Double strike for stud
Curraghmore registered a trans-Tasman double yesterday with success at Otaki and at the Sale meeting in Melbourne.
On the home front, Van Nistelrooy gelding Yours returned from a nine-month break for a comprehensive victory over 1600 metres.
He is trained at Waverley by Bill Thurlow, who purchased him from Curraghmore's 2007 Select Sale draft for $11,000.
Out of the Gr 1 performed Centaine mare Pavan, Yours has now won three of his 14 starts.
In Australia, the Mick Price-trained Our Gold Bullion has continued to make his mark over ground.
The Pentire four-year-old has two wins and two placings from his four middle distance outings.
Our Gold Bullion was a $60,000 Select Sale buy in 2007 and is a brother to the Gr 3 performed Bridgestone.
Fitting victory at Riccarton
Genuine performer Coup Callum was an appropriate winner of the $35,000 Curraghmore Stud Premier Open at Riccarton today.
The six-year-old is raced by Ray Coupland, who has enjoyed a long and successful association with the farm.
He bases a number of his mares there and purchased Coup Callum for $25,000 from Curraghmore's Karaka draft in 2005.
The son of Daggers Drawn has proved a grand moneyspinner with six wins and 10 placings for stake-earnings in excess of $115,000.
Trained by Michael Pitman, Coup Callum was patiently handled today by Lisa Allpress and they came from last to down former Gr 1 winner Balmuse.
"He's the sort of horse you can ride anywhere and there wasn't a lot of pace and I was quite conscious not to be too handy," Allpress said.
"He's a really neat horse and I've always had a lot of faith in him."
St Ives strikes again
Lightly-raced four-year-old St Ives appreciated the step up to a metric mile at Ararat yesterday to record the second Melbourne success of his career.
The son of Pentire was having his third run back from a break with victory coming off the back of two lead-up sprint outings.
St Ives is prepared at Flemington by Mike Moroney, whose brother Paul purchased him out of Curraghmore's select draft to Karaka in 2007 for $46,000.
He posted a win and three placings from six starts as a three-year-old before he was turned out to further strengthen and develop.
St Ives is out of the multiple winner Top Cut, a three-quarter sister to dual Gr 1 winner Javelin and half-sister to Gr 3 winner Whetu.
Injury counts Efficient out
Efficient is out of this year's Melbourne Cup with a niggling leg injury robbing the star stayer of another crack at Flemington glory.
Owner Lloyd Williams said he would not be making the final payment after the son of Zabeel had failed to respond to treatment.
2007 winner Efficient had been high up in the betting markets after his stunning Gr 1 lead-up victory in the Turnbull Stakes.
"It's a great shame, but he has done a magnificent job and done us all proud," Curraghmore's Gordon Cunningham said.
The stud sold Efficient for $220,000 during the Premier Sale at Karaka in 2005.
He subsequently became the first horse since the legendary Phar Lap to complete the Gr 1 VRC Derby-Melbourne Cup double in consecutive years
Moody takes patient approach
Peter Moody has decided to wait for the autumn to give strapping three-year-old Hanks his chance at Derby glory.
The Caulfield trainer will bypass the VRC feature this weekend to allow the son of Tale Of The Cat more time to develop.
Moody said Hanks was still green and immature and would be better-suited to next year's AJC Derby.
The talented gelding won his third race from five starts when dominant in the Gr 2 AAMI Vase.
Meanwhile, another Curraghmore graduate has also been ruled out of Saturday's Gr 1 event.
Perth trainer Neville Parnham was forced to scratch Bridgestone, who is suffering from a respiratory infection.
Derby watch on Hanks
Astute Caulfield trainer Peter Moody will keep a close watch on strapping three-year-old Hanks in the next couple of days before committing to a start in the Gr 1 VRC Derby.
''I've said all along he's a derby horse, but whether it's next Saturday or next year [in Sydney], I'm not quite sure" he said.
''But with such a lightly raced horse I want to be satisfied that he's at peak health to attempt the race that can be a tough exercise for an underdone three-year-old.''
Hanks posted the third win of his five-start career at Moonee Valley on Saturday when dominant in the Gr 2 AAMI Vase.
"It looks like the race hasn't taken much out of him but I'll just watch him day by day and see how he progresses,'' Moody said.
"He is a big, raw horse but it is a big carrot in front of you - 2500 metres on a big track at Flemington."
Part-owned by Moody's wife Sara, Hanks was purchased for $150,000 from Curraghmore's 2008 Premier draft at Karaka last year.
