We've had a great couple of months with our racing team and had Carchelo's bid for a start in the Telecom New Zealand Derby materialized, LA would have had another leg into a unique quadrella in the principal Derbies of Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong this season.
Towkay
In a move to generate confidence with breeders in these challenging economic times the LA Partnership are pleased to announce that Towkay will stand the 2009 breeding season at a service fee of $6,500 plus GST. Towkay stood last season at $10,000 plus GST.
The last 12 months have been further vindication of the son of Last Tycoon's ability to upgrade his mares, leaving high class group one performers such as Armada, Kay's Awake and Special Mission. It's of little surprise that demand for his stock up into Asia continues unabated when you consider he currently sit's tenth on the Hong Kong Sires list and fourth in Malaysia:
Towkays average across this year's Karaka Premier and Select Sessions was a healthy $38,400, a nice return for those breeders who supported him at his 2006 service fee of $5,000. Undoubtedly breeders will not breed as many mares this season and we believe that's every more reason for those that do to support Towkay as a rare example of a proven stallion in the under $10,000 service bracket, so that come yearling sale time in 2011 when the economy is that much more buoyant, demand will most surely outstrip supply.
Winners for Towkay over the last month have been:
Tsonga (Towkay-Cantante) - his Trentham success was his third from just seven starts. Here he is pictred right with his nose out in front even as a foal!
Silent Prayer (Towkay -Cooininee) - winner over 1300m in NSW.
Bringelly (Towkay-Stranami) - 1400m winner in Queensland.
We are also delighted to announce that Zed (Zabeel-Emerald Dream) will stand again this season at a booking fee of $1,000 with a refund of 75 percent should your mare fail to get in foal. Unsure about the type of foals Zed's left then take a look here. There are some stunners amongst them.
Marquardt�
Last month we bought you the exciting news of the LA bred Marquardt's (Shamardal-Centrefold Angel) magnificent debut win in Sydney. The Patinack Farm owned filly lost few admirers for the Golden Slipper on 4 April with her unlucky third at her next start in the Listed Widden Stakes at Rosehill on 14 Feburary - suffering interference at two critical stages in the race.
The form out of the Widden was franked with second place getter Mileto streeting the opposition in last Saturdays Group Two Silver Slipper.
The Derby Knack
With Carchelo (No Excuse Needed-Bellesinga) ending up on the ballot in the New Zealand Derby, LA just missed remaining on target for having reared and/or sold individual starters in each of the principal Derbies in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong this season. However LA were part of the Homebush syndicate put together by NZ Bloodstock agent Bruce Perry who purchased Down The Road as a yearling for $26,000 and sold him just prior to Christmas to Paul Beamish's Hong Kong clients. Congratulations on a courageous second.
Larry's Never Late (Pentire-Laebeel) started the ball rolling with his sixth in last Novembers VRC Derby and Roman Emperor (Montjeu-Gussy Godiva) showed with his outstanding fresh up second at Rosehill on February 14 that he's right on track for the AJC Derby next month under the tutelage of Bart Cummings.
And More Bountiful (Van Nistlerooy-Centaine Gui Li) looks a very live chance in this months Hong Kong Derby judging by his close second in last months key leadup the Group Two Hong Kong Classic Mile.
Carchelo and Larry's Never Late were both bred by Tom and Angela Williams, a fine achievement from their handful of broodmares.
Roman Emperor who hails from the massively prepotent family of Sellou/Sneetch was bred by Arthur and Michael Ormond and More Bountiful was bred by our former head groom Helen Phinney.
All four horses were sold under the LA banner after doing a large part of their development and sales preparations at LA.
Sydney Easter Sale
Our Zabeel-Trigon Lass colt who sells as lot 289 in Sydney has been given a helping hand courtesy of the recent form of his half brother Prevaricate (Postponed-Trigon Lass) in Victoria. The Rodney Douglas trained galloper has won his last two starts to take his record to four wins from 15 starts.
Our two other lots are lot 196 - the Pins colt from the young Stravinsky mare Rites of Spring and lot 417 - the full brother to the group three winning two-year-old Grand Dancer.
Other News
Judging by the LA bred Can't Keeper Down's (Keeper- Ashley Downs) fast finishing run for 5th in Saturdays First Sovereign Trust Lowland Stakes at Trentham, Awapuni mentor Lisa Latta's fine record in the New Zealand Oaks looks set to continue in two weeks time. From a handful of starters Lisa has already won the Classic in 2004 with Wharite Princess and was a close fourth last year with Princess Annaliese.
Can't Keeper Down was passed in at the 2007 Karaka Select Sale and we subsequently leased her out to clients of Lisa. If you click onto the sales icon on our homepage you can read about a couple of horses we passed at Karaka this year that are for private sale. Maybe in 2 years time you too could have a runner in the Derby or Oaks.
Larry's Never Late kicked off his AJC Derby campaign with a fresh up win over 1400m in Melbourne last week.
The Lorraine Jameson bred Appreciation (Danasinga-Kincia) scored back to back Hong Kong wins last month to remain unbeaten. The three-year-old was a $95,000 purchase by the astute John Foote Bloodstock from our 2007 Karaka Select draft.
Catriona's been busy with the CatWalk team gearing up for the CatWalks ‘Paris In The Bay' dinner in conjunction with Bomac and the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year Show in Hawkes Bay on Thursday March 19 for which there are still some tickets available. Ph 06 3... to purchase. There are some fabulous goods to be auctioned due to a wonderful local team behind this event and Catriona's been blown away by the generosity of people and businesses. The money raised goes towards Back-Up NZ along with CatWalk and their goal of getting SCI's out of wheelchais and back on their feet.
Till next month, make the most of the last of summer and go Lisa and her team with the filly!
