Worldwide Success for Karaka Graduates
11 November 2019
Valuable Group 2 Win for Oceanex (NZ)
Karaka 2017 graduate Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park) sent her value skyrocketing with a determined victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Group 2 TAB Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
Oceanex was a $70,000 purchase from the Premier Sale and is trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr.
She showed bright potential from the start, winning three of her first five races. But she had endured a frustrating run of bad luck through the early part of this spring and had to settle for minor placings at stakes level.
That all changed on Saturday as Jye McNeil brought her with a perfectly timed run, outfinishing her rivals in a blanket finish.
“She's had a really good prep without having a lot of luck, but to nail it in a Group 2 makes her such a valuable broodmare now,” Price said. “So all of the bad luck is gone and we landed some good luck – happy days.
“She really deserves this win today.”
Oceanex has now had 13 starts for four wins, seven placings and A$411,270 in stakes – more than six times her purchase price at Karaka.
She is part-owned by Luke Wilkinson, a former bloodstock manager for the Price stable.
“It’s fantastic to see her get the job done on the big stage,” Wilkinson said. “She’s got a fantastic pedigree as well – her dam Danex (NZ) (Danasinga) was stakes-placed and has also produced a Group 3 winner (Amexed (NZ) (Pentire).
“This horse was one of the hardest ones to sell. I remember, when I worked with Mick, that she sat on the website for about six months. She cost only 70 grand, but she sat there for a while before all of this ownership group came together.
“Now we’ve got a wonderful filly who’s worth a lot of money. I’d love to breed with her one day, but I might have to save some pennies and buy some of the other owners out.”
| Vendor | Milan Park |
| Purchaser | Mick Price Racing |
| Breeding | Ocean Park – Danex |
| