amore by exciting young sire, Rock Of Gibraltar, will be offered at next year's New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, through the draft of Curraghmore Stud.

Meanwhile, Cape Cross was represented by his second guineas winner in ten days, when Cape North (NZ) (Cape Cross x Olga Palosky) was successful in the Gr. 2 Western Australian Guineas (1600m) for trainer Fred Kersley.

Bred by Richard Tong, Cape North is a son of the Crested Wave mare, Olga Palosky, who has also left successful Hong Kong performer, Magic Temple. Olga Palosky is a half sister to three stakes performers and is a daughter of 1988 New Zealand One Thousand Guineas winner, Olga's Pal.

Windsor Park Stud will offer a filly by Montjeu out of Olga's Pal at the 2006 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale.

Cape Cross, the sire this year's New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas winner, Seachange, is represented by 19 yearlings in the Premier Sale and a further 19 yearlings in the Select Sale.

New Zealand

After the Counties meeting was abandoned on Saturday due to concerns over the track, the Counties Cup was staged at yesterday's Cambridge Jockey Club meeting at Te Rapa.

Sent out a short priced favourite, the Jim Gibbs trained, Kerry O'Reilly (NZ) (O'Reilly x Pegarah) prevailed narrowly from Creil (NZ) (Frenchpark x Fortiare), with Lord Asterix (NZ) (Bahhare x Lady Fergie) finishing third.

Waikato Stud's resident sire, O'Reilly, will be represented by 27 yearlings at New Zealand Bloodstock's Premier Sale, with a further 15 yearlings in the Select Sale. Kerry O'Reilly's full sister, Peggy O'Reilly, has a filly entered in the Karaka Festival Sale by first season sire, Black Tuxedo.

The Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes, scheduled for the Counties program on Saturday, will now be run at the Ellerslie Meeting next Saturday 26th November.

Hong Kong

The good form of New Zealand bred runners continued in Hong Kong yesterday, with 4 of the 10 winners on the Sha Tin card, graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock.Sales.

After riding five winners in Sydney on Saturday, Darren Beadman made an immediate impact in Hong Kong, taking out the first event aboard Rain In Spring (NZ) (Rhythm x Irish Wonder). The six-year-old came with a well timed run to score by a short head in the Class 5 event over 1400m.

Rain In Spring was purchased by Masterton based, Kibblewhite Lodge, at the 2000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Broodmare and Weanling Sale.

In the Class 4 event at Race 3, Treasure Raiders (NZ) (Felix The Cat x Lunar Lady) made all the running and fought on gamely for a well deserved victory over 1400m. Treasure Raiders was purchased by John Allfrey for NZ$13,000 at the 2003 Festival Yearling Sale.

Promising three-year-old, All's Well (NZ) (City On A Hill x Alot Of Music), proved too good for his opposition in a Class 3 event in Race 5 over 1200m. Ridden by Shane Dye, All's Well recorded a comfortable 2 length victory, taking his record to 3 wins and 2 seconds from 5 starts.

All's Well is a graduate of New Zealand Bloodstock's 2004 Ready to Run Sale where he was purchased for NZ$40,000 from the draft of Mission Lodge.

Another New Zealand performer rapidly climbing the ranks is talented four-year-old, Thistle King (NZ) (Anziyan x Miss Petite). Trained by John Size, Thistle King is unbeaten in three starts with the son of Anziyan recording an easy one and a quarter length victory in the final event yesterday, a Class 3 over 1400m.

Thistle King was purchased by Del Roberts for NZ$14,000 at the 2003 Festival Yearling Sale.