LA MONTHLY NEWSLETTER MARCH 2008
A great fillip for the central districts industry with C'est La Guerre and Fritzy Boy running first and third respectively in the Group One Mercedes New Zealand Derby last Saturday. Fritzy Boy, bred and part owned by Wairarapa farmer John Jury, is trained by part owner Alby McGregor just up the road at the Opaki course.
After a little bit of time off post the Karaka Sales for most of the team, things are pretty much back to normal at the farm.
Susie and Buzz were down at Trentham last weekend, along with David and Vicky Duncan, representing the Towkay partnership and it's sponsorship of the two-year-old event. Good to see the race spoils going to a locally trained horse in the form of impressive debutant Tavistock for Opaki conditioner Andrew Campbell.
It's with some sadness that we have to say goodbye to Kate (pictured here left with fried and colleague Sarah) who is off on her OE. Kate's been with us for 5 years and in charge of the yearlings for 3 years. She will be familiar to many of you who visited us at the farm at yearling time or seen us at Karaka.
Sydney Easter Sale - April 20
LA may have a small draft for this prestigious sale but its all quality. Dual Group One placed Gorky Park (Montjeu-Steluta) who resumed over an unsuitable 1200m in Adelaide last weekend is a half brother to lot 397 the Savabeel colt featured left.. A strikingly handsome colt with a sensible yet confident attitude he is a must inspect for buyers looking for a three-year-old classic type.
The Zabeel filly from group two winning three-year-old Dancing Daze, who goes forward as part of a partnership between LA and Don Gordon, is lot 59 in the catalogue. Originally earmarked for Karaka Sam felt she needed a little more time to develop and she's backed his judgment really coming on in recent weeks.
A colt with potential stallion appeal is lot 338 the Zabeel colt from Stravinsky mare Rites of Spring (pictured right) .Her first foal a Pins filly, and a $360,000 graduate of Karaka 2007, is currently in training with Guy Lowry at Hastings for owner Sam Kelt. Rites of Spring is a half sister to the stakeswinning Zabeel horses Philosophe and Men at Work and a Zabeel filly Bellabaci who has just gone into work with Tony Pyke before she heads to Melbourne's Danny O'Brien..
It's been another busy month locally for our resident stallion. Special Mission's (Towkay-Te Akau Quest) double success culminating in the $60,000 Westbury Classic at Ellerslie on Cup day was the highlight. Last seasons Westbury winner was Sarajay, who subsequently went onto claim group two success while fourth place getter Captivate took group one honours at her next start. Special Mission's new trainer Peter McKay, not one to get carried away when describing his stable charges, holds the Towkay filly in very high regard, comparing her favourably to his multiple Group placed Towkay mare Kay's Awake at the same stages of their careers.
Itsabuzz (Towkay - Te Awahou) got a most deserved maiden success at Trentham last weekend for Foxton trainer Carol Kupa.
Tycoon (Towaky-Clermont Lass) registered his second win from four starts, scoring over 1400m at Waverley on Saturday. We sold Tycoon's full brother to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for $110,000 at this years Karaka Premier Sale.
Keep an eye out for a Towkay two-year -old due to debut shortly out of the Rogerson-Newham Awapuni stable. Called Tsonga(Towaky-Cantante) he's highly regarded and scored easily at the Foxton trials recently. Bred by our longtime client Lorraine Jameson he hails from Lorraine's wonderful race and broodmare Chantal.
Despite the 58kg's impost High Octane (Towkay-Trendy And True) won his eight race when taking an Open Mile at Ellerslie on 16 February. This most genuine five-year-old was subsequently a game second to Penitentiary on Saturday conceding the winner 3 kgs. Lady Cavalier (Towkay-Malahide) third in the same race filled a similar placing in the Listed Wairarapa Breeders Stakes on Waitangi Day. She heads to the Group One New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha on 5 April where she's likely to clash with Special Mission.
Towkay had another winner in Asia when D'Mighty Bull scored over 1400m in Singapore. Bred by BA and RJ Todd the Towkay-Snow Cloud colt was a $50,000 purchase by John Foote from LA's Karaka Select draft in 2005.
Karaka Graduates
Up in Hong Kong this last month the LA bred Special Days (Keeper-Eva's Belle) won his third race for the season taking a class three 1600m after leading throughout. He was a $110,000 purchase by C Taylor from the LA Karaka Premier draft in 2005.
Karaka Festival Sale - 7 March
Our draft of two Towkay colts realized $52,500 which considering the overall sale results, was very good selling. The She's Chic colt has gone to Hong Kong and the Meach colt was sold to the South Island.
Weaning Time
Quite a few clients have come out to the farm in recent weeks to view the foals in the paddocks. There's something pretty calming about looking at the foals in this environment and it's all the sweeter when the weather's been as good as it has. We've now started to wean the foals from their mums. This crop of foals includes 11 Pins, 3 O'Reilly's, 3 Savabeels and 5 Towkays as well as progeny of Zabeel, Fastnet Rock and Stratum.
We were encouraged by our results at last years National Weanling Sale and we intend supporting strongly this year's sale at Karaka on 11 May. Highlights of our draft include a lovely Towkay colt from a full sister to Pentathon, a Stratum colt from Maranello Miss, a Stravinsky filly from stakeswinner Full Noise and a Mossman colt from the family of Mnemosyne.
