Sam's rarely without a smile but these last few weeks it's been even broader than usual as the pedigree updates for our Karaka draft continue to come in faster than a Jessie Ryder cover drive.
As types we have thought for a number of months what a very correct and athletic draft that we have going north to Karaka this year. That's why it's been so encouraging for the team and our clients to have that complimented by the pedigree updates that have been filling our Inbox throughout December.
LA's small racing team has also had an outstanding couple of months and it's exciting to think of the calibre of mares that we hope to have back at the farm after their racing careers, in particular the Group 3 second place getter Can't Keeper Down (Keeper-Ashley Downs) and last week's impressive debutant Randwick winner Cat's Diamond (Zabeel - The World is Mine) pictured above left. They are both highly talented fillies in their own right and from two of the best families in the studbook in the form of the Sellou/Sneetch and Eight Carat clans respectively.
Winners in December
Winners with LA connections over the last month include;
Environment Patron (Montjeu-Nikki's Bride) who won in Adelaide has a half brother by Pins in LA's Karaka Premier draft.
Kay's Dream (Towkay-Forest Dream) who bought up successive 1200m Riccarton wins with her victory on 19 December has a half brother by No Excuse Needed selling in LA's Karaka Select draft.
The wins in Hong Kong of Regency Horse (Stravinsky - Rivertaine) and O'Reilly Rally (O'Reilly - Rivertaine) continue to emphasise the quality of the pedigree of their Pin's half sister who sells as lot 199 in LA's Karaka Premier draft.
Psyche (Zedative-Oh Blue Angel) a winner at Kembla Grange in NSW last week has a half sister by Fastnet Rock in LA's Karaka Premier draft for client Alan Jackson.
Zambucca (Towkay-Straitaway) who recorded his sixth Malaysian success with his win at Penang is another example of the successful cross of mares from the Fair Trial line with Towkay. In Straightaway's case she has a double cross of Fair Trial.
Landau (Towkay-Hyapatia Lee) was a winner over 1700m in Singapore. Hyapatia Lee is the grand dam of emerging Hong Kong star More Bountiful.
More Bountiful (Van Nistlerooy-Centaine Gui Li) who recorded his fifth Hong Kong win in a row has a half sister by Towkay for our former head groom Helen Phinney selling at Karaka's Festival Sale. LA Stud sold More Bountiful for Helen @ the NZ South Island Sale to John Foote for $38K.
True Intelligence (Elusive City-Madonna Bay) who won over 1200m in Hong Kong last week was a $100,000 buy from our 2007 Karaka Premier draft. In lot 189 LA have the only lot by the Champion European Freshman Sire Elusive City in this months Karaka Premier Sale, the half sister to dual group one placed Rapid Kay.
Can't Keeper Down
Young LA mare Ashley Downs breeding career received a wonderful fillip when her first foal Can't Keeper Down (Keeper) grabbed black type with a close second in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni to Alagant Satin.
That form was franked when Alagant Satin took the Group Two Eight Carat Classic last week.
Can't Keeper Down whose immediate target is the Group One NZ Oaks in March was a passing at just $14,000 from our 2007 Karaka Festival Sale draft. Taken home by LA, the filly is leased to clients of Lisa Latta and trained out of Lisa's yard at Awapuni.
On her way to the Oaks it would be a proud moment if Can't Keeper Down could win the Lowland Stakes on the Masterton Racing Clubs card at Trentham as the race is named after the champion Australian filly of her time that was bred and raced by Te Parae Stud.
Ashley Downs second foal, a standout looking Towkay colt sold at Karaka last year for $100,000 to Waikato Bloodstock.
From the wonderfully prepotent family of Sellou/Sneetch etc, Ashley Downs has an O'Reilly colt selling in our Karaka Select draft later this month for Pip McCarroll ad LA.
Cat's Diamond
Mares from the Eight Carat family are as rare as a politician without an expense card so when you have one by Zabeel and good enough to win on debut at Randwick in class record time over 1300m, your insurance brokers phone number quickly goes into your speed dial.
Cat's Diamond (Zabeel - The World is Mine by Last Tycoon) was bred and retained by LA but leased out for her racing career. After completing her early education with Tony Pike in Cambridge we had the filly syndicated by Steven Seabrook of Sports Syndications in Sydney to race from Kris Lee's stable. Included amongst her owners are Wallaby stars George Smith and Matt Giteau.
Following last weeks impressive debut, Kris Lee's described her potential as untapped with "raw ability". Her jockey Corey Brown was even more lavish in his praise of the leggy three-year-old saying "That was super, she is a very good filly, there's plenty of upside, and she's all quality". Great article here
LA also own a half sister to Cat's Diamond in the young mare Miss Moneytree. Unraced due to injury the daughter of Pin's recently foaled a Darci Brahma colt who we will likely sell at Karaka next year.
Probably feeling only marginally less chuffed right now than the connections of Cat's Diamond are Laurel Oak Bloodstock of NSW who purchased Miss Moneytree's first foal a Keeper filly from our Karaka Select Sale draft last year for $60,000.
Karaka Select Draft
It's hard to single out lots in LA's draft of 17 yearlings for what must arguably be one of the best value for money sales of thoroughbred yearlings anywhere around but pushed to nominate an individual, Sam has come up with;
Lot 681 - The Savabeel colt from Mumbai is cracking type who continues to develop almost daily. Savabeel's two year olds are up and running but really doing their first preparation on natural ability alone through the speed of their dam sire Success Express. Wait for the Zabeel factor to kick in this autumn not unlike the progress of Reset's stock in Australia.
1065 - The Savabeel filly from Chatto Creek is a big strong type with a lovely shoulder. As a grand daughter of Rivertaine and from the family of Legs and last weeks Perth Cup winner Guyno, she has significant residual value once she finishes on the racetrack.
1179 - The No Excuse Needed colt from Forest Dream is a CRACKER.With stock by his sire having such a tremendous run and the sprinting talent shown by his half sister Kay's Dream of late, he's going to be well sought after despite coming late in the sale.
Those around the sunny Wairarapa on 11th January please come out to the farm to see the annual parade of all of our 40 Karaka bound yearlings. Things will kick off at 10.30am. For those of you we don t see next weekend hopefully you can make it out to Karaka and barn D (our usual spot) from 26 January. Happy New Year from the LA Team.