By Encosta De Lago, he is out of the Seattle Slew mare Sister Fromseattle, an unraced half-sister to dual Gr 1 winner and leading sire Dehere.
Cup hope in top order
Lloyd Williams believes his last-start Turnbull Stakes winner Efficient is in greater shape now than he was before his 2007 victory in the Melbourne Cup.
"I wish the cup was this weekend," he said. "He's particularly well. He's very mature now and very strong. I think he's going better now than he was two years ago."
Efficient produced a storming finish to land the Gr 1 Turnbull and head straight to the top of this year's Melbourne Cup betting.
The son of Zabeel was partnered last time out by Williams' godson Nicholas Hall, but riding engagements have yet to be confirmed for Flemington.
“Steve (Arnold) has the choice – he does all the work up here on these horses and has been getting them ready for these races for nearly six months,” Williams said.
Track counts Trusting out
A prounounced track bias toward the on pace runners on Saturday contributed to Trusting's unplaced performance in the Gr 1 Caulfield Guineas.
The Tale Of The Cat three-year-old was unable to make an impression after getting a long way back in the running.
Trusting, who paraded on the light side before the feature event, has made rapid progress on his first preparation.
He won on debut in May and then beat the older horses in the Gr 2 Warwick Stakes before a close second in the Gr 1 Golden Rose - his third run is as many weeks.
Trusting made his first appearance in Melbourne when narrowly denied in the Gr 2 Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
Meanwhile, the genuine Velocitea gained another black-type credit when third in the Listed Northwood Plume Stakes.
The BVolksraad mare had previously won the Gr 3 How Now Stakes at Caulfield last month.
Double strike by 4YOs
Curraghmore graduates struck winning blows at both Victorian venues yesterday with Port Vell successful at Moonee Valley and Our Gold Bullion making his mark at Wangaratta.
Port Vell has been sparingly-raced by Caulfield trainer Colin Little and last night convincingly won his third race from eight appearances.
By Pins, he is the first foal of the winning Centaine mare Melody D'Amour, a half-sister to multiple winner and Group performer Ten Clicks-Luckswell (HK).
Port Vell, who carries the same colours as his Gr 1 Cox Plate winning stablemate El Segundo, was a $120,000 Select Sale yearling in 2007.
Our Gold Bullion was purchased from the same sale for $60,000 and is an older brother to Gr 1 VRC Derby hope Bridgestone.
Prepared by Mick Price, he has also showed staying is his forte with two starts over ground resulting in a runner-up finish before yesterday's breakthrough victory.
Derby hope delivers
Bridgestone pressed his claims for a trip to Melbourne for the Gr 1 VRC Derby with a dominant win at Belmont Park at the weekend.
The progressive three-year-old lengthened stride stylishly in the straight to score with authority over 1650 metres.
Bridgestone is in the leading Perth stable of Neville Parnham, who is currently holidaying overseas.
The son of Pentire was a juvenile winner last season and also placed in the Gr 3 WATC Sires' Produce Stakes.
"He always suggested he would make a top three-year-old," stable representative Mark Sestich said. "He still has a fair bit of improvement left in him."
The Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield and the AAMI Vase at Moonee Valley now loom as possible Gr 2 Derby preliminaries
Sublime display from Efficient
Efficient beat a high-quality line-up at their own game when he powered to victory in the Gr 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
The son of Zabeel showed an impressive turn of foot over 2000 metres to down a cracking field that included six individual top-flight winners.
The Lloyd Williams-owned Efficient was making just the third appearance of his current campaign and left no doubt he was on target to add to his Gr 1 tally in upcoming assignments.
"We thought he'd run a big race and he's back to his best and there's still plenty of improvement in him yet - he'll go for the Cox Plate and then into the Mebourne Cup," Williams' son Nick said.
Efficient was well back in the field turning for home in the Turnbull and stormed home down the centre of the track under Nicholas Hall.
"It was a great ride and a great run and he's defintely on track," Williams said. "All credit to (trainer) John Sadler - he's done a great with him in the last 18 months to get him back."
In the wake of his dashing Turnbull victory, Efficient was promoted to Melbourne Cup favouritism to repeat his success of 2007.
Also the winner of the Gr 1 VRC Derby, the grey has now won seven races and more than $A4.5 million from his 20 career outings.
He was a $220,000 yearling purchase in 2005 from the Premier Sale draft of Curraghmore, who also sold his recently-retired Gr 2 winning half-brother Guillotine.
