Life goes on at the farm but really our minds have been miles away over the last fortnight as we focus on Christchurch and look for positive news about the future of the wonderful city and its people.
Our physical attention has been on starting to handle our draft for the upcoming weanling sale and continuing with the preparation of our two yearlings going to the Sydney Easter Yearling Sale.
Well done to John Bary, Richard Wood, Jonathan Riddell and the team for the win of Jimmy Choux in the Derby. And if we didn't need reminding of the wonderful horses we can bred and develop in the Central Districts, four days later the teak tough Titch comes out and wins the Auckland Cup for the Wallace family of Masterton. A tremendous few days for the C.D.
Towkay, Zed and Per Incanto
In an early show of general breeder confidence, we received three outside booking for Towkay last week and the level of enquiry for our new stallion Per Incanto continues to surpass our expectations. We expect to get back from the producers shortly a short television piece on Per Incanto, which we'll also put on the website.
The D Fitzgerald bred Watch First (Towkay-Ballistic) carried 59.4kgs to win over 1600m in Hong Kong on 27 February.
National Weanling and Broodmare Sale, Karaka 2, 3 and 4 May
We will be taking 13 weanlings to the Sale by sires such as Towkay, Fastn'Famous, Falkirk, Thorn Park and Zed.
LA won't be taking any broodmares north but buyers shouldn't be short of opportunities at realistic prices...
In recent years LA have picked up a couple of nicely credentialed young mares from this sale after doing our homework thoroughly and we couldn't be happier with the foals we have by them. In 2007 Bruce Perry Bloodstock purchased Jabeske for $40,000 for our clients John and Anne Gilbert, who have had plenty of success in the sale ring with her progeny as well as breeding O'Reilly's Prize from the mare.
Sydney Easter Yearling Sale 5, 6 and 7 April
LA will be offering a Pins €“ Heureka filly (LOT 278) and an O'Reilly €“ Moonstrummer colt (LOT 362).
The Pins filly is the second foal of a dual stakeswinning Yamanin Vital mare that we purchased privately at a very reasonable price at the end of racing career. The mare is leaving lovely types and just goes to show you sometimes don't have to pay huge amounts for mares capable of producing progeny that can get in the best yearling sales.
Other News
The Barlow Thoroughbreds bred Silveron Wings (Black Minnaloushe-Cruz Control) built on his very good Singaporean record when successful over 1400m at Kranji recently. The three-year-old was a $16,000 purchase by Dean Wiles from our 2009 Karaka Select Sale draft.
The Angela Williams nee Irving bred Goodview Successor (O'Reilly-Zalass) who sold from our 2008 Karaka Select draft, won again in Hong Kong on 6 March. A young Zabeel mare tracing to the increasingly influential blue hen Te Parae bred mare Sanderae, Zalass visits Per Incanto this spring.
The influence of Sanderae in pedigrees is very exciting - in fact we only wish we had kept more mares from the various families she founded. Following on from Torio's Quest's win in the Magic Millions Three-Year-old Trophy on the Gold Coast in January the latest emerging performers from the family are On The Level (Align-Springtime Romance), third in last weekends New Zealand Derby and Klose (Thorn Park €“ Thunderchine) such an impressive winner of the last at Hastings on Saturday. Sanderae is the third dam of Springtime Romance and Thunderchine.
What a great effort from the inexperienced O'Reillys Prize (O'Reilly €“ Jabeske) to run sixth in the New Zealand Derby. Our clients John and Anne Gilbert who bred the horse and retain an ownership share have many more exciting racedays to look forward too.
Lights of Heaven (Zabeel €“ I'm In Heaven) who became the super sire's 136th individual stakeswinner with her victory in the Group 2 Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley on Friday has a female pedigree steeped in LA bloodlines. I'm In Heaven whom we bred is a full sister to our group winning filly Eloa whose first foal Kallisan (by Stratum) was a winner at two in NZ last season and whom commenced her Singaporean career with a second place finish last week.
Pin Up Lae(Pins-Laebeel) ran an encouraging third at Geelong last week when stepped up in distance to 1700m. Given that mum ran second in the Caulfield Cup and the filly's a half sister to Larry's Never Late, a trip was always going to be her best friend, so an encouraging effort at just her third career start.
Closer to home our small racing team performed with distinction on Auckland Cup day this week. Aspinal (Pins €“ Clermont Rose) ran second over 1400m and could benefit having the blinkers applied at her next start while Can't Keeper Down (Keeper €“ Ashley Downs) was a gallant fifth in the Group One Auckland Cup.
We're very proud to say, we'll be joining up with Auckland Racing Club and other breeders in auctioning service fees to Towkay and Zed at the upcoming fundraising dinner in Auckland on April 14th to support NZ's Garden City.
Stay strong Christchurch from the team at LA.
