LA Newsletter January 2011
Happy New Year everybody. This fantastic kiwi spring and summer just rolls on and on - the new LA caps have been most welcomed by many of the trainers and bloodstock agents who have come through to the farm over the last month for the yearling inspections. Overall this year's draft probably has a touch more bone and condition than recent memory just due to the combination of exceptional spring grass growth and sunshine. Sam has even had to be like Jenny Craig to a couple!
The NEW stallion Per Incanto continues to settle in well and we know from feedback that many of you who saw him parade at our yearling parade last weekend were very taken with his confirmation and temperament. The acceptance of sons of Street Cry at stud continues in the right vein with Street Sense topping the First Season Sires at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale last week.
Highlights in this month's newsletter include an update on our Karaka drafts, the LA connection with a big winner on Magic Millions raceday and the unbeaten run of an LA graduate in Hong Kong.
Towkay and Zed
It's been the fairer sex who have flown the flag for Towkay lately " there may even be another Special Mission (Group One NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes) or dual group one placed Kay's Awake amongst them.
The New Zealand Derby and Oaks nominated Chennai (Towkay-Kanpur) showed she was on target for those types of races with her double last month culminating in a 1600m victory at Stratford on New Year's Eve in 1.34 and change, a time rarely bettered on the Te Kapua circuit and more than half a second faster than the Rating 90 race on the same card.
Other winners for Towkay over the last month have been:
LÃmour (Towkay-Penthouse Blue) backed up from her sixth in the Eulogy Stakes to win at Awapuni on Boxing Day over 1400m
Casey (Towkay-Kincia) the Lorraine Jameson bred mare won her fourth race when successful over 1600m on 15 January.
Karaka Yearling Sale Series 31 January to 7 February 2011
Pedigree updates continue for a number of the draft:
As one of two representatives in the Sale from the family of 2008/9 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year Gussy Godiva, LOT 204 " the Pins/Bondi Beauty filly is bound to draw attention. Her athletic type and residual value will be added bonus's. The strength of those family genes has been further embellished by Torio's Quest's outstanding win in the Magic Millions Three Year-Old Trophy at the Gold Coast on Saturday. The Oratorio colt shares the same fourth dam " Sanderae " as the Bondi Beauty filly. With the likes of Rios, Black Mamba, Roman Emperor in recent seasons and now Torio's Element this family's ability to leave leading racehorses is undeniable.
Planet Rock who may have grabbed favouritism for the Karaka Million with her outstanding win at Ellerslie on Saturday is very closely related to LOT 81 " the Pins/Steluta colt. Akris, the dam of the classy Fastnet Rock filly, is a half sister to the colt who we offer on behalf of his breeder Ricky Savory.
Saturday's big Magic Million races reinforced Not a Single Doubt and General Nediym's standing as two of the best progenitors' of early speed in this part of the world, siring the winner (Kurata Queen) and runner-up (Combat Kitty " mare by O'Reilly)respectively in the 2 million dollar Two-Year-Old Classic. LA has a Not a Single Doubt colt as LOT 348 and a General Nediym Filly as LOT 330 to sell in the second Premier Session. Of note the 3rd place getter of thee MM$2million race Shiffer was from a past sales of the LA draft, by Montjeu out of Vedodara, sold for $300,000 to Shadai Farm.
The families of another couple of fillies in our draft have also been represented by some performances of note over the last month.
LOT 454 " the O'Reilly " My First Fifteen filly in our Premier draft for JML Bloodstock has had her very closely related sibling Guyno - by O'Reilly from a half sister to her second dam - continuing to perform at the highest level in Perth with his latest effort a second in the Group Two Perth Cup on New Years Day. This is also the family of current New Zealand Derby favourite He's Remarkable.
LOT 1073 " another O'Reilly filly, this time from the stakeswinning mare Oh Blue Angel in our Select Draft, has had her half brother Series record his third win recently while her half sister Ramiel follow up an encouraging debut when running second in Victoria over Xmas.
Sam feels this is about the most even draft he's ever taken to a yearling sale. Putting him on the spot, he nominates the General Nediym filly LOT 330 and the Towkay/Ashley Downs LOT 171 as two of his better individuals with the Towkay colt the best type he has ever taken to a sale by Towkay. His ½ sister Can't Keeper Down ran 2nd in the Marton Cup yesterday and now heads to the G1 Wellington Cup on 29th January.
Other News
The LA and Don Gordon bred Just Fantastic (No Excuse Needed - Soneri) recorded a hat-trick of Hong Kong victories with his latest success at Sha Tin on New Year's Day. Charlie, as the likable colt was affectionately known by our staff that year, was purchased from our 2009 Karaka Select Sale by David Haworth for $60,000.
The days often merge into years pretty quickly when you are running an operation like ours and while we knew we had bred, sold and/or reared a number of pretty nice horses over the last ten years it wasn't until we sat down the other day and actually tallied them up based on group one performances that we realised how significant achievement it's been. Currently the tally sits at 15 headed by the likes of Roman Emperor (AJC Derby) and Kay's Awake.
We would like to think that some of our class of 2009 and 2010 can add to that tally. With the promise of the likes of Kudakulari (Savabeel- Oenotria) and this year's New Zealand Derby bound O'Reillys Prize (O'Reilly-Jabeske) we believe there s a better than even chance of that.
With a victory and a two seconds from her last three starts the LA bred Stella Bella (Savabeel-Chatto Creek) who is Oaks bound looks to be a promising filly for the Lisa Latta stable and with the added benefit of hailing from the super family of He's Remarkable, Leg's and co, her half brother by Towkay " LOT 752 " should be high on a number of inspection lists for the Karaka Select Sale.
We look forward to catching up with some of you at Karaka. Those of you heading to the Sales for the first time the LA tent is located alongside Barn D or it's usual spot for our clients and friends who have been before. It's a great week, lots of fun with more theatre than a parliamentary perks enquiry. See you there.
