Fully Fledged gave an excellent account of himself under a big weight in his Australian debut at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Align colt finished third with 58.5kg over 1100 metres at Rosehill in his first appearance for six weeks.
Fully Fledged settled back from the outside gate and ran on bravely with the first two home both in receipt of five and a-half kilos.
The three-year-old is expected to have his next start in either a stakes race at Randwick on March 14 or the Phar Lap Stakes a week later.

Gr 1 performed three-year-old Pre Eminence will tackle the older horses at weight-for-age in next Saturday's Australian Cup at Flemeington.
The son of Encosta de Lago will return to the scene of his VRC Derby placing in the spring for the $A1 million feature.
Pre Eminence won the Gr 2 Alister Clark Stakes two runs back before finishing fourth in last weekend's Gr 2 Autumn Classic at Caulfield.
Trainer Mick Price said the horse had become fractious before the start and was confident he would be better-suited at Flemington.

Progressive filly Dutch Striker has come a long way in a short time and is likely to bypass the Gr 1 New Zealand Oaks with a view to the future.
Since making her debut in November, the daughter of Van Nistelrooy has posted two wins and twice finished fourth in Gr 3 company.
Dutch Striker recorded her latest placing in Saturday's Lowland Stakes at Trentham.
The Gr 3 Manawatu Classic at Awapuni later this month is now a likely target with the longer-term possibility of a trip to the Queensland winter carnival.

Fully Fledged will make his belated Australian debut at Rosehill tomorrow in the 1100 metre Cadbury Fireball Quality.
The Align colt was to have had his first outing a fortnight ago but was scratched due to a wet track.
Fully Fledged, who will be ridden by Corey Brown, has not raced since the Gr 1 Telegraph Handicap.
He was unsuited by the rock-hard track at Trentham and had previously placed against the older horses in the Listed Newmarket Handicap.
Fully Fledged was a $38,000 buy from Curraghmore's carnival sale draft in 2007 and has won nearly $210,000.

Quality three-year-old Sousa returns from a four month break in Saturday's Gr 2 Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill.
The Gr 1 Spring Champion Stakes winner has not raced since he finished fifth in the Gr 2 AAMI Vase in October.
Bred by Lars Pearson, Sousa was sold through Curraghmore’s 2006 National Weanling Sale draft at Karaka.
The colt was bought by Mark and Shelly Treweek’s Lyndhurst Farm for $150,000 and subsequently sold on for $A420,000 at the Inglis Easter Sale to Woodlands Stud.
By Galileo out of the Irish-bred Last Tycoon mare Liberty Song, Sousa has already banked more than $A400,000 with three wins from seven appearances.

Leading Melbourne trainer Mick Price is keen to tackle the older horses at weight-for-age with the in-form Pre Eminence.
He will run the three-year-old in Saturday's Gr 2 Autumn Classic at Caulfield as a lead in to the Gr 1 Australian Cup at Flemington on March 7.
Pre Eminence was Gr 1 placed in the spring when he finished third in the VRC Derby following success in the Gr 2 Norman Robinson Stakes.
The son of Encosta De Lago has had two runs this time in and most recently landed the Gr 2 Alister Clark Stakes at Moonee Valley.
A $320,000 purchase from Curraghmore's 2007 premier draft at Karaka, Pre Eminence stake earnings in excess of $430,000.

Alamosa will face a small but select field in his quest for another Gr 1 vicotry when he tackles the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
The son of O'Reilly has already won four times at the top level and was runner-up when resuming in the CF Orr Stakes last time out.
He beat all but the Cox Plate winner Maldivian with last weekend's Gr 2 St George Stakes winner Theseo third.
Alamosa will be opposed by six rivals on Saturday with Gr 1 winners El Segundo, Niconero, Light Fantastic among his opposition.
Trained by Mick Price, Alamosa is in the closing stages of his racing career and will stand his first season at stud in the spring.
He will retire to Palmerston North farm Wellfield Lodge, who purchased the entire last year with the support of a number of New Zealand studs, including Curraghmore.

