Steven Cole will be out to recoup a measure of money spent on the Gold Coast this week with a quartet of runners at Ruakaka on Saturday.
The Byerley Park trainer purchased two youngsters at the recent Australian Yearling Sale with the assistance of bloodstock agent Bevan Smith.
They signed for a son of Tarzino out of Westbury Stud’s draft for A$110,000 and a Dundeel colt offered by Arrowfield Stud for A$75,000.
“I didn’t go over and we had a good look over the Internet and sent Bevan some numbers that we liked,” Cole said.
“He did all the leg work for us, which was quite good, and we got a couple, so it was a good result.
“We were lucky this time and only had three horses vetted and two passed and we got them, it doesn’t normally happen that way.”
The Tarzino colt is a half-brother to multiple winners Go Lotte (NZ) (Telperion) and Who Loves Sushi (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and a direct descendant of Jezabeel (NZ) (Zabeel), Group One winner of the Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Auckland Cup (3200m).
The Dundeel yearling is a half-brother to three winners, including stakes performer Kazuhiko (Deep Impact), and the family of elite level winners Microphone (Excced and Excel) and Yell (Anabaa).
“They are both well-bred horses and I had seen the Tarzino at Westbury before he went over and quite liked him, so we were happy to grab both of them,” Cole said.
While juvenile Hard Attack (NZ) (All Too Hard) is a doubtful runner in Saturday’s Storage Bream Bay 2YO, Cole will still have a worthy representative in debut hope Hewillrocyou (NZ) (El Roca) who will be ridden by Ace Lawson-Carroll.
“I probably won’t run Hard Attack from the bad draw (15) unless there’s a few scratchings before Saturday, but the others are on track and Hewillrocyou has been quite impressive in two trials,” he said.
“There will be a bit of improvement to come and he’s a big horse who has copped everything that we’ve thrown at him.
“We thought he might have been sold by now, but there’s been no interest so we’re happy to press on and race him.”
Cole will be double handed in the Marsden Cove Dental Handicap (1600m) with Mega Mogul (Written Tycoon), to be partnered by Opie Bosson, and Courtney Barnes’ mount Mighty Bright (Power).
“Mega Mogul is a nice horse and we had a few little foot issues with him last prep, but they all seem to be alright now,” he said.
“He has been working well and has gone well at Ruakaka in the past.
“Mighty Bright is a bit in and out with his form and is a thinker, but he did go a good race last time at Pukekohe where he ran fourth so if he can replicate that then he’s half a chance.”
Cole’s first runner on the card will be Wye Valley (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in the second event, the Trigg Construction Maiden (1600m) following her first-up effort for fifth on the course and will again be ridden by Barnes.
“She has learned quite a lot from that and stepping up in trip will help her, especially with her pedigree for it would be good to see her go a good race for Wentwood Grange,” he said.
Bred and raced by the Hawkins family, Wye Valley is a half-sister by Darci Brahma to the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) winner Valley Girl (NZ) (Mastercraftsman).
