Yass River Rolls Home Again
Yass River has been an excellent money-spinner for his Australian connections and he further added to his bankroll yesterday with victory at the Ballina meeting. The genuine six-year-old has been sparingly raced and the patient approach reaped further reward with the son of Daggers Drawn taking his career tally to eight wins from 28 appearances.
He was a $36,000 buy out of Curraghmore's 2005 Select Sale draft to Karaka which has proved a shrewd piece of business with the gelding's earnings now nearly $235,000. Yass River is out of the winning Fiesta Star mare Banshee, who is a half-sister to the Gr 3 winners Dollars N' Gold (Marton Metric Mile) and Madison Point (Shorts Handicap). It is also the family of Curraghmore's Gr 1 graduate Iflookxcouldkill (Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes).
Top-Class Weanling Draft For Karaka
New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling Sale at Karaka has become a key fixture on Curraghmore Stud's auction calendar.
Gordon Cunningham's operation has dominated the May sale in recent years with graduates subsequently performing to the highest level.
"With the number of mares our clients are now breeding from it's never been possible to present our complete foal crops as yearlings," Cunningham said.
"That said, Curraghmore has always considered the weanling sale to be a very positive trading option.
"It generates immediate cash flow as opposed to waiting 10 months to get a return from the yearling sales."
Curraghmore has been the top vendor at the weanling sale for the last four years with Galileo's son Sousa their highest-profile graduate.
"He was a very good example and a horse with a pedigree that would also have been well-placed at the yearling sale," Cunningham said.
"He was the sale-topper in 2006 when he was purchased by Mark and Shelley Treweek of Lyndhurst Farm and they sold him in Sydney at Easter for $A420,000 to John Hawkes."
Sousa has subsequently won the Gr 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick, the Gr 3 Spring Stakes at Newcastle and was narrowly beaten in Gr 1 Rosehill Guineas.
"The Treweeks have successfully pinhooked a number of weanlings from us over the years and continue to come back," Cunningham said.
"We like to see and it's important for people who buy from us to have plenty of luck and make good returns - that's what the game is all about."
Curraghmore will again offer a top-quality draft at this year's weanling sale at Karaka in May.
"We've got another strong draft on paper and several of these weanlings are very good types with the looks to match their pedigrees," Cunningham said.
"The Encosta de Lago colt out of the Danehill mare Breeze Hill is a very good type as is the Zabeel filly from the Gr 2 winner Primera Dama."
Curraghmore's draft further includes youngsters by Tale Of The Cat, Holy Roman Emperor, Thorn Park, Darci Brahma, Keeper and Perfectly Ready.
"We're also excited to be offering the first weanlings by Any Suggestion. They're mature, strong and look and quick," Cunningham said.
Curraghmore is a significant shareholder in the son of Lion Hunter who has been well-received by breeders at Rich Hill Stud.
Any Suggestion was a brilliantly fast Group One performed Australian sprinter who won nine times up to 1200 metres.
His career-best effort was to finish runner-up to the then world's top-ranked short course performer Miss Andretti in the Gr. 1 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Curraghmore has consistently been a leading selling force at Karaka sales for many years and expectations are again high for the upcoming weanling auction.
"We're looking forward to a very good sale again and off the back of a very successful time at the National Yearling Sale in January," Cunningham said.
The current season has been another outstanding one with Curraghmore graduates Efficient (Gr. 1 Turnbull Stakes), Trusting (Gr. 2 Warwick Stakes, Gr. 1 Golden Rose runner-up), Velocitea (Gr. 3 How Now Stakes, Gr. 3 Belmaine Stakes, Gr. 1 Robert Sangster Stakes runner-up), Hanks (Gr. 2 AAMI Vase), The Embassy (Gr. 3 Randwick City Stakes) and pre-post Gr 1 WATC Derby favourite Bridgestone (Listed Roberts Stakes) all making their mark across the Tasman.
Further afield in Hong Kong, Amigo (who was unbeaten in one start in New Zealand as Kabalevsky) has progressed rapidly through the grades with four wins and is now considered a serious Group race contender.
"While it's always good to achieve big prices in the sale ring I've always said it's even more important for our horses to perform at the highest level on the racetrack," Cunningham said.
Future Looking Good
With significant improvement tipped to come, the well-related filly Fledgling looks a fine prospect to make a future impact at the top level.
