Star spring performer Efficient made a pleasing comeback to racing at the weekend with a sprint outing at his favourite haunt.

Mark down the Pentire three-year-old Lakonian as a horse to follow as he is stepped out in distance by Melbourne trainer Robbie Laing.

Curraghmore's Gr 1 graduate Fully Fledged will enter a new phase of his career next season with his retirement to stud.
The son of Align was a $38,000 purchase from the stud's Carnival Sale draft for owners Alistair Sutherland, Tony Timpson and Peter Walker.
A tendon-injury forced a premature end to his racing days, which netted three wins and more than $245,000.
He will stand the 2009 season at Fairdale Stud, near Palmerston North.
Fully Fledged's career highlight was his victory in the Ford Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie.
"He was a good-looking horse, very athletic and it was a great thrill for us when he won the Gr 1 as a two-year-old," said Gordon Cunningham.
Fully Fledged placed in all three of his Australian starts this autumn and was injured when fourth in the Gr 2 Phar Lap Stakes.
"He was thwarted by wide barriers and conceeded weight and showed he was right up there with the best three-year-olds in Australia," Cunningham said.

Curraghmore followed up their weanling sale success at Karaka by selling the top-priced lot in the broodmare division.
The Danehill mare Entrancement, with a positive pregnancy to One Cool Cat, was knocked down to Wentwood Grange for $72,500.
She is out of a Sadler's Wells mare from a strong international family that includes Continent (Gr 1 Prix l'Abbaye, July Cup) and Zambezi Sun (Gr 1 Grand Prix de Paris).
A total of 251 broodmares were sold for an average price of $5,456, with a final session median of $2,400 and an aggregate of $1,369,450.

2009 National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale
Weanling Session Statistics

	2009	2008
Catalogued	336	396
Sold	267	316
Clearance	88%	89%
Average	$9,018	$13,733
Median	$3,250	$6,000
Aggregate	$2,407,800	$4,339,600
Top Price	$100,000	$130,000

 

Leading Lots

>

Lot	Type	Breeding	Vendor	Purchaser	Price
207	B.C	Darci Brahma / Valley Court	ESKER LODGE	BALLYDOYLE (Papakura)	$100,000
312	B.F	Holy Roman Emperor / Elusive Quarry	MONOVALE HOLDINGS	NZB as agent (Auckland)	$82,500
242	B.C	Perfectly Ready / Axislass	CURRAGHMORE STUD	WELLFIELD THOROUGHBREDS (Palmerston Nth)	$56,000
66	B.C	Fast 'n' Famous / Libourne	CURRAGHMORE STUD	NZB as agent (Auckland)	$52,000
180	BR.C	Pentire / Stretto	ESKER LODGE	MR J MORRISEY (QLD)	$50,000
133	B.C	St Reims / Quintessence	TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS	NZB as agent (Cambridge)	$45,000
218	C.C	Volksraad / Worship	BRIGHTHILL FARM	JC & MA MORELL (Ngaruawahia)	$45,000
301	B.C	Perfectly Ready / Deune	CURRAGHMORE STUD	MAARA GRANGE (Cambridge)	$41,000
233	B.F	Darci Brahma / Anakela Bay	CURRAGHMORE STUD	NZB as agent (Auckland)	$40,000
290	B.F	Dehere / Crocodile	MONOVALE HOLDINGS	MR PJ WALKER (Auckland)	$40,000

 

Leading purchasers by aggregate

>

Purchaser	Location	Bought	Aggregate	Top Price
NZB as agent		40	$589,550	$82,500
MICHAEL WALLACE BLOODSTOCK	Cambridge	6	$134,500	$33,000
BALLYDOYLE	Auckland	1	$100,000	$100,000
LYNDHURST FARM	Cambridge	3	$96,500	$37,500
MR J MORRISEY	Queensland	2	$87,000	$50,000
JC & MA MORELL	Ngaruawahia	2	$77,000	$45,000
MAARA GRANGE	Cambridge	2	$71,000	$41,000
WELLFIELD THOROUGHBREDS	Palmerston Nth	1	$56,000	$56,000
MR PA WILLETTS	Auckland	7	$54,250	$21,000
GTS BLOODSTOCK LTD	Te Awamutu	2	$51,500	$27,500

