Dutch Striker nets another
Progressive mare Dutch Striker continued her excellent winning strike rate when she claimed the Woodville Cup for the fourth victory of her 13-start career,
The daughter of Van Nistelrooy made light of a jump in class and in the process drew further attention to her Karaka-bound half-sister.
Dutch Striker is part-owned by Curraghmore who will offer a Darci Brahma filly out of There's No Doubt next month.
She is the second foal of the Pompeii Court mare who has also left recent Ellerslie winner No Fear.
Dutch Striker is now likely to take aim at the Douro Cup at Trentham later this month before a let-up.
Trainer Howie Mathews has the Gr 2 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa as a longer-term autumn target for the four-year-old.
Big brother wins again
A regally-bred colt in Curraghmore's Premier Sale line-up next month received another pedigree update at Rotorua today.
The youngster's brother Quinta De Lago, a $725,000 yearling in 2007, won his second race in convincing fashion.
They are by Encosta De Lago out of the American-bred Thunder Gulch mare Slip Sliding.
She is a half-sister to dual Gr 1 winner and leading sire Dehere (Belmont Champagne Stakes, Saratoga Hopeful Stakes).
Slip Sliding is also a half-sister to Sister Fromseattle, the dam of Curraghmore graduate Hanks.
He was a $150,000 purchase for Peter Moody who has prepared him to win three races, including the Gr 2 Moonee Valley Vase.
Singa Lass Back In Winners' Circle
Black-type mare Singa Lass returned to winning form at today's Rotorua meeting with a comprehensive victory over 1200 metres.
She was in front on the turn and responded to rider Opie Bosson's urging in the straight to draw clear by three-quarters of a length.
The Curraghmore-raised four-year-old has now won three of her 12 starts and was last season Gr 3 placed in the Cambridge Breeders' Stakes.
Singa Lass is raced by stud clients Dick Draper, of Hamilton, and his brother George, who resides in Australia.
Out of the Straight Strike mare Axislass, she is prepared at Cambridge by Murray and Bjorn Baker.
Family In Winning Form
A well-related Darci Brahma filly in Curraghmore's Select Sale line-up for Karaka has received two recent pedigree updates.
She is out of the Pompeii Court mare There's No Doubt, a Pompeii Court mare out of the Group performer French Polish.
There's No Doubt is the dam of Dutch Striker (Van Nistelrooy), who is a dual Gr 3 placegetter and recent winner at Awapuni.
Her next foal by Johar is No Fear, whose previous three runner-up finishes were capped by an impressive age group win at Ellerslie yesterday.
No Fear was sold as a weanling by Curraghmnore for $44,000 while Dutch Striker was a $30,000 yearling and the stud has retained an interest in the mare.
Richly-bred youngsters Karaka-bound
Two close relations to a leading Karaka Million hope sold by Curraghmore earlier this year feature in the stud's Premier Sale consignment to Karaka in February.
Fastnet Rock's daughter Belles Fast, a $450,000 yearling, was an outstanding winner at New Plymouth and is rated a star in the making by trainer Allan Sharrock.
The youngster is out of the winning Bletchingly mare Cast Your Fate, dam of Gr 2 winners Belle Femme (Rich Hill Mile) and Flying Babe (Matamata Breeders' Stakes).
Curraghmore will offer a colt in February by Flying Spur out of Belle Femme, by Zeditave, who was also Gr 1 placed in the NZ Breeders' Stakes.
He is Lot 290 and will be followed into the ring by a son of Charge Forward and the Flying Spur mare Belle Toujours.
She is a half-sister to Belle Femme and a full-sister to Flying Babe, also a Gr 1 placegetter in the Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes.
Sharrock lavishes praise on filly
Pedigree, performance and temperament make Belles Fast the perfect racing package, according to New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock.
"She's very, very exciting - she's bred to be good and has an unbelievable temperament, just bombproof," he said.
Belles Fast justified Sharrock's opinion on her home track yesterday when she romped home by four and three-quarter lengths.
"It was a little bit freakish really, but she's a super filly and she's showed it right from the start," he said.
"I thought she'd win first up, but we struck a bog track so we waited with her and she's really good."
Belles Fast was a $450,000 purchase from Curraghmore's Premier Sale draft earlier this year.
"She was my star of the sale and the black type will come - she's going to be a very valuable broodmare later on," Sharrock said.
By Fastnet Rock, Belles Fast will step out next at Ellerslie on January 16 and will again return north at the end of next month.
"She'll have a look at the track and then go back for the Karaka Million," Sharrock said.
A half-sister to Gr 2 winners Belle Femme and Flying Babe, Belles Fast is out of the winning Bletchingly mare Cast Your Fate.
Sharrock also paid $175,000 for a General Nediym filly out of Belle Femme, also offered by Curraghmore at Karaka.
"She's coming alomng all right as well and it's nice to be working with such well-bred youngsters," he said.
Red Ric in winners' circle
Red Ric displayed sharp improvement on his first-up effort following a lengthy spell to post the first victory of his brief career at Matamata.
