A colt who failed to meet his reserve at Karaka in 2018 is rewarding his breeders Jomara Bloodstock.
The colt, Scorpz (NZ) (Charm Spirit), is the latest stakes winner bred by Jomara after winning the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m), and now they are glad he didn’t reach his reserve.
“He was a cracking foal, and a nice yearling, we were surprised that he didn’t sell,” said John Carter, who is part of Jomara Bloodstock with his brother Mark and sister Rachael.
“We are glad we didn’t sell him now, instead we kept 50 percent and syndicated the rest amongst a good bunch of guys including Stephen Marsh and gave him to Stephen to train.
“Kit Brooks broke him in for us, he does all our breaking in, and he maintained that he was the best horse he had sat on in a good while. He was adamant he was going to be a good horse and I am happy he was right.
“The more racing he does the better he is getting, it’s all very exciting.”
He holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m), and will follow a similar programme to that of Crown Prosecutor (Medaglia d’Oro) whom Marsh trained to win the same race last year before winning the New Zealand Derby.
Scorpz is the fourth foal from Dubawi mare Forbetterforworse, and her third winner. She had already left a colt by Casino Prince when the Carter’s purchased her in Australia for $75,000, and she was in foal to Murtajill. The Casino Prince colt El Novio has won four races in Australia and the resulting Murtajill foal, a filly, has won five races in Singapore as She’s The One.
Her third foal is by Zed, whom they race and still have a significant shareholding in, is named Hillersden and is yet to win.
Following Scorpz, Forbetterforworse missed to Power and then produced a Teofilo filly, who is in the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale in the Book One draft of Hallmark Stud.
This year she produced a colt to Astern, and was covered by Charm Spirit.
Forbetterforworse is a half-sister to Group One placed stakes winner Fast’N’Rocking, and the Listed winner Good’N’Fast.
Their dam For The Good Times was a stakes winning Hennessy mare who won five races including the Listed SAJC Malaysian Airline Stakes.
Jomara have around 15 mares in their broodmare band which are based at Sonia Waddell’s Riverdale Farm in Tamahere and they are no strangers to breeding stakes winners. Last season they were represented by Humidor (Gr.1 Memsie Stakes) and Bobby Dazzler (Listed Wanganui Guineas), and bred Luna Rossa, Zed, Zabene, and Knight’s Command.
Forbetterforworse is by Dubawi and for that reason Carter said there is really no explanation needed why they purchased her.
“She was well bred, a good type and a half to two stakes winners,” he said.
“It’s rather a funny story, both Bruce Perry and I were out of the room when she went up for auction as we had both forgotten about her and gone to look at another horse. However, there was a disputed bid on her between the two bidders and she was re-offered for sale. And we ended up getting her and they both missed out. “Scorpz is particularly good, and we are happy to get another stakes winner, hopefully Forbetterforworse is safely in foal, and we can look forward to another one. He’s a great natured colt, and we are looking forward to selling his half-sister at the sales.”