 

Leading sires by Average (3 or more sold)

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Sire	Sold	Average	Aggregate	Top Price
Darci Brahma	4	$41,813	$167,250	$100,000
Volksraad	3	$30,667	$92,000	$45,000
Pentire	4	$27,375	$109,500	$50,000
Perfectly Ready	15	$25,117	$376,750	$56,000
Dubai Destination	3	$23,000	$69,000	$37,000
Don Eduardo	5	$19,760	$98,800	$30,000
Fast 'n' Famous	5	$17,560	$87,800	$52,000
O'Reilly	4	$16,250	$65,000	$27,500
Elusive City	6	$14,583	$87,500	$30,000
St Reims	10	$9,850	$98,500	$45,000

 

Leading Vendors by Aggregate

>

Vendor	Sold	Aggregate	Average	Top Price
CURRAGHMORE STUD LTD	15	$352,000	$23,467	$56,000
ESKER LODGE LTD	10	$279,800	$27,980	$100,000
BRIGHTHILL FARM	14	$230,450	$16,461	$45,000
WAIKATO STUD	29	$207,300	$7,148	$27,500
MONOVALE HOLDINGS LTD	4	$162,250	$40,563	$82,500
HAUNUI FARM LTD	10	$140,700	$14,070	$30,000
TWIN PINE THOROUGHBREDS LTD	25	$113,750	$4,550	$45,000
WINDSOR PARK STUD LTD	4	$101,000	$25,250	$33,000
BLUE GABLES FARM	7	$66,250	$9,464	$34,000
WOODBINE FARM PARTNERSHIP	6	$60,500	$10,083	$17,000

 

Leading Vendors by Average (3 or more sold)

>

Vendor	Sold	Average	Aggregate	Top Price
MONOVALE HOLDINGS LTD	4	$40,563	$162,250	$82,500
ESKER LODGE LTD	10	$27,980	$279,800	$100,000
WINDSOR PARK STUD LTD	4	$25,250	$101,000	$33,000
CURRAGHMORE STUD LTD	15	$23,467	$352,000	$56,000
BRIGHTHILL FARM	14	$16,461	$230,450	$45,000
SALISBURY PARK LTD	3	$16,000	$48,000	$24,000
HAUNUI FARM LTD	10	$14,070	$140,700	$30,000
SOLILOQUY LODGE LTD	4	$10,825	$43,300	$28,000
SEATON PARK LTD	5	$10,100	$50,500	$27,000
WOODBINE FARM PARTNERSHIP	6	$10,083	$60,500	$17,000

Curraghmore have continued their proud selling record at Karaka and again ended the National Weanling Sale as the leading vendor.
With 15 youngsters sold for $352,000 at an average of $23,467, it is the fourth consecutive year they have topped the auction.
"We had a very good sale again and there was strong competiton for our horses, which didn't surprise me," Gordon Cunningham said.
"We had a good quality draft of both pinhooking and racing prospects."
Curraghmore also sold four of the top 10 lots with their Perfectly Ready-Axislass colt leading the way at $56,000.
The Fast 'N' Famous-Libourne colt realised $52,000, a Perfectly Ready-Deune colt fetched $41,000 and a Darci Brahma-Anakela Bay fiilly sold for $40,000.

Quality mare Veloce Bella carried the Curraghmore brand to another stakes victory when she trumped a strong field in the Gr 2 Travis Stakes.
The daughter of Volksraad was back to her brilliant best at Te Rapa with a scintillating finish to down Gr 1 winner Culminate.
Veloce Bella is part-owned by breeders Murray and Margaret Hardy, who enjoy a close association with the stud.
She has now won seven races and more than $418,000 from Mark Brosnan's Matamata stable.
Veloce Bella had previously won at Gr 2 level in the Avondale Guineas and the Eight Carat and Sir Tristram Fillies' Classics.
She is also a triple Gr 1 placegetter in the NZ Oaks, Whakanui Stud International and NZ Bloodstock Breeders' Stakes.