The three-year-old had finished a handy sixth on his return to racing after a six-month break and showed the benefit of that outing yesterday.
Trained by Brian McKeagg, Red Ric won two trials last season and was then put aside to develop after a sole raceday outing.
The son of Daggers Drawn and Capriccio is a half-brother to four winners, including the useful Caballos who won seven times.
Red Ric was a $10,000 purchase from Curraghmore's draft to the 2007 National Weanling Sale.
Amigo strikes in Hong Kong
Impressive four-year-old Amigo furthered his record in Hong Kong on Saturday night when he was successful over 1400 metres at Sha Tin.
He now has two wins and two placings from his five starts there after beginning his career in dazzling style in New Zealand earlier this year.
Racing as Kabalevsky, the son of Giant's Causeway was a seven-length debut winner at Waverley from Stephen Marsh's Cambridge stable.
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.
He is the first foal of the winning Zeditave mare Lucrative Dame, also a dual stakes placegetter in Australia.
Karaka pedigree update
Dutch Striker was on target at Awapuni on Saturday to provide a significant pedigree update for a Curraghmore yearling headed for Karaka in February.
The stud will present a half-sister by Darci Brahma to the Van Nistelrooy mare during the Select Sale on February 4.
They are out of the Pompeii Court mare There's No Doubt, who is from the family of Gr 1 Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes winner Iflooxcouldkill.
Dutch Striker has now won three of her 13 starts and raced creditably against the best of her age group last season.
She finished fourth in both the Desert Gold and Lowland Stakes at Gr 3 level earlier in the year.
Dutch Striker was sold for $30,000 during the 2007 Select Sale at Karaka by Curraghmore, who have retained a racing interest in the mare.
Patience a winning virtue
Waverley horseman Bill Thurlow is reaping the rewards for the patient approach he has adopted with the Van Nistelrooy five-year-old Yours.
The trainer and part-owner has taken his time with the gelding, who yesterday maintained his good winning strike rate at Otaki.
Yours, an $11,000 Select Sale purchase out of Curraghmore's 2006 draft, posted the fourth success of his 19-start career.
"He had a few niggling immaturity problems and I've looked after him and another year won't hurt him either," Thurlow said.
"He stays well and he's got a really good turn of foot on a good track."
Yours is out of the Centaine mare Pavan, a Gr 1 runner-up in both New Zealand and Australasian Oaks.
"He was a little bit on the small side and he's still not a big horse, but I really liked him as a yearling," Thurlow said.
Yours is likely to follow the upcoming country cups' circuit with next year's New Zealand Cup carnival his long-term target.
"He'll stay no problem and the big Riccarton track will suit him," Thurlow said.
The Cruncher Strikes Winning Blow
Improving three-year-old The Cruncher opened his account in good style yesterday at Pukekohe where he was untroubled to win by two and a-quarter lengths.
Victory was both deserved and expected after he had gone close at his previous appearance when runner-up at Matamata.
The Cruncher was a $47,500 purchase by Te Awamutu trainer Robert Priscott from Curraghmore's 2008 Select Sale consignment to Karaka.
From the first crop of Handsome Ransom, he is a half-brother to two winners out of the Kaapstad mare Falcons Fire.
She is in turn out of the stakes-winner and Group-performed mare Najaba and a three-quarter sister to dual black-type winner Chartreuse.
Encosta colt makes waves
A Curraghmore graduate attracted spirited bidding at the Hong Kong International Sale at the weekend when he was knocked down for the second-highest price of the auction.
The son of Encosta De Lago and the Irish-bred mare Miss Helga realised $885,000 after being purchased from the stud for $360,000 at Karaka earlier this year.
Curraghmore's consignment to New Zealand Bloodstock's National Sale next February will again feature a strong line-up of Encosta De Lago yearlings.
They will present nine of champion sire's 13 youngsters in the premier division and one of them received another pedigree update at the Hong Kong International meeting.
Lot 36 is a three-quarter brother to four-time Gr 1 winner Alinghi and to Algarve, who recorded his fourth consecutive victory from five starts at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Curraghmore's youngster is out of Major Drama, a daughter of Gr 1 winner and producer King's Theatre.
Mr Celerity Opens up in style
Mr Celerity struck his first winning blow on Hong Kong's biggest stage when he was an impressive victor of the opening event on the international programme at Sha Tin last night.
The Fusaichi Pegasus four-year-old was making his second start for expatriate South African trainer Tony Millard after finishing fourth on debut in early November.
In the hands of jockey Greg Cheyne, Mr Celerity was strong to the finish to prove too good for his rivals over 1200 metres.
Originally sold by Curraghmore to the bid of Joe Barnes for $85,000 at Karaka in 2007, he began his career in New Zealand with Gareth McRae and Garry Newham.
Racing as Revital, he won both his trials before he signed off with a runaway victory at Avondale in the autumn and was transferred to his Hong Kong base.
He is out of the English-bred mare Quinsigimond, who has now left five winners and the dam of dual Gr 2 winner Ruud Van Slaats.