Matamata trainer John Sargent said the daughter of Captain Rio was still learning her craft and he was already looking forward to her spring campaign.
Given the three-year-old has won three times and placed at stakes level, Fledgling is a horse to follow with confidence.
She followed her recent runner-up finish in the Listed Mr Tiz Trophy at Ellerslie with victory on the track in yesterday's Lance O'Sullivan Shield.
Raised at Curraghmore, Fledgling is raced by her breeder Jim Piper with Jim Bruford and is a half-sister to Fully Fledged.
A $38,000 buy from the farm's 2007 Carnival Sale draft, he won the Gr 1 Ford Diamond Stakes before his retirement to stud last year.
Further Success For Pike
Tony Pike continued his successful association with Curraghmore at Paeroa yesterday when Rock On Rye showed a winning appreciation of a step up in distance.
The Cambridge horseman co-trains the four-year-old with Mark Donoghue and the daughter of Catcher in The Rye now has three career wins to her credit.
Pike is also a part-owner of Curraghmore graduate The Embassy, recent winner of the Gr 3 Randwick City Stakes in Sydney.
Rock On Rye was selected by Dean Hawthorne from the farm's 2007 draft to Karaka and was secured for $15,000.
She is out of the multiple winner and Gr 3 performed mare Beldale Blues, who hails from the family of Gr 1 NZ 2000 Guineas runner-up Starcent.
Rock On Rye proved dominant over 1600 metres yesterday off the back of two sprint outings since returning from a break.
Top Derby Trial From Bridgestone
Curraghmore graduates Bridgestone, Safety In Numbers and The Embassy all made their mark at stakes level in Australia at the weekend.
The star of the show was the Pentire colt Bridgestone who was a stylish winner of the Listed Roberts Stakes at Ascot.
The three-year-old powered home from beyond midfield to down stablemate God Has Spoken in an outstanding trial for the upcoming Gr 1 $A500,000 WATC Derby.
"Since they were two-year-olds, the Derby was the race they were always going to head to," trainer Neville Parnham told the West Australian.
"I was very impressed with Bridgestone's win at Bunbury (last start in a $A95,000 event) - he's a class horse and has a very bright future."
With four wins and five placings from just 12 starts, he has already banked more than $300,000 for connections.
Bridgestone was purchased by Belmont-based bloodstock agent John Chalmers at Karaka for $200,000 from Curraghmore's 2008 Select Sale draft.
The Patinack Farm-owned Safety In Numbers showed further improvement to finish a brave second in Saturday's Listed Port Adelaide Guineas.
It was the son of Fastnet Rock's first attempt at stakes level and the two-time winner acquitted himself well.
Meanwhile, The Embassy came off the back of his Gr 3 Randwick City Stakes victory to finish third in the Listed Manion Cup at Rosehill.
Trainer Chris Waller has shelved Sydney Cup plans and believes the four-year-old is not yet mature enough to tackle 3200 metres.
Gr 2 Feature For Rising Star
Hong Kong trainer Michael Chang is confident his progressive four-year-old Amigo can prove himself in the best of company.
"I think he can handle the step up to the Sprint Cup, he's really starting to prove he's a good horse," he told the South China Morning Post.
The Gr 2 Sprint Cup will be run at Sha Tin on May 1 and will be contested over 1200 metres.
His regular rider Jeff Lloyd said the Curraghmore graduate was best-suited to the cup trip.
"I've always said to Michael that he is very effective over the 1200 metres He's progressing and turning into a nice horse.
"He should be able to carry on now and make his mark in the top grade."
Amigo is a son of Giant's Causeway and the winning Zeditave mare Lucrative Dame and was a $170,000 yearling.
Amigo Strikes Again
Amigo has continued his march through the grades in Hong Kong with another impressive victory at Sha Tin last night.
The Giant's Causeway four-year-old powered home from last on the turn under Jeff Lloyd to score over 1200 metres.
Amigo has four wins and a placing from eight starts in the colony and career earnings of more than $560,000 for owner C. H. Chan.
He was a $170,000 buy out of Curraghmore's 2007 Premier draft at Karaka and was a runaway winner of his only New Zealand start.
Gr 1 Credit For Top Mare
Velocitea added considerably to her future broodmare value and that of her family with a brave Gr 1 placing in the Rogert Sangster Stakes.
