The last months focus for LA has been off shore. Armada (Towkay-Dance in Time) ventured to Japan for the Group One Yasuda Kinen and Black Mamba (Black Minnaloushe-Sneetch), the ex kiwi mare with strong LA connections, stepped out again in North America.
Around the farm the team finished renovating the Trentham barn. Watch out for details in our August newsletter for this year's open day where we'll christen the ‘new' barn, parade the stallions and walk through the yearling paddocks.
Armada
If you needed further proof that Hong Kong's Champion Miler of 06/07 Armada (Towkay-Dance in Time) was a racehorse of true international calibre, you got it with his second to Japanese filly Vodka in the US $2 million Group One Yasuda Kinen over 1600m at Tokyo Racecourse on 8 June.
Won in a breathtaking 1.32.7 by last season's Japanese Derby winner, Vodka had finished fourth to Jay Peg in front of sixth placed Seachange in the Dubai Duty Free back in March.
Armada was bred by Tom Jamison, Greg James and Joan Fleming.
Towkay
Domestically Towkrite (Towkay-Kimberlite) gained a well deserved success at Awapuni on 19 June. In Hong Kong, Prime Target (Towkay-Lady of the Lake) registered his third success for the season with his latest win at Sha Tin on 18 June.
Speedy's (Towkay-Stella Suprema) win at Sha Tin on 15 June had extra significance given that his breeder was none other than our head groom Helen Phinney.
Black Mamba Black Mamba (Black Minnaloushe-Sneetch) gained a well deserved major stakes race victory with her win in the Group Two Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park on 30 June. Black Mamba had five seconds and a pair of third place finishes - all in graded stakes races - since winning her North American debut in an allowance race last August at Del Mar. Bred by Buzz and Tom Williams, Sneetch has proven a grand purchase by Sam Kelt's Keltern Stud with Black Mamba a half sister to Arthur and Michael Ormond's mare Gussy Godiva, dam of this season's Group Two Wellington Guineas winner Rios. A pedigree page rapidly filling with bolder black print this is the family of Fleur de Chine and Tully Thunder. Fleur De Chine is the dam of Bruce Wallace's highly promising stakeswinning two-year-old colt Sufficient.
LA is currently breeding from the mare Bondi Beauty (Danasinga-Sanderac). In foal to Written Tycoon, Sanderac is a full sister to Sneetch.
Other News
There's a good vibe to breeding in the CD at the moment and that was never more evident than when Sam took Towkay and Zed (Zabeel-Emerald Dream) over to Palmerston North on Sunday 15 June to parade as part of the stallion tour organized by the Central Districts branch of the NZTBA.
There was a lot of interest in both stallions and it was pleasing to see so many breeders in attendance, including a number of LA clients. Well done to those who bought the day together.
Sam's pretty excited with news filtering out of Australia concerning the progress of the Zabeel - Rites of Spring colt we sold at this years Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Purchased by Anthony Cummings on behalf of Nathan Tinkler, for $500,000, his experienced breakers are glowing of the colt's aptitude at this early stage.
A Flemington Saturday meeting in June maynot exactly be Golden Slipper day but two-year-old debutant Definitive (Redoute's Choice-Mascara Magic) had the mounting yard buzzing after rattling home for third in the babies race. The colt first set tongues wagging at last year's Karaka Premier Sale, when purchased by Melbourne trainer Peter Moody for $1.3 million. LA bought a shareholding in the colt after the sale. Definitive was spelled following his debut and is back in work now with some serious spring targets.
Until next month keep warm and go the AB's!
