Woburn Farm's flying start set to continue with Karaka offerings

Woburn Farm was always going to be a success story; fertile land at Ōhaupō overseen by the respected and experienced Adrian Stanley. And he hit the ground running with three black-type horses amongst the first three foals born at Woburn!

Taking out the Listed Wanganui Guineas at just his third start, Cooga Doon (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) led the way followed by the talented half-sisters Lady Style (NZ) (Shamoline Warrior) and Rikki Tikki Tavi (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}); both stakes-placed and between them winning eight races.

Stanley also boasts a great track record in the pin-hooking department, his keen eye for a good type seeing him purchase and sell on the stakes winner Lincoln’s Kruz (Kuroshio), the lightly raced last start Group 2-placed juvenile Landlock (Merchant Navy) and the multiple city winners (in Australia and Asia) Master Montaro (Toronado {Ire}) and Sousui (Mikki Isle {Jpn})

A $55,000 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale purchase, Lincoln’s Kruz fetched NZ$150,000 as a New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run horse; winning seven races including the Listed Pegasus S.

Landlock was picked up for only $15,000 at the Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale and whilst he changed hands for only NZ$20,000, he is a horse of exciting potential having at just his third start gone close to the prize in the G2 Challenge S. at Trentham in late December.

He lines up in Saturday’s R. Listed Karaka 2YO Millions whilst another promising Woburn Farm pin-hooker is Amazing Fluke (The Autumn Sun) who is G1 New Zealand Derby bound on the back of his impressive last start win at Arawa Park in December.

Master Montaro caught Stanley’s eye at the Inglis Premier, secured for $80,000 and sold on at the Ready To Run for $300,000. Sousui won his latest start at Selangor in January, having his first start since beginning his career in Singapore where he won four races. He was purchased as a weanling for just $15,000, sold at the NZB National Sale for NZ$90,000.

Woburn Farm sale graduates have fared particularly well in Asia, such as the Hong Kong-based four-time Group 1-winning sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) and the exciting 4-year-old Packing Hermod (Rubick) who has won four of his first six starts.

Other graduates of Woburn Farm’s sale drafts include the G3 Carlyon Cup winner Yonce (NZ) (Proisir), the two-time G3 White Robe Lodge S. winner Perfect Scenario (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), the G2 Wellington Guineas winner Shamus (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), the dual Group 3-winning G1 New Zealand Oaks runner-up Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}), the Group 1-placed Listed winner Archaic Smile (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) and Our Benefactor (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) who impressively won two in a row in Queensland last spring.

As well as the lightly raced and promising Woburn Farm-bred Lindsay Park galloper Romani Ite Domum (NZ) (Ribchester {Ire});

Amongst a Karaka draft of 20 well-related youngsters are a number of stand-outs including:

Lot 29 - Farnan x Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) (bay filly)

Kia Ora’s G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Farnan already has a couple of first crop winners on the board including the stakes-placed Golden Gift winner North England; a member of the Waterhouse and Bott stable as is this filly’s full brother Farnicle.

She is the second foal for her highly talented dam Jennifer Eccles (NZ) who did such a good job winning four of her 14 starts including the G1 New Zealand Oaks in such impressive style.

Winning three Group 2 races in the lead up to that Classic, she drew a horror gate, striking interference at the 500 metres before picking herself up and charging to an easy victory.

The leading New Zealand 3-year-old filly on international ratings as well as New Zealand Bloodstock Filly Of The Year, Jennifer Eccles (whose latest foal is a filly by I Am Invincible) has stakes-placed mares as her first two dams whilst her third dam is the four-time Group winner Waikiki (NZ) (Crested Wave {USA}).

Bred on the outstanding Danehill (USA)/Galileo (Ire) cross, this filly hails from a prolific family with her relations including the Hong Kong star Sacred Kingdom (Encosta De Lago), the four-time Group-winning, G1 Caulfield Cup runner-up Nonconformist (Rebel Raider) and the lovely mares Puttanesca (NZ) (Bertolini {USA}) and Love Of Mary (Zeditave).