The Volksraad mare was beaten for the first time on Saturday in three appearances from Mick Price's stable but earned significant honour in defeat.
Velocitea has already won twice at Gr 3 level and a Listed event for her Christchurch breeders Raewyn Ramage and Shelley Frost.
They initially raced her for two wins before her sale to Australian interests and have several family members rising in value through Velocitea's efforts.
They include the four-year-old's dam Cat Shmea and her Zabeel filly, Velocitea's yearling sister and two-year-old half-siter Macavity.
By Keeper, she has already been a trial winner for Matamata trainers Roger James and Paul Mirabelli.
Injury Counts Trusting Out
Trusting will be a notable absentee from the Sydney autumn carnival with the top colt ruled out by injury.
Patinack Farm general manager Rick Connolly confirmed the son of Tale Of The Cat would be sidelined until the spring.
Trusting suffered an eye injury after being hit by a clod when he resumed in the Gr 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington earlier this month.
He has won two of his seven starts and matched the mighty Lonhro with his defeat of the older horses in the Gr 2 Warwick Stakes at his third appearance.
The three-year-old also finished runner-up to the England-bound Denman in the Gr 1 Golden Rose Stakes during his first preparation.
Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm bought Trusting out of Curraghmore's premier draft at Karaka in 2008 for $300,000.
Numbers Stack Up For Patinack
Nathan Tinkler has enjoyed a good strike rate with his Curraghmore purchases and Safety In Numbers added to the record yesteday.
The lightly-tried son of Fastnet Rock posted his second career victory from five starts when successful at Newcastle.
Safety In Numbers is prepared by Patinack Farm's private trainer John Thompson after beginning his career in Melbourne.
He won on debut at Ballarat for Mick Price's stable and had weighed in twice in three previous starts from his new quarters.
Safety In Numbers is out of the Canny Lad mare Custodial, a half-sister to Gr 1 winners Curata Storm (Mercedes Classic) and Voile D'Or (WATC Derby, SA Oaks).
The three-year-old was bought by Tinkler for $350,000 from Curraghmore's 2008 Premier consignment at Karaka.
From the same draft he also purchased his Gr 2 Warwick Stakes winner and Gr 1 Golden Rose stakes runner-up Trusting.
Fledgling Lands Black Type
Promising Captain Rio filly Fledgling has made excellent progress this preparation and Matamata trainer John Sargent is confident the best is yet to come.
She came through her toughest test at Ellerslie with flying colours and an all-important black-type credit when runner-up in Saturday's Listed Mr Tiz Trophy.
"That was lovely and what we were after with her and she's just going to keep on improving and will be even better next spring," Sargent said.
"I'll probably give her another run or two and then turn her out - she's getting stronger all the time and relaxing better in her races."
Fledgling successfully bridged the gap to stakes company on Saturday and was narrowly denied the third win of her eight-start career in a tight finish.
"She just got a bit lost out in the middle of the track and ran out and let the winner (Rio Fortune) through," Sargent said.
The inaugural Mr Tiz Trophy attracted a highly-competitive line-up with Gr 1 winners The Heckler and Kaaptan among the beaten brigade.
Raised at Curraghmore, Fledgling is raced by her breeder Jim Piper with Jim Bruford and is a half-sister to Fully Fledged.
A $38,000 buy from the farm's 2007 Carnival Sale draft, he won the Gr 1 Ford Diamond Stakes before his retirement to stud last year.
Memorable Day For Thurlow
Waverley Racing Club president Bill Thurlow savoured a royal result with a Curraghmore graduate at his home meeting yesterday.
He trains and part-owns Yours who produced a strong staying effort to win the feature event - the Waverley Cup.
The Van Nistelrooy five-year-old is a fine example of Thurlow's keen eye for a horse.
He bought the son of Gr 1 New Zealand and Australasian Oaks runner-up Pavan out of Curraghmore's 2006 Select Sale draft for $11,000.
Yours has a good winning strike rate with five successes and four placings from just 21 starts and the promise of more to come.
Thurlow said the gelding had needed time to mature and was keen to set him for the New Zealand Cup later this year.
He turned once again to Curraghmore's draft earlier this year at Karaka when parting with $16,000 for an Elusve City colt during the Select session.
The youngster is out of the Gr 3 Cuddle Stakes winner Elegance and a half-brother to two winners.