Promising three-year-old Dutch Striker will chase consecutive victories when she steps out in Saturday's Gr 3 Lowland Stakes at Trentham.
The Howie and Lorraine Mathews-trained filly further emphasised her potential at Otaki with a brave last-start defeat of the older horses.
Dutch Striker had previously come off her maiden win to run a close fourth in the Gr 3 Desert Gold Stakes.
By Van Nistelrooy, she was sold for $30,000 during the 2007 select sale at Karaka by Curraghmore, who have retained a racing interest in the filly.

Rock Song showed he had the potential to challenge for stakes honours in Sydney when he furthered his winning record at Rosehill on Saturday.
The lightly-tried four-year-old son of Rock Of Gibraltar has now been successful in three of his seven appearances.
He is trained by Tim Martin, who purchased him out of Currraghmore's 2006 premier draft at Karaka for $250,000.
Rock Song is out of the Woodman mare Wooden Melody, a member of the legendary Eight Carat family.
She is also a half-sister to the Gr 1 Waikato International Stakes winner Emerald Dream.

Port Vell looked a three-year-old destined to make his mark in better company after a stylish maiden win at Bendigo at the weekend.
In just his third raceday appearance, the Colin Little-trained gelding bolted home by four and a-half lengths.
Port Vell was purchased by Cambridge agent Dean Hawthorne from Curraghmore's select draft to Karaka in 2007 for $120,000.
By Pins, he is the first foal of the winning Centaine mare Melody D'Amour, a half-sister to multiple winner and Group placegetter Ten Clicks-Luckswell (HK).

Well-related mare Dream By Day again showed her liking for her home track when she downed the rating 80 sprinters at Riccarton at the weekend.
All three of her career wins and a stakes placing for trainer Kevin Hughes have been at the home of South Island racing.
Dream by Day was a private purchase from Curraghmore by former bloodstock agent Adrian Clark, now NZ Thoroughbred Marketing's executive manager.
The City On A Hill mare is raced on lease and has now won nearly $60,000 for her syndicate of owners.
Dream By Day is out of the Godswalk mare Russian Slice and is a sister or half-sister to seven winners, including the stakes-placed Fellini.

Pre Eminence further emphasised his Gr 1 AJC Derby credentials at the weekend with a dominant victory in the Alister Clark Stakes.
The son of Encosta de Lago came from last in the hands of Craig Newitt to land the Gr 2 three-year-old feature over 1600 metres at Moonee Valley.
“We had a plan to ride him cold, but when Craig started to creep forward at the half-mile, I thought it was a really good move because for some reason none of the others went with him," trainer Mick Price said.
Pre Eminence was having his second run back from a spell on Saturday after winning the Gr 3 Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield in the spring before finishing third in the Gr 1 VRC Derby at Flemington.
He will now head to Sydney for the Randwick and Rosehill Guineas after his next run in the Gr 2 Autumn Stakes at Caulfield on February 28.
A $320,000 purchase from Curraghmore's 2007 premier draft at Karaka, Pre Eminence has three wins and three placings from nine starts for $430,520.
Price also went to $290,000 for the stud's Encosta de Lago colt out of Rose Pompadour at the National Yearling Sale last month.

Fully Fledged will make his Australian debut in the Gr 2 Hobartville Stakes on February 28.
The colt was allowed to bypass the Gr 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes on Saturday due to the rain-affected going at Randwick.
The Hobartville is a 1200 metre three-year-old event at Rosehill.
Fully Fledged has not raced since failing on a hard track in the Gr 1 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham.
He had previously finished second against the older horses in the Listed Newmarket Handicap at Ellerslie.
The son of Align was one of last season's top-rated juveniles with a Gr 1 victory in the Ford Diamond Stakes to his credit.

