Month: January 2024

Day Three of NZB’s National Yearling Sales Series concluded on Tuesday, closing the curtain on a record-breaking Book 1 session for the 2024 edition.  At the close of selling, the Book 1 aggregate reached just shy of $80 million, a 14% increase on last year, while the average rounded out at $168,257, an 11% increase.  NZB’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook was highly impressed following the blockbuster session.  “At the start of the week, I said if we could match last year’s results we’d be very satisfied, but to increase the turnover by $9.5…

The legacy of the late I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) lived on at Benalla on Tuesday when his half-brother Primal Spirit (NZ) (Charm Spirit) saluted on debut for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr. Primal Spirit, who jumped $2.70 favourite, lifted from a seemingly unwinnable position at the top of the straight to run over the top of $101 outsider Grisbi’s Pal (Palentino) by the barest of margins. The son of Charm Spirit cost connections Ace Bloodstock A$240,000 when purchased as a yearling on the Gold Coast. “I wasn’t expecting him…

Mike Moroney has his sights set on a first Australian Guineas success after confirming his New Zealand-based gelding Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) is poised to make the trip to Melbourne this autumn. Pendragon almost fell after slipping on the home turn during last Saturday’s Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie, but after recovering to finish second, Moroney said he feels he is the right horse to aim up at the $1 million Group One over 1600m at Flemington on March 2. “He was like many that lost his footing,”…

The Satono Aladdin half-brother to Group One winner On The Rocks (NZ) (Alamosa) and a filly with similar traits to Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir) were among a small but select group of purchases for champion trainer Mike Moroney during Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka. The Melbourne Cup-winning trainer and his bloodstock agent brother Paul made five purchases together between Sunday and Tuesday and indicated that several of the higher-priced lots are headed to his Flemington stable. Moroney paid NZ$460,000 for Lot 661, a…

Trainer Matt Williams is banking on the fresh ability of his class mare Wrote To Arataki (NZ) (Wrote) to take her to victory for the second year in a row in Saturday’s Gr.3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield. Wrote To Arataki takes a major ratings advantage into Saturday’s defence of her first Stakes victory, but Williams said from the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale on Tuesday that a late end to her 2023 campaign means she has been taken along slowly this time in. “She’s just had the…

Ayrton’s (NZ) (Iffraaj) love affair with Caulfield is set to be pushed to the limit, with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr set to nominate the John Dillon Stakes winner for the A$750,000 Gr.1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) next Saturday (February 10). Ayrton has won six of his seven starts at Caulfield, five of them over 1400m and four with Jamie Kah aboard, with his only defeat at the track having come at the top level when sixth in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last November. Mr Brightside dominates betting…

There are limited chances left to secure progeny of dominant Hong Kong stallion Deep Field, and Jamie Richards jumped at the opportunity to buy a well-credentialled colt for $500,000 at Karaka on Tuesday. Deep Field has topped the Hong Kong sires’ premiership in both of the last two seasons, and he again holds a runaway lead in the current term with total progeny earnings of HK$46.7 million – well clear of the second-placed Starspangledbanner with HK$27 million. The outstanding Northern Meteor stallion has sired a total of 39 winners from…

Little Avondale Stud’s yearling drafts have yielded plenty of success for Bjorn Baker, and the expat New Zealand trainer returned to the same formula with his purchase of another Savabeel colt at Karaka on Tuesday. Baker has trained several winners with the distinctive ‘LA’ brand, including Addictive Nature, who was bought for $775,000 from the Karaka sale ring in 2016. That son of Savabeel won the Gr.3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) and placed in the Gr.2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) and Gr.2 Expressway Stakes (1200m). On Tuesday, Baker went to…