Pentire's son Bridgestone stamped himself as one of Perth's rising stars with a highly-impressive win at Ascot on Saturday.
As expected. the juvenile relished the step up to 1600 metres with a performance that augurs well for his three-year-old season.
Bridgestone had placed in three of his previous four starts, including a Gr 3 third in the WATC Sires' Produce Stakes.
He was a $200,000 Karaka select draft purchase from Curraghmore's 2008 draft by West Australian agent John Chalmers.
Bridgestone is a son of the winning Gold Brose mare Golden Dawn, a half-sister to Gr 3 winner Te Akau Class.

Singa Lass hit the board in her first black-type outing with an eye-catching third in Saturday's Gr 3 Windsor Park Stud Breeders' Stakes.
Her effort provided a significant pedigree boost to her half-brother, who will be sold by Curraghmore at the upcoming National Weanling Sale.
Singa Lass is raced by stud clients Dick Draper, of Hamilton, and his brother George, who resides in Australia.
Under the Curraghmore banner, they will offer her half-brother by Perfectly Ready (Lot 242) at the May 4-6 auction at Karaka.
By Danasinga, Singa Lass was coming off a three-month break at Te Rapa at the weekend and found the line strongly under rider Grant Cooksley.
Out of the Straight Strike mare Axislass, Singa Lass was unbeaten in her first two starts and was spelled after an Ellerslie sixth in a special conditions event.

Revital's reputation preceeded him when he stepped out for the first time at Avondale and nobody was disappointed.
The Fusaichi Pegasus three-year-old was sent out a raging $1.50 favourite and the money was never in doubt.
Trained by Gareth McRae and Garry Newham, Revital won by two and a-half lengths with rider Opie Bosson barely moving a muscle.
He was sold by Curraghmore for $85,000 to agent Joe Barnes, on behalf of Hong kong interests, at Karaka in 2007.
Out of an imported English-bred mare, Revital is out a half-brother to Australian Group performer Chester County.
It is also the family of Gr 2 winner and Gr 1 placegetter Ruud Van Slaats.

Cambridge filly Rock On Rye's winning momentum continued at Pukekohe where she was far too good for the Rating 70 sprinters.
It was the improving three-year-old's second success on end having broken her maiden at Avondale earlier in the month.
Trained by Tony Pike and Mark Donoghue, Rock On Rye had also weighhed in at four of previous six career appearances.
She was bought by agent Dean Hawthorne for $15,000 from Curraghmore's 2007 select draft at Karaka.
By Danehill's son Cather in The Rye, Rock On Rye is out of stakes-placed Beldale Blues.
The Beldale Lear mare hails from the family of Gr 3 winner and Gr 1 NZ 1000 Guineas runner-up Starcent.

Bridgestone further emphasised his three-year-old potential when he finished an excellent third in the Gr 3 WATC Sires' Produce Stakes.
The Pentire juvenile hit the line strongly and the colt will appreciate getting out over more ground next season.
Trained by Neville Parnham, Bridgestone has finished runner-up in two of his three previous appearances.
He was bought by West Australian agent John Chalmers for $200,000 from Curraghmore's select draft at Karaka last year.
He is out of a half-sister to Gr 3 winner Te Akau Class and is a half-brother to two other winners.

Johnson's winning roll in Hong Kong continued on Easter Monday when he was successful over 1400 metres.
The son of Pins had also been triumphant at his previous start and has now won three of his 10 career outings.
Offered by Curraghmore, Johnson was a $75,000 weanling purchase at Karaka in 2006 has now won nearly $250,000 in Hong Kong.
Out of the Kings Island mare Goodness Me, he is a half-brother to Gr 2 Breeders' Stakes winner Deprivation (Win Again HK)

Melbourne trainer Robbie Laing has enjoyed a grand run with the stock of Pentire and he has another promising one in Lakonian.
Laing's previous success with the stallion's offspring have included Pantani (Gr 1 SA Derby, Gr 2 Adelaide Cup) and Sir Pentire (VRC St Leger).
Lakonian showed good pace to win a 1200 metre Ballarat maiden after the three-year-old had run third on debut at Bendigo.
Lakonian was a $92,500 Curraghmore graduate from their 2007 select sale draft to Karaka.
He is out of She's Heaven Cent, a winning Centaine mare, from the family of Gr 3 Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Millrich.