Daggers Drawn was to the fore at the weekend with wins on both sides of the Tasman.
The former Curraghmore stallion's son Yass River was successful at Eagle Farm while Roualyn scored at Ascot Park.
Yaas River was a $36,000 select sale purchase from Curraghmore's 2005 draft by Queensland trainer John Morrisey.
He has now won seven of his 15 starts and more than $200,000 for owner Len Hoyle, who has enjoyed great success with the family.
Yass River's half-brother Madison Point (Palace Music) was a Gr 3 Shorts Handicap winner for him.
Close relation Iflooxcouldkill won the Gr 1 Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes and was joint top 2YO filly of her year.
Also featuring in the pedigree is the promising filly Dutch Striker, a close last-start fourth in the Gr 3 Desert Gold Stakes.
Roualyn was sold by Curraghmore for $11,000 at the 2005 South Island Sale and has now won six races for more than $80,000.
Daggers Drawn's promising son Felini continued his good form with a third placing in the Listed Southland Guineas.
The lightly-tried three-year-old has two wins and three placings from nine starts.

Curraghmore graduate Fully Fledged is to take on Australia’s top sprinting three-year-olds next month.
He will make his Sydney debut in the Gr 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes at Randwick on February 14.
The Gr 1 winning Diamond Stakes colt will then tackle the Gr 2 Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill a fortnight later.
Fully Fledged was unsuited by the hard track when out of the money last time out in the Gr 1 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham.
He had previously won the Listed Sarten Memorial and run second against the older horses in the Listed Newmarket Handicap.

Amid worldwide economic uncertainty the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales Series delivered solid results over the course of selling at Karaka, with decreases across key statistics belying the level of activity seen in the ring throughout the week.

New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Petrea Vela said the industry had achieved a solid set of results this year given the circumstances.

"The feeling on site at Karaka over the course of the past week has been one of a genuinely very solid sale and the market here has proven robust in the face of these worldwide economic challenges. Unfortunately we have seen figures down on last year but that was to be expected after the record-breaking sale we had in 2008.

"There was good depth to the buying bench all week, but particularly pleasing was the strength of our local buyers who have shown great confidence in the domestic industry. We thank all our vendors and buyers for their participation this week and wish them the very best of luck with their Karaka yearlings."

In the final analysis, $74,624,700 worth of bloodstock has changed hands over the course of the seven days of selling. This is down 33% on last year's record turnover of $111,148,850, which was up 36% on the previous record set in 2007 of $81,238,200.

A total of 1199 of the 1710 yearlings catalogued were sold over the week, representing an overall clearance rate of 76%, with the largest catalogue at this sale series since 2002.

Curraghmore ended the sale as the second leading vendor by aggregate with 36 lots sold for $5,142,500 at an average of $142,847 with a top price of $650,000.

Lot Type Breeding Vendor Purchaser Price
7 B.C Encosta de Lago / Giovana LYNDHURST FARM MR LR & MRS L NOBLE (Matamata) $800,000
454 B.F Stravinsky / Diamond Smile CAMBRIDGE STUD DEAN HAWTHORNE BLOODSTOCK (VIC) $775,000
327 B.C Encosta de Lago / Wyndam Special CAMBRIDGE STUD MR DC ELLIS (Te Akau) $750,000
85 B.C Redoute's Choice / La Sizeranne TRELAWNEY STUD MR RA JAMES (Cambridge) $700,000
98 B.C Redoute's Choice / Love Connection PENCARROW STUD MR DC ELLIS (Te Akau) $700,000


Leading Purchasers by Aggregate Purchaser Bought Aggregate Average Top Price
MR DC ELLIS 25 $5,134,000 $205,360 $750,000
HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB 25 $4,055,000 $162,200 $360,000
DEAN HAWTHORNE BLOODSTOCK 15 $3,244,000 $216,267 $775,000
NEW ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK (as agent) 56 $2,246,750 $40,121 $300,000
PAUL MORONEY BLOODSTOCK 33 $1,907,000 $57,788 $170,000


