Month: November 2024

A well-related son of Harry Angel provided a late highlight in the final hour of the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday when he was knocked down to a $520,000 bid from bloodstock agent Morgan Carter. The colt was catalogued as Lot 372 and was in the draft of Ohukia Lodge, who bought him for A$300,000 as a yearling in Sydney. He is out of the Exceed and Excel mare Florabella, which makes him a full-brother to the well-performed Australian sprinter Arkansaw Kid. Previously the winner…

Foxton mare Marotiri Molly(NZ) (Per Incanto) will make her long-awaited stakes-level debut on Saturday at Pukekohe Park, taking her place in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). The daughter of Per Incanto caught plenty of early attention when winning her first trial in dashing style as a four-year-old last April, and since then she has produced that form on the track, winning five of her 10 raceday appearances. Her trainer, Matt Dixon, was given a vote of confidence to take the step into black-type company when she…

Warrnambool hoop Harry Grace has quickly become a trans-Tasman jockey and is set to continue that role when he rides at New Plymouth and Wanganui later this week.  Grace first arrived in New Zealand in September to partner Australian raider Rolls in what was meant to be a Group One mission, and while that campaign hit a few snags, Grace has enjoyed forming relationships with local trainers and has accepted a number of invitations to continue to ride in New Zealand.  “I have been getting good support and I have…

Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday. Ormsby trained passed-in 2022 Ready to Run lots Pulchritudinous and Outovstock to win this year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2000m) respectively, with Pulchritudinous subsequently sold to Australian-based powerhouse Yulong Investments. Rivverock Farm’s Chad Ormsby Photo: Trish Dunell…

Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale. Leung paid $400,000 under his Magus Equine banner to buy Lot 271, a Russian Revolution colt from the draft of Ohukia Lodge, then followed that up with a $625,000 purchase of Lot 288. The latter colt was offered by BMD Bloodstock and is by Toronado out of the Zabeel mare Attractive, who is a half-sister to Gr.1…

The connections of the talented and patiently handled mare Imprevu(NZ) (Wrote) are aiming high this preparation with their pride and joy.  The daughter of Wrote has already acquitted herself well in black type company and will have an opportunity at Pukekohe Park on Saturday to break through ahead of a tilt at a top-flight sprinting target.  Imprevu will step out in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) following a strong performance when opening her current campaign earlier this month in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m).  Also…