“A strong, balanced filly,” is how Adrian Stanley describes this prized lot, adding that “she looks like she will go early enough and train on.”

Lot 432 - I Am Invincible x Ahbelle (Old Deuteronomy {USA}) (bay/brown filly)

Bred on the same I Am Invincible/Storm Cat (USA) cross as the Group 1 gallopers Imperatriz, Loving Gaby and Move To Strike, she is one of only two Karaka fillies by her superstar sire.

Her two-time winning dam has already produced a winner and she is one of the six winners for the Kensington winner Ghaliah (Secret Savings {USA}). She is also dam of I Am Invincible’s G2 Skyline S. winner Santos, the Japan-based Group 3 winner Melagrana (Fastnet Rock) and the dam of the G3 Chairman’s S. winner Sebonack (Capitalist).

Galiah’s dam Elated Lady (Vain) was also an excellent producer, well-represented by eight winners (from as many foals to race) including the Group winners Adeewin (Snaadee {USA}), Mutawaajid and Fatoon (Snaadee); the latter being dam of the G1 Epsom H. winner Fat Al (Al Maher).

Elated Lady’s stakes-winning dam Lady Upstage (GB) (High Line {GB}) also boasted a 100 per cent strike rate with her eight winners including one of Bart Cummings’ finest, the six-time Group 1 winner Shaftesbury Avenue (Salieri {USA}).

“She is an early, precocious type with strength and balance as well as a great walk and a good attitude,” Stanley said.

Lot 584 - Wooded (Ire) x Energy Within (Toronado {Ire}) (bay colt)

The only yearling by his well-credentialled G1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp-winning sire, a son of the exciting Wootton Bassett (GB) at the sale, he is a horse who has caught the eye of everyone inspecting him.

“He is a lovely strong colt who has a lot of Toronado about him,” Stanley said. “He is a very nice horse who is really impressing people.”

He is the first foal for the metropolitan winner Energy Within who found the line on four occasions. Her dam is the stakes-placed three-time winner Hidden Energy (Dehere {USA}), daughter of the G1 mare Kapchat (NZ) (Centaine) whose seven winners include the dual stakes winners Kaphero and Princesa (Danehill {USA}).

Also ancestress of the stakes winners Star Of Giselle (Reset), Starelle (More Than Ready {USA}), Solicit (Street Cry {Ire}), Karavas (Alabama Express) and Nayeli (More Than Ready), Kapchat is out of a half-sister to one of New Zealand’s most prolific matriarchs in Hunza (NZ) (Pakistan {GB}).

Lot 646 - Fastnet Rock x Here Comes Gypsy (High Chaparral {Ire}) (bay filly)

By a star stallion who needs no introduction (and this filly is his only Karaka entry), she is out of a half-sister to the triple Group winner Gypsy Diamond (Not A Single Doubt) who hails from the same Danehill (USA) sire line as this filly.

Here Comes Gypsy is also a half-sister to the talented 4-year-old Miraval Rose (Grunt {NZ}), a Listed winner at Flemington on New Year’s Day who has plenty more to offer.

This is one of those families that just keeps on giving, Here Comes Gypsy hailing from the internationally prolific Ciboulette (Can) (Chop Chop {USA}) that has fared so well in this part of the world courtesy of the deeds of Encosta De Lago, Flying Spur, Home Affairs and Russian Revolution.

Those horses are amongst the 25 Group 1 winners and 155 stakes winners who descend from Ciboulette, a definite blue-hen.

And this is a terrific branch of the family with Here Comes Gypsy’s first three dams between them producing 22 winners from 27 runners.

Fastnet Rock and High Chaparral combine extremely well and also at play here is the outstanding Fastnet Rock/Zabeel (NZ) combination which has produced 48 stakes winners including 10 Group 1 winners.

“She is a lovely, strong, balanced filly with good movement,” Stanley noted.