Stilton Back In Business
A change of stable and an old hand in the saddle paved the way for a return visit to the winner's stall for Stilton at Sha Tin last night.
The son of Cape Cross is now prepared by Francis Lui and was ridden by Eddie Lai, who partnered the horse at the beginning of his career.
Stilton was sold by Curraghmore at Karaka to New Zealand Bloodstock, as agent, during the 2005 Premier Sale.
He is out of a half-sister to the Gr 1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner Emerald from the family of Phillipa Rush, who also won the Riccarton classic.
The Embassy Impresses Again
Progressive stayer The Embassy ran away with Saturday's Gr 3 Randwick City Stakes with a performance that strongly suggested higher honours were well within his range.
The son of Danasinga was settled back in the field by rider Blake Shinn who angled him into the clear at the top of the straight.
The four-year-old showed a hot turn of foot to burst to the front 200 metres from home and he cruised clear to score by four lengths.
Trainer Chris Waller has the Listed Manion Cup at Rosehill next on the list and the four-year-old also holds a nomination for next month's Gr 1 $A400,000 Sydney Cup at Randwick.
"He had probably been a little bit disappointing in his lead-up runs but distance is what he needed and he stood up today - it was a very impressive win," Waller said.
A $100,000 purchase out of Curraghmore's 2007 Ready to Run Sale draft in 2007, he is raced by a syndicate that includes Cambridge horseman Tony Pike andracecaller Bruce Sherwin.
Meanwhile, Hanks produced an encouraging effort when he made late ground to finish in behind the leading pack in the Gr 1 Randwick Guineas over a metric mile.
He will appreciate the extra distance of his likely upcoming Gr 1 targets - the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and the Australian Derby (2400m).
By Encosta De Lago, Hanks was purchased by Peter Moody for $150,000 from Curraghmore's 2008 Premier draft at Karaka last year.
Sandown Success For Bambina
Bambina broke her maiden status in good time at Sandown yesterday and she can be expected to make her mark in better company over more ground.
The Pentire filly was successful over 1000 metres for Cranbourne trainer Robbie Laing after consecutive placings from two of her previous three starts.
She is highly-regarded by her connections and was sold by Curraghmore for $23,000 at the 2007 National Weanling Sale at Karaka.
Bambina is a sister to former stablemate Lakonian, who was a $92,500 purchase earlier in the same year from the farm's Select Sale draft.
He posted two wins and four placings in six appearances before his spring sale to Hong Kong interests for a figure reportedly close to seven figures.
Have Faith In The Firebird
Mark down Faith Firebird as a filly to follow after she overcame difficulties to post an impressive debut win in Melbourne yesterday.
The daughter of Stravinsky's private reputation went public at Sale where she scored over 1000 metres with ease off the back of a trial success.
Faith Firebird led three wide on the turn and scooted clear in the straight to have a length and a-half margin at the post.
Her effort was all the more meritorious as she raced greenly, lost a shoe in the running and dislodged her neckstrap.
Trainer Leon Corstens said he expected her to gain vast improvement from the experience and would be better-suited to more ground.
Faith Firebird was sold by Curraghmore during the Premier Session at Karaka last year for $260,000.
She is from the winning Danehill mare Sea Of Faith who is a sister to Gr 3 McNeill Stakes winner Tully Dane.
They are out of the former crack juvenile and Gr 1 Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes winner Good Faith.
It is also the family of star mare and Gr 1 NZ 1000 Guineas, Australian Oaks and Windsor Park Plate winner Daffodil.
Trusting Back On Track At Flemington
Top colt Trusting will eye victory in the Gr 1 $A1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on Saturday through the addition of blinkers for the first time.
He will make his return to racing in the feature sprint following a six-month break after stamping himself in his first preparation as a three-year-old of the highest quality.
The son of Tale Of The Cat wore the blinkers when he finished third in an 800 metre trial at Flemington earlier this week.
"We were just experimenting. We've been working him in slow work in blinkers and trialled him with them on and it really sharpened him up," trainer John Thompson told AAP.
"I think he needs them on in a race like the Newmarket because he's one of those horses who gets his head up and thinks a bit and they might focus him up.
"If there is hot speed early he'll probably be out the back and hitting the line. It's a nice starting off point for him up the straight."
Trusting has won two of his six starts and emulated the great Lonhro with his defeat of the older horses in the Gr 2 Warwick Stakes at his third appearance.
