Kia Ora appoints Sedgwick as Head of Sales
On Monday, Kia Ora announced Allison Sedgwick as Head of Sales at the Scone-based operation. Sedgwick has been well-travelled, gaining valuable experience through stints in Kentucky, South Africa, and France before returning to Australia. Most recently, Sedgwick was employed by Darley, where she held various roles, including in nomination sales.
Allison Sedgwick
“I am thrilled to join the Kia Ora team during such an exciting time for the farm,” Sedgwick said in a press release.
“I look forward to working closely with our clients and being part of the promising future ahead with Kia Ora’s young roster of stallions and the stud’s impressive bloodstock portfolio.”
Kia Ora Estates Chairman Steve McCann added, “It is fantastic for us to be able to add someone with Allison’s experience, reputation and integrity to the team.”
Southern Hemisphere flavour to Prix Jean Prat winner
Springing a 35-1 shock in Sunday's G1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat at Deauville, Alain Jathiere's 3-year-old colt Puchkine (Fr) (Starspangledbanner) led his peers a merry dance with everything falling perfectly into place up the seven-furlong straight.
Tacked on to the tail of the Juddmonte pacemaker Zandy (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) from the outset by Ioritz Mendizabal, the homebred was allowed rope by the remainder who sat and waited but two out the damage was already done. “With this horse you must not fight him–he must be in a good rhythm and that happened today,” owner Jathiere explained. “Halfway, I was convinced he had it won.”
His unraced dam Vadyska (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) has previously left stakes-placed winner Slevka (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}), who was third in the Listed Prix Amandine. Vadyska is a half-sister to the Listed Diana-Trial winner Romina Power (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and is a daughter of Rockatella (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who was a Listed winner.
Both his sire and damsire stand in Australia.
Emotional win for Zahra
Monday’s meeting at Pakenham provided an emotional win for trainer Simon Zahra with Djockovic (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). His cousin and former training partner Mat Ellerton arrived back in Melbourne on Sunday after suffering a stroke in Bali. “I just spoke to my Mum before, he's at the Royal Melbourne, he's comfortable and talking normally, so there's a lot of positive signs there, Zahra told racing.com.
Simon Zahra | Image courtesy of Inglis
“The main thing is he's at home (in Australia) so we can treat him with his family around. We've got to thank all the racing people for helping him out. Hopefully it's a good recovery and he gets well soon.”
Tasmanian trainers' premiership gets tighter
Trainer Glenn Stevenson gave notice that the Tasmanian trainers’ premiership is far from over with a winning double in Hobart on Sunday, taking him within four wins of leader John Blacker. He won with Tahitian Warrior (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) and smart sprinter Turk Warrior (Outreach).
Three meetings remain for the season in Tasmania with tasracing.com.au figures showing John Blacker on 59 wins, Glenn Stevenson on 55, John Keys on 53.
Pakenham juvenile winner for Vinnie
Champion Sire I Am Invincible added another juvenile winner on Monday at Pakenham with Team Hayes’ trained 2-year-old The Showvinist (I Am Invincible) won at his second start by 1.25l.
The second foal of stakes placed city winner Showcase (Big Brown {USA}) ran third on debut at his last start. Showcase is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Disposition (Reset), and The Showvinist was purchase by Lindsay Park Racing from Widden Stud at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $150,000.
Debut winner for Widdup
Trainer Pat Widdup’s 2-year-old filly Light Foot (Shooting To Win) took on the older horses in race three at Albury for her raceday debut and won by 1.42l from 2-year-old filly O’Hellyeah (Hellbent) and 3-year-old gelding Bonnyville (Bon Hoffa).
Light Foot is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Shards (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}).
Just Google Me makes it two
Wagga Wagga trainer Scott Spackman 2-year-old gelding Just Google Me (Wolf Cry) made the most of his good first up record to win at Albury on Monday. Now the winner of two of his three starts, both fresh, Just Google Me ridden by Jason Lyon won by 0.9l over Khaleej (Pride Of Dubai) and Spirit Lake (I Am Invincible).
Just Google Me is out of unraced Adapt To Survive (Written Tycoon) and is the only juvenile winner for his sire this season.
Place Du Carrousel to follow Without A Fight’s footsteps
Trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman will give Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) the same proven pathway as Without A Fight (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) for this upcoming spring. “We will go down a similar path as we did last year with Without A Fight to the Caulfield Cup with her,” Sam Freedman told Racing.com.
“We are looking at her running in the Underwood S. but we might add in the Turnbull Stakes.” A Group 1 winner at three in France, Place Du Carrousel is owned by Yulong.
French delight for Blue Point
Up in trip to seven furlongs for Sunday's Listed Prix Roland de Chambure at Deauville, Magne Jordanger and Finn Blichfeldt's Tiego The First (Fr) (Blue Point {Ire}) needed every bit of the new trip to register his black-type breakthrough.
Also on the card was the six-furlong Prix de Lisieux for unraced 2-year-olds, a race that often throws up a smart filly. Sunday's edition looked full of promise as Yeguada Centurion's Epson Blue Cen (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) mastered her peers.
Palladium wins German Derby
Repeating the trick of coming stand's side to win in Liberty Racing colours, Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) got up late to provide his owners with back-to-back renewals of Hamburg's G1 Idee Deutsches Derby on Sunday. “I am absolutely speechless, it is the dream of a lifetime, such a great moment, my parents are here,” said jockey Thore Hammer-Hansen.
Palladium's Listed-winning dam Path Wind (Fr) (Anabaa {USA}), whose career-defining moment came when runner-up in the G1 Premio Lydia Tesio, is also responsible for the dual Listed winner Panjari (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). She is a half to the Listed-winning Spanish champion Wild King (Ger) (Samum {Ger}) and to the dam of the multiple group 2-placed Waterford (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}).
