News & Events

We are extremely happy with our Karaka results. It certainly wasn't as strong as the previous couple of years but that was to be expected with the...

Courtesy www.nzb.co.nz Karaka Premier Sale graduate, Marquardt , franked her impressive trial form on Saturday with her debut win in the STC Theslipper.com.au 2YO Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill. Coming from five lengths off the lead, the Jason Coyle-trained Marquardt (Sharmadal x Centrefold Angel by Centaine) gunned down the highly regarded Waterhouse runner, Manhattan Rain (Encosta de Lago), in the final 75 metres. Manhattan Rain - a half-brother to sire sensation Redoute's Choice - finished...

Given the vastly different trading conditions that existed for the Premier Sale this year compared to last we were very happy with an average of $143,636 for eleven sold compared to $98,437 for the eight sold last year. Another pleasing aspect was the continuing support we get from some of the best eyes for thoroughbred bloodstock around these parts in the likes of Bart Cummings, his son Anthony and John Foote. The top price in our draft went to Jim Barlow's Savabeel filly from Vedodara who...

Excuse the pun but LA are bucking the trend of breeders to retain fillies from their very best families, when we offer for sale fillies from two of the most highly regarded families in the NZ studbook at Karakas Premier Yearling Sale, presenting buyers with a not to be missed opportunity. The Pins filly from Rivertaine - Lot 199 - is a three-quarter sister to dual group one winner Legs and from a full sister to recent Group One Perth Cup victor Guyno. Over the last seven weeks her half...

Sam and Pip McCarroll pulled the right rein when mating young LA mare Ashley Downs with O'Reilly in 2007. The resultant colt who is lot 986 in this months Karaka Select Sale is a very close blood relation to Kildare (O'Reilly- Jackie'O ) who took the Group 3 Chow Fook Bauhinia Sprint Trophy in Hong Kong on Saturday. The LA bred Jackie'O is a grand daughter of the blue hen mare Sellou as is Ashley Downs . LA's lot 1079 in the Karaka Select Sale - the Savabeel/ Clermont Lass colt - also received...

Sam's rarely without a smile but these last few weeks it's been even broader than usual as the pedigree updates for our Karaka draft continue to...

As Karaka 2009 draws closer there is no slow down in the incidence of pedigree updates for yearlings in our drafts across each of the three Sales. In the Premier Sale, the half brother to Lot 149 - the Pins colt from Nikki's Bride - a son of Montjeu called Environment Patron won in Adelaide on 12 December. Another half brother in the form of Jervois (Pentire) has won in Adelaide and being placed in recent weeks from just three career starts, so there should be plenty of South Australian...

Don't Look Past an LA Stud Passing Young LA broodmare Ashley Downs breeding career received a wonderful fillip when her first foal, Can't Keeper...

It's been a quite a last month for Towkay with 13 individual winners of 14 races across Australasia and Asia plus a fortnight ago we saw the eye...

Spring Tides success down south on Friday afternoon and Armada's slashing return to racing in Hong Kong on Sunday night top and tailed quite some weekend for Towkay. Sandwiched in between were the wins of Tycoon (Towkay-Clermont Lass) and Madam Butterfly ( Towkay -Golden Butterfly) at Hastings on Saturday, Analytic (Towkay-Kentucky Lass) at Te Rapa and Cash Money ( Towkay -Also) in Hong Kong. Hawkes Bay's Sue Harty bred and owns both Spring Tide ( Towkay- Perfect Sunrise) and Madam Butterfly....

This last fortnight of race results domestically and in Australia will have heightened the interest in at least three of LA' s draft for the 2009 Karaka Yearling Sales Series. Victorian bloodstock agent Shane Moore was obviously privilege to some insider information when making his sole purchase at the Karaka Yearling Sales earlier this year. Shane had purchased a Pentire - Nikki's Bride colt from LA's 2006 Karaka Premier draft for $220,000 and when he returned to the South Auckland...

October race results have seen significant pedigree upgrades for some of LA's Karaka 2009 cast, including leaving one very satisfied client with an...