Spring in Melbourne is one of world racing’s greatest stages, and the results of this year’s carnival have given a massive boost to the catalogue for this month’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds at Karaka.
The catalogue features relatives to the winners of some of the carnival’s biggest prizes – the Group One Melbourne Cup (3200m), Cox Plate (2040m) and VRC Oaks (2500m).
First and foremost, Lot 320, a Pride of Dubai colt offered by Wellfield Lodge, is a close relative of the Melbourne Cup hero Vow and Declare (Declaration of War).
The colt’s dam Claystone (Zabeel) is a half-sister to Aim For Gold (End Sweep), whose daughter Geblitzt (Testa Rossa) is the dam of Vow and Declare.
Trained by Danny O’Brien, the four-year-old Vow and Declare has become Australia’s staying star. In addition to his memorable Melbourne Cup triumph, he also finished second in the Group One Caulfield Cup (2400m).
Two other recent stakes winners provide notable updates to Lot 320’s pedigree, including Harlech (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who won the Group Two Sarten Memorial and finished second in the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
Meanwhile, Ohukia Lodge will offer Lot 76, who hails from the same family as the powerful Cox Plate winner Lys Gracieux (Heart’s Cry). This Dissident colt is a grandson of The Wise Lady (Ganges), who is a half-sister to Liliside (American Post), the dam of the exceptional Japanese mare.
Lot 399, an El Roca filly from Westbury Stud’s draft, comes from the same family as the runaway VRC Oaks winner Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man). This filly’s second dam Heartsareforlove (Hussonet) is a half-sister to Miami Bound’s dam, Arapaho Miss (Danehill Dancer).
Lot 36 is out of a sibling to Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park), who hit a new career pinnacle on the final day of the Flemington carnival with victory in the Group Two Matriarch Stakes (2000m). Lot 182 is from the same family as Acting (NZ) (Savabeel), who won the Group Two Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m). Lot 209 is from the same family as the Group Two Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) winner The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel).
The catalogue also includes relatives to the Group One Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) runner-up Aristia (Lonhro) (Lot 95) and the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) placegetter Libertini (I Am Invincible) (Lots 202 and 301).
Ready to Run Sale graduate Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) flew the flag proudly during the spring. He produced an enormous finish for second in the Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) in Sydney, narrowly beaten by the subsequent A$7.5m Golden Eagle (1500m) winner Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park). He then carried on to Melbourne, where he stormed home from last to run third in the Cox Plate.
This year’s Ready to Run Sale catalogue features two relatives to Te Akau Shark – Lots 124 and 274.
Another standout performer in Sydney during the spring was Shadow Hero (Pierro), who won the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and the Group Three Gloaming Stakes (1800m). Lot 307 in the Ready to Run Sale catalogue comes from the same family.
On the other side of the Tasman, the star of the spring has been the brilliant three-year-old Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma). In just over two months, he has strung together stunning victories in the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m), the Group Three Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), the Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
Lot 153 in the Ready to Run Sale catalogue comes from the same family as Catalyst, along with four other recent stakes performers.
There are also some notable pedigree updates from further afield. Lot 37 comes from the same family as Hello Youmzain (Kodiac), who won the Group One Haydock Sprint Cup (1200m) in Britain.
The pedigree page for Lot 261 features Billesdon Brook (Champs Elysees), who won last year’s Group One English 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Newmarket and recently added the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes (1600m) at the same venue.
Lot 334 is from the same family as Southern France (Galileo), who recently won the Group Three Irish St Leger Trial (2800m) and placed in the Group One Irish St Leger (2800m).
Lot 63 is a half-brother to the recent South African Group Three winner Frosted Gold (All Too Hard), Lot 86 is a half-brother to the nine-length Listed Wanganui Guineas (1340m) winner Cooga Doon (NZ) (Makfi), and Lot 192 is a half-brother to Listed winner Toms (NZ) (Towkay).
Lot 337 is a close relative to recent Group Two BOP RC Tauranga Stakes (1600m) winner Supera. The Sacred Falls gelding is also a grandson of multiple Group One winner Ethereal.
The 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale will be held at Karaka on 20 and 21 November, commencing at 11am each day.
Breeze Ups were conducted at Te Rapa Racecourse on 21 & 22 October, with videos and times available to be viewed on www.nzb.co.nz.