Sousa and Pre Eminence both performed with great credit to finish right in the mix in the Gr 1 AJC Australian Derby at Randwick.
The Curraghmore graduates weighed in for fourth and fifth respectively in the Blue Riband classic for three-year-olds.
Sousa suffered through a lack of racing room 800 metres from home and boxed on strongly in the closing 250 metres.
Pre Eminence's effort was also full of merit after being hunted out of the gates and racing too keenly for the first 1000 metres.

Curraghmore had good reason to celebrate Roman Emperor's victory in the AJC Australian Derby at Randwick on Easter Saturday.
They will offer a close relation to the Gr 1 winner at next month's National Weanling Sale at Karaka.
A colt by first-season sire Lucky Unicorn is out of the winning Centaine mare Go Hayley Go.
She is a half-sister to Roman Emperor's dam Gussy Godiva and to American Gr 1 winner Black Mamba.
The Karaka sale will run from May 4-6.

Dragon Eye continued his run of good form in Hong Kong last night with a dominant front-running victory over 1600 metres at Happy Valley.
Trained by Paul O'Sullivan, he now has two wins and four placings from his last six appearances.
By Danehill Dancer, he was a $230,000 purchase for Robbie Hewetson from Curraghmore at Karaka in 2006.
Dragon Eye, who is out of the stakes-winning Star Way mare Twilight Hour, was a juvenile winner in New Zealand before transferring to Hong Kong.

Performance and pedigree combine to give Curraghmore a strong hand in the Gr 1 AJC Australian Derby at Randwick on Saturday.
Flagbearers Sousa and Pre Eminence have graduated with honours from the stud and both are prime 2400 metre classic candidates.
Galileo's son Sousa was beaten in a bobbing finish when runner-up in the Gr 1 Rosehill Guineas and will relish the extra distance.
The Peter Snowden-trained colt will be chasing his second Gr 1 title after his Spring Champion Stakes triumph.
Pre Eminence made excellent ground in the Rosehill feature after tailing the field into the straight.
The Encosta De Lago three-year-old is a dual Gr 2 winner and his staying credentials are emphasised by his Gr 1 VRC Derby placing in the spring.

In-form filly Velocitea will make her Sydney debut when she chases a black-type victory in the PJ Bell Handicap at Randwick at the weekend.
There will also be special interest in the performance of Target, who runs in a $A100,000 handicap sprint at the meeting.
Velocitea has failed to weigh in just once from six Australian starts for top trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith and was a winner at Sandown two runs back.
Velocitea won twice from three New Zealand appearances and finished runner-up in the Listed Champagne Stakes before her sale.
She was bred and raced by Christchurch mother and daughter Raewyn Ramage and Shelley Frost, who have a strong association with Curraghmore.
Their Braided River Thoroughbreds operation boards several mares at the stud, including the Velocitea's dam Cat Shmea.
Well-bred four-year-old Target has won three out of five and was placed in the Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap at Flemington two runs back.
Bred by Nigel and Adaire Auret, he is by Tale Of The Cat out of the Gr 1 winning-mare Saint Cecile and was sold privately after his forced withdrawal from Curraghmore's yearling draft to Karaka.

Stilton further improved on his record in Hong Kong at the weekend when he was successful at Sha Tin.
In the hands of crack international rider Olivier Doleuze, the five-year-old won a class three event over 1650m.
Stilton was sold by Curraghmore Stud for $240,000 to NZ Bloodstock, as agent, at the Karaka premier sale in 2005.
Three wins and eight placings have now taken his career earnings to nearly $500,000.
By Cape Cross, Stilton is from the family of the Gr 1 NZ 1000 Guineas winners Emerald and Phillipa Rush.