Thompson said the colt, who beat all but Denman in the Gr 1 Golden Rose last August, would return to Sydney after the Newmarket.
"He'll have two weight-for-age runs in the Canterbury Stakes and the George Ryder and then he'll go into the Doncaster."
Thompson is the private trainer to Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm who purchased Trusting for $300,000 from Curraghmore's 2008 premier draft at Karaka.
Out of Zabeel's Gr 2 Sandown Classic winning daughter Laebeel, he was sold by the farm on behalf of John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds.
Velocitea In Top Form For Gr 1 Bid
Volksraad mare Velocitea produced a perfect dress rehearsal for next month's Gr 1 Robert Sangster Stakes with an effortless victory at Caulfield on Saturday.
She cruised away with the Listed JRA Stakes to follow up her previous success in the Gr 3 Belmaine Stakes and remain unbeaten for new trainer Mick Price.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver had Velocitea under double wraps behind the pace to the turn and she waltzed away in the straight to score by two and a-quarter lengths.
"It worked out well and she didn't have to come off the fence and won pretty easily," Price said.
"She's the most beautiful horse to train and never bats an eyelid at anything.
"She'll probably only have three or four runs in a campaign and she'll run next in the Robert Sangster - that will be her race."
Price won the Gr 1 Adelaide feature last season with Bel Mer and in 2006 with French Bid when it carried Gr 2 status.
Velocitea was bred by Curraghmore clients Raewyn Ramage and Shelley Frost whose Braided River Thoroughbreds operation boards several mares at the farm.
They include the four-year-old's dam Cat Shmea who last year foaled a valuable filly to champion stallion Zabeel and they have retained Velocitea's yearling sister.
Her two-year-old half-sister Macavity is in work with Roger James and Paul Mirabelli and the Keeper filly finished runner-up at last week's Cambridge trails.
Velocitea won twice for the Christchurch mother and daughter and was runner-up in the Listed Champagne Stakes before her sale to Australian interests.
Another Victory For Mascot
Victory Mascot's rich vein of form continued in Hong Kong last night when he triumphantly returned from a month's break to score over 1800 metres at Happy Valley.
The Encosta De Lago four-year-old has now won three of his last five starts and four overall for the Curraghmore graduate.
Victory Mascot also provided leading trainer Caspar Fownes with the middle leg of a winning treble.
He was offered by Curraghmore at the 2007 Premier Sale at Karaka and was purchased by Matamata agent Michael Stedman for $300.000.
He is a half-brother to the stakes perfomer Bold Moment out of Flushed who won six times, including the Gr 2 Sunline Stakes and the Gr 3 Matriarch Stakes.
The Redding mare is from from the family of former top filly and triple Gr 1 winner Show Ego (VRC Oaks, Queensland Oaks, West Australian Derby).
Amigo furthers HK Record
Giant's Causeway four-year-old Amigo maintained his excellent strike rate in Hong Kong with another victory at Sha Tin last night.
He now has three wins and two placings from seven starts in the colony after beginning his career in New Zealand with a stunning debut victory.
Racing as Kabalevsky and trained by Stephen Marsh, he romped home by seven lengths last year off the back of two trial wins.
He was originally purchased by Michael Chang Racing Stables for $170,000 from Curraghmore's 2007 Premier Sale draft at Karaka.
Amigo is raced by C. H. Chan, whose New Zealand interests are managed by Bruce and Maureen Harvey, of Ascot Farm, Cambridge.
Out of the winning Zeditave mare Lucrative Dame, he also completed a winning treble yesterday for South African rider Jeff Lloyd.
"He travelled a bit keen and was fired up a little more than usual before the race," Lloyd said.
"Perhaps it was the lights, because he hasn't raced at night before, but he hung in a little once he got to the front and he did well to hold on and win."
Meanwhile, Hanks produced an encouraging effort in his return to racing at Caulfield after a four-month break.
The strapping son of Encosta De Lago hit the line well for fourth behind race-fit Denman in the Gr 2 Autumn Stakes.
Hanks was purchased for $150,000 from Curraghmore's 2008 Karaka draft by Peter Moody, whose wife Sara is a part-owner.
The Gr 2 AAMI Vase winner is a possible contender for the Gr 1 AJC Derby at Royal Randwick on April 10.