Meanwhile, Hanks gave a good account of himself when fourth in his toughest test to date in the Listed UCI Stakes.
The winner of his only two previous starts, the Encosta De Lago colt stuck to his task gamely after covering extra ground.
Hanks is trained at Caulfield by Peter Moody and holds a Gr 1 nomination for the VRC Derby.
Boost for classy colts
A pair of well-bred colts to be sold through Curraghmore's Karaka draft next year have received a significant pedigree update in Hong Kong.
Their close relation Penglai Xianzi, a son of Encosta De Lago, opened his winning account at Sha Tin at the weekend with a decisive victory over 1400 metres.
Curraghmore will offer both a three-quarter brother and half-brother to the Tony Cruz-trained three-year-old at February's National Yearling Sale.
"They come from a high-class family and physically both colts rate very highly," Gordon Cunningham said.
The three-quarter brother is out of the Shirley Heights mare Push A Venture, whose colt by Danehill made $1 million for Curraghmore at Karaka in 2004.
Named Offenbach, he won eight races in Australia including the Gr 3 Hobart Cup.
He is a brother to Penglai Xianzi's dam Isle Of Gibraltar, who was a winner and Gr 3 placed in the Adelaide Guineas.
It is also the family of seven-time international Gr 1 winner and sire Rock of Gibraltar.
The Stravinsky colt out of Isle Of Gibraltar will be offered on behalf of Fairway Thorougbreds.
Curraghmore also sold crack colt Trusting in 2008 for John Camilleri's New South Wales-based operation.
Talented 4yos move on
Two smart four-year-olds with strong Curraghmore ties have been sold and moved on to pastures new to continue their careers.
Lakonian has been bought by Hong Kong interests while Knife Edge will do his future racing in Macau.
Pentire gelding Lakonian was bought out of Curraghmore's 2007 Select Sale draft at Karaka in 2007 for $92,500.
He made an excellent start to his career with two wins and four placings in six starts from Robbie Laing's Cranbourne stable.
Lakonian was sold for a sum reportedly close to seven figures and has joined David Hall's successful Hong Kong stable.
"He was a very good galloper and I'm sorry to see him go, but it was a lot of money," Laing said.
He also has a good opinion of Lakonian's three-year-old sister Bambina, originally sold by Curraghmore for $23,000 at the 2007 National Weanling Sale.
"She's ready to race and ran fourth in a trial the other day and we just rode her quietly," Laing said.
"She's a big, strong filly and next autumn could be a South Australian Oaks type."
Curraghmore graduate and multiple winner Knife Edge has also proved a sound investment.
Pukekohe trainer Richard Collett paid $15,000 for the son of Daggers Drawn at the 2007 Festival Sale at Karaka.
"He was a neat horse and very professional and did a good job," Collett said.
"He won four races and and the owners got good money for him so it was a result all round."
Big race contenders impress
Youth and experience shone for Curraghmore at Caulfield on Saturday to augur well for upcoming Gr 1 Melbourne features.
Exciting colt Trusting came from last with a spirited late burst to finish runner-up in the Gr 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
He will be ideally-suited to the step up to 1600 metres in the Gr 1 Caulfield Guineas in three weeks time.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Cup contender Efficient showed he was right on target with another eye-catching performance.
He followed his first-up fifth in the Gr 2 Memsie Stakes to make late ground in behind the placegetters in the Gr 1 Underwood Stakes.
The Zabeel six-year-old has been racing at distances well short of his best and is making excellent progress towards Flemington.
Gr 1 goal for The Embassy
Progressive stayer The Embassy sealed a Gr 1 start when he won the opening 2400 metre handicap at Rosehill on Saturday.
Under leading rider Hugh Bowman, the Danasinga gelding proved far superior in the straight for his fourth Australian victory.
"It works out well now and two weeks into the Metropolitan," trainer Chris Waller said.
"Things just didn't go his way last week, but he was back to his best again."
Waller was referring to The Embassy's previous fifth placing, which had followed a winning treble for the four-year-old.
Grand result at Caulfield
Christchurch mother and daughter Raewyn Ramage and Shelley Frost were delighted with Velocitea's Gr 3 How Now Stakes victory at Caulfield.
Their Braided River Thoroughbreds operation boards several mares at Curraghmore, including Velocitea's dam Cat Shmea.
She is currently in foal to champion stallion Zabeel while they also have a younger sister to Velocitea, who they raced before her sale to Australia.
The Volksraad four-year-old added significant value to the family with her defeat on Saturday of Gr 1 winner Neroli.
