LA OCTOBER 2008 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Once again September has been a very busy month around the farm. We've welcomed new staff from all over the globe including Charlene Evan's from Wales who is looking after the stallions. Always a believer in putting something back into racing, last month saw us take on three separate race sponsorships at the Marton, Levin and Hawkes Bay Racing Club meetings. Zed's first foals continue to impress while the emergence of Larry's Never Late (Pentire-Laebeel) as a genuine VRC Derby contender has been another reason to keep us glued to the television on a Saturday afternoon.. And while it may only have been a maiden race, the win of City Newton (Elusive City-Double Okay) at Taranaki had real significance as you'll find when you read on!
Charity CatWalk
We're supporting the CatWalk Trust at the glamorous Up and Away Dinner and Auction on 13th November Thursday of Cup and Show Week, how about finding those penquin suits frocks and gowns and joining us. It's $250/person and knowing that CatWalk team it's guaranteed to be one incredible night...For More details check here www.catwalk.org.nz . MMMM We've had a sneaky peek at their auction prizes and with things like your power bill paid for 10 years, Cathay Pacific Business Class Christchurch - Edinborough return with a few rounds of golf and a castle thrown in even Richie McCaw as YOUR very own CAPTAIN...it's VERY tempting! AND A GREAT CAUSE!
Towkay
The highlight for the month was the successful return to racing of last seasons Group One winning filly Special Mission (Towkay-Te Akau Trek) in the Towkay Premier for fillies and mares on Stoneybridge Stakes Day.
Yelracm (Towkay-Our Secret) put a double together during September, including a five and a half length success at Awapuni.
Secret Mission (Towkay-Secret Step) made it two wins in her last three starts, scoring over 1100m at Taupo in her latest outing, defeating subsequent Hawkes Bay Guineas winner Tell a Tale in the process.
It takes a good horse to win a flat race in NZ with 59kgs and that's exactly what Towzan (Towkay-Kimberlitte) did at Woodville last Friday over 1400m. In notching his seventh career victory, the six-year-old took his stake earnings to nearly $100,000 NZ.
In Victoria, Towcutter (Towkay-Eva's Belle) made it two wins from just four starts when scoring over 1000m.
It was a Towkay quinella In Hong Kong last week when Dash (Towkay-I'm Tess), yet another Towkay winner carrying Fair Trail blood in the female remove, just beat home Speedy (Towkay-Stella Suprema) in a close finish to their 1400m contest.
The LA and R Stolte bred Lotzatow (Towkay-Maretto) took the feature race in Hong Kong on Wednesday night and Hot or Not (Towkay-Glacier Queen) was a winner in Malaysia during September.
As a son of the hugely successful broodmare sire Last Tycoon, from a superb female family and sire himself of such talented fillies as Special Mission, Kay's Awake, Rapid Kay and Starkay, the odds on Towkay becoming a influential broodmare sire were probably reasonably short however many a good sire have failed to make the same impact as broodmare sires, so it was great to see Towkay kick off that part of his career in style with the win on debut of the LA bred City Newton (Elusive City-Double Okay). The first foal to the races from any Towkay mare, City Newton has a yearling half sister by No Excuse Needed going forward to the Karaka Select Sale in the New Year.
The recently retired Kay's Awake (Towkay-Wake up Suzie) has been given a great start to her broodmare career, been served by Zabeel last week.
Karaka 2009
NZB have confirmed our drafts at 16 and 18 yearlings respectively for the Premier and Select Sales and four yearlings for the Festival Sale. The drafts which will be previewed in the next couple of newsletters contain some cracking sorts including half relations to Group winners Shavastri, Rios, Men at Work and Iguazu along with progeny of former leading race-mares Eloa and Rapid Kay.
Zed
Those who made it out for our open day would have seen the quality of Zeds first foals. Their standout features are good size, bone, a lot of leg and attractive heads. Zed has really let down this season into a more solid and masculine stallion, something which is showing through in his first foals. A number of breeders have rebooked their mares to the son of Zabeel which is always a good indication of the quality of the foals
One of his best foals to date is the Amanda and Kerry Wilkins bred colt from Ivory Storm. Other standouts include a very strong first foal for Baha Men, a winner of four races from Mark Walkers stable, just the ticket for his group of enthusiastic owners who plan to race the showy chestnut colt.
Open Day
This annual event continues to go from strength to strength and we get a big kick out of seeing so many people coming out to the farm. This year we had clients and visitors from as far afield as Auckland including the Carter family whom own Zed.
The Darci Brahma foals paraded from Rivertaine, Southern Cry and Miss Moneytree understandably created a great deal of interest. Darci has really stamped his foals if our three are anything to go by. His first crop will be a real highlight at Karaka 2010.
The day also gave everyone the last chance to see the yearlings in the paddocks before they come indoors in two weeks time to begin their Karaka Sales preparation. They have new paddock companions in the form of breeder Jim Barlow's draft of yearlings who arrived here last week in good shape.
VRC Derby Trail
Two colts sold from LA's 2007 Karaka Premier draft are on target to start in next months Group One VRC Derby at Flemington with Larry's Never Late (Pentire-Labeel) a very live chance judging by bookmakers current odds of 12 to one.
Larry's Never Late who was bred by Tom and Angela Williams from Te Parae Stud is the fourth foal of the former Caulfield Cup runner-up Labeel, a Zabeel mare bred by both Buzz and Tom Williams and trained by Leon Corstons.
Now owned by LA, Labeel has a quite stunning Pins yearling filly that we have retained but leased out next year to race from the Melbourne stable of Leon Corstons. Labeel has been served this season by O'Reilly.
Roman Emperor (Montjeu-Gussy Godiva) showed the inexperience of only two previous raceday starts when over racing early in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes in Sydney last Saturday. Despite this the Bart Cummings trained colt was still a creditable sixth. Bred by the Ormond family from Hawkes Bay, the $240,000 yearling buy looks a most promising type.
The Ormond's have a No Excuse Needed half brother to Rios and Roman Emperor in our Karaka 2009 Select Sale draft. Without a foal this season, Gussy Godiva has recently gone to New South Wales to be served by Bernadini.
Lot 265 - Ready to Run Sale
On behalf of LA , Dean Hawthorne's Anzac Lodge present a Pins colt from Centaine mare Trigon Lass at next months Horses in Training Sale at Karaka.
Hailing from the family of Splashing Out and Grand Dancer, it's once again showed its ability to continue to produce quality performers with Trigon Lass's half sister Crimson leaving recent Flemington stakeswinner filly Miss Scarlatti.
Other News
Hearty congratulations to our client Don Gordon for breeding The Yartz (Carnegie-Mayfair), winner of the $100,000 Ansett Classic in Victoria, a fortnight ago.
Would you like to experience the thrill of partaking in the ownership of young horse not far away from going to the races? LA are currently syndicating a two-year-old gelding by Towkay from On Honeymoon already in training with Guy Lowry in Hastings. As a half brother to Famagusta (Lord Ballina) one of the more promising horses in Hong Kong with four wins from just six starts, he's already attracted a lot of interest and Sam has a couple of ten percent shares left at $2,500 each.