Leadings Vendors by Aggregate Vendor Sold Aggregate Average Top Price
CAMBRIDGE STUD 60 $10,617,000 $176,950 $775,000
CURRAGHMORE STUD LTD 36 $5,142,500 $142,847 $650,000
PENCARROW STUD 19 $4,885,000 $257,105 $700,000
WINDSOR PARK STUD LTD 69 $4,483,500 $64,978 $390,000
WAIKATO STUD 55 $4,062,000 $73,855 $300,000
TRELAWNEY STUD 30 $3,734,500 $124,483 $700,000


Leading Vendors by Average (3 or more sold) Vendor Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
PENCARROW STUD 19 $257,105 $4,885,000 $700,000
CAMBRIDGE STUD 60 $176,950 $10,617,000 $775,000
CURRAGHMORE STUD LTD 36 $142,847 $5,142,500 $650,000
WELLFIELD LODGE 15 $129,133 $1,937,000 $410,000
TRELAWNEY STUD 30 $124,483 $3,734,500 $700,000


Leading Sires by Average (3 or more sold) Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Redoute's Choice 5 $596,000 $2,980,000 $700,000
Encosta de Lago 11 $380,909 $4,190,000 $800,000
Zabeel 25 $243,400 $6,085,000 $510,000
Lonhro 3 $243,333 $730,000 $580,000
Exceed and Excel 7 $220,000 $1,540,000 $350,000


Leading First Season Sires by Average (3 or more sold) Sire Sold Average Aggregate Top Price
Oratorio 6 $156,500 $939,000 $375,000
Snitzel 4 $130,000 $520,000 $350,000
Starcraft 8 $105,313 $842,500 $180,000
Stratum 8 $71,563 $572,500 $220,000
Falkirk 27 $38,861 $1,049,250 $160,000


NZB Release.

Inquiries are welcomed for two well-bred youngsters passed in during NZ Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale series at Karaka.

Lot 259 was unsold during the premier session and is a son of the internationally-successful Red Ransom out of Spin ‘n Grin.
The Spinning World mare was the Gr 2 winner of the Eight Carat Classic and is a half-sister to Listed Australian winner Mr Smugg.

Also available is the Tiger Hill filly out of the Centaine mare Single passed in as Lot 1113 during the select session.
She is from the family of Hockney, winner of the Gr 2 Expressway Stakes and the Gr 3 Star Kingdom Stakes.

Contact Gordon Cunningham 021 762559

Curraghmore’s excellent clearance rate at NZ Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale continued during the festival session.
Their No Excuse Needed colt out of the English-bred mare Kristabeba was sold for $18,000 while the son of Antonius Pius made $40,000.
He is out of the winning Sir Dapper mare Cloudy Sky, whose three foals to race have all been winners.
“There was good competition right to the end and the sale held up very well,” Gordon Cunningham said.
“We were very pleased with the prices right through and NZ Bloodstock are to be congratulated for the sales series.”

Today’s sales:
Lot 1259 No Excuse Needed- Kristabeba colt Mr D & Mrs K Cave, Hamilton $18,000
Lot 1631 Antonius Pius-Cloudy Sky colt J & I Bloodstock, Auckland $40,000

Curraghmore ended the three-day select sale at Karaka as the second leading vendor on aggregate.
They sold 17 lots for $907,000 at an average of $53,353 with a top price of $150,000 for the Tale Of The Cat-Rizal colt on day two.
Curraghmore's leading lot on the closing day was a chestnut son of Jet Spur, secured late in the final session by Deborah Ho for $90,000.
The youngster is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Elegant Emerald, a multiple winner and Gr 1 placed, from an internationally-successful family.
It includes Gr 1 English St Leger winner Light Cavalry and Gr 1 English 1000 Guineas winner Fairy Footsteps.

Today’s sales:

O’Reilly-Cinzano colt $65,000
Viking Ruler-Climb The Vine colt $14,000
Antonius Pius-County Down colt $46,000
Scaredee Cat-Deune colt $7000
Jet Spur-Elegant Emerald colt $90,000