Tradleia upholds family record
Tradleia continued his Australian-bred dam's excellent record at stud when she openined her winning account at Trentham yesterday.
The Traditionally four-year-old is the fifth foal of the Zeditave mare Amidala to race and all have now been successful.
They include the multiple winners Time Spent, Mr Resilient and the stakes-performed Spirits Bay.
Tradleia is prepared at Awapuni by Mike Breslin, who purchased her for $15,000 from Curraghmore at the 2007 Carnival Sale.
Her Trentham victory came as no surprise as she had finished in the frame at her previous three appearances.
Music City hits winning note
Versatile mare Music City continued her excellent form this preparation when she won over ground at Ashburton yesterday.
It was her second success from three runs this time in after a first-up victory over a metric mile at Timaru last month.
Music City, who has acted on wet and dry tracks, has now won three of her 19 career starts and has weighed in a further five times for Team Moroney.
She began her career from their Matamata base and broke her maiden on her home track last year.
By City On A Hill, the five-year-old was bought for $31,000 by Paul Moroney from Curraghmore's Festival Sale draft in 2006.
A half-sister to mutiple winner Shharp Melody, she is out of the English-bred Green Desert mare Right Tune.
Top-quality Karaka consignment
An outstanding cross-section of the finest Australasian and international sire lines will be represented in Curraghmore's yearling draft to Karaka next year.
Redoute's Choice, Encosta De Lago, Zabeel, Darci Brahma, Stravinsky, Fastnet Rock, Flying Spur, Charge Forward, Fusaichi Pegasus, Holy Roman Emperor and Dansili are among those represented.
Curraghmore has a proud and successful selling history at Karaka and was once again a top three vendor at the Premier and Select Sales earlier this year.
"We've got another high-class draft of colts and fillies with outstanding credentials and we're looking forward to the sale," Gordon Cunningham said.
Curraghmore will be selling in the Premier, Select and Festival divisions with the yearling sale series to be held at Karaka from February 1-8.
Green Pearl A Winning Gem
Encosta De Lago four-year-old Green Pearl was due a winning trick when he trumped his Hawkesbury opposition in Sydney yesterday.
He was a deserved victor over 1400 metres after being a model of consistency with placings at all six previous appearances.
The Curraghmore graduate returned from a spell to finish runner-up at Kilmore last month and made no mistake yesterday over 1400 metres.
A $500,000 Karaka purchase in 2007, he is trained by Team Hawkes - father John and sons Michael and Wayne.
Green Pearl is out of the three-time Listed winner Snippet's Girl, a sister to Gr 3 Angus Armanasco Stakes winner Cheval Palace.
Snippet's Girl now has the perfect record at stud with all six of her foals to race being winners.
Our Gold Bullion shines again
Pentire four-year-old Our Gold Bullion stamped himself as one of the rising staying stars in Melbourne with another comprehensive victory at Mornington yesterday.
The Mick Price-trained gelding now has three wins and two placings since he was stepped up to middle distances five starts back.
Out of the winning Gold Brose mare Golden Dawn, Our Gold Bullion was bought for $60,000 from Curraghmore's Select Sale draft in 2007.
He is an older brother to the Group-performed Bridgestone, a $200,000 purchase from the stud's Karaka consignment last year.
Electronic Cross lights up at Sale
Electronic Cross was a runaway winner at the Sale meeting in Melbourne yesterday for the fourth victory of his career.
The son of Cape Cross coasted home by nearly four and a-half lengths over 1400 metres under 58.5kg.
Electronic Cross was sold by Curraghmore at Karaka in 2005 for $52,000 to current trainer Doug Harrison.
He is out of the unraced Lucky Inn, a half-sister to Gr 3 Cuddle Stakes winner Elegance.
Also in action at Sale was another stud graduate in Echelon, a promising three-year-old by Galileo.
He stepped up to 1600 metres to finish third off the back of a debut run for sixth.
Out of the Vettori mare Initmate Affair, he is from the family of Gr 1 Blue Diamond winner Canonise.
Echelon was bought by trainers Frances Houlahan and Brian Johnston for $30,000 at Karaka last year.
Success across Australia
Graduates Arnie El and Last Red Cent posted a Curraghmore double in Australia yesterday when they were successful at the Moonee Valley and Newcastle venues respectively.
Pentire four-year-old Arnie El has been lightly-tried and improved on his first-up third this preparation with victory over a metric mile last night under Nicholas Hall.
Trained by Russell Cameron, he was a $220,000 buy from Curraghmore's 2007 Premier Sale draft at Karaka. Arnie El is out of the Gr 1 Lion Brown Sprint winner Mrs Selleck
The seven-year-old Last Red Cent has been in excellent form this campaign and had placed in three of his four starts before winning over 1300 metres at Newcastle.
One of the few remaining sons of Centaine still in action, he was bought by Auckland agent Paul Willetts for $26,000 at the 2003 Karaka weanling sale.
Last Red Cent, who has four wins and 20 placings to his credit, is from the family of Australian Gr 1 winner St Clemens Belle.