Velocitea was ridden by Craig Williams, who brought the mare home with a well-timed finish.
"It was a nice, cool ride from Craig and fortunately she was able to stall off the second horse," trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith said.
Velocitea has now won four of her 12 starts and has only once failed to weigh in.
"She's very honest and talented, but restricted by her size," Mayfield-Smith said.
"I will have to have a good look at the calendar now because now that she has won that race she will get a penalty."
Hanks in Derby picture
Leading trainer Peter Moody is confident Hanks will be a classic contender, but he's uncertain yet which Blue Riband event the unbeaten three-year-old will be best suited to.
“He’s a horse we’ve always considered to be Derby material, but whether he is mature enough to cope with a Derby preparation this time or whether we wait until the autumn is something we will play be ear," he said.
A debut winner at Sale in May, Hanks was subsequently gelded and pleasantly surprised Moody with his comeback victory over 1300 metres at Sandown yesterday.
“I wasn’t really expecting him to get hot under a mile so you’d have to say he’s exceeding expectations at this stage,” he said.
Hanks settled well back in the running at Sandown before powering home down the middle of the track for a decisive win.
"To come from that far back in what appeared a slowly run race he has done a good job," Moody said.
"He is still a big overgrown kid, but he is going to be a lovely staying horse. He can have another run over a mile and then we’ll go from there.”
By Encosta De Lago, Hanks was purchased by Moody for $150,000 from Curraghmore's 2008 Premier draft at Karaka last year.
He is out of the Seattle Slew mare Sister Fromseattle, an unraced half-sister to dual Gr 1 winner and leading sire Dehere.
New combination chases Prelude
High-class colt Trusting will have a new trainer and rider when he takes on a crack field in Saturday's Gr 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
The Tale Of The Cat three-year-old is now prepared by John Thompson, who has booked Craig Williams for this weekend's outing.
Thompson, a son of former leading Sydney trainer Vic, has recently taken up an appointment with Patinack Farm as one of Nathan Tinkler's Warwick Farm-based trainers.
Trusting, previously in the care of Jason Coyle, was having only his third start when he won the Gr 2 Warwick Stakes against the older horses at Randwick.
He then backed up a week later to come from the tail of the field for second to Denman in the Gr 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill.
Trusting's form took on further merit when Warwick Stakes runner-up O'lonhro grabbed Epsom Handicap favouritism with victory in the Gr 2 Chelmsford Stakes at his next appearance.
'He is a top quality colt, a potential topliner,” Thompson said and noted that Trusting had an early preparation in Melbourne last year when he was under the care of Tinkler's first trainer Anthony Cummings.
Trusting is being stabled at Caulfield with Mick Price, Patinack's major Melbourne trainer, and was ridden by Williams in a workout on the Caulfield course proper this week.
All's well with cup contender
Star stayer Efficient was withdrawn from Saturday's Gr 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes, but there is nothing amiss with the Zabeel gelding.
Trainer John Sadler said the Moonee Valley track was too firm for the Melbourne Cup winner.
"We'll wait a week and we now have to run at Caulfield next week in the Underwood Stakes to keep his preparation going."
Efficient has been sparingly raced since he won the cup in 2007 and is high in the betting market for a repeat performance at Flemington this year.
The six-year-old drew serious attention to his prospects when he finished an excellent fifth in the Gr 2 Memsie Stakes over 1400 metres at his latest appearance.
Group target for Coup Callum
Riccarton trainer Michael Pitman has the Gr 2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile at the top of his wish list for the well-performed Coup Callum.
The $250,000 home-track feature on November 11 is another appropriate target for the Curraghmore-bred and sold galloper.
Coup Callum is part-owned by high-profile racing identity and race sponsor Ray Coupland.
"I've had a chat with Ray and while he's a better 2000 metre horse we'll keep him fresh and have a crack at it," Pitman said.
"He's a lovely horse and a pleasure to do anything with and he's very genuine."
Coup Callum posted his fifth career success in yesterday's Geraldine Cup, also sponsored by Coupland who boards mares at Curraghmore.
"I was pretty confident and he'd been working better than Eel Win all the way through," Pitman said.
"He'll only have one more run before the Coupland's Mile and that will probably be the North Canterbury Cup."
Meanwhile, Our Dream Catcher made a bold debut showing on Saturday when runner-up to the highly-regarded Rampant at Awapuni.
The Cape Cross filly was a $220,000 Karaka purchase out of Curraghmore's Select Sale draft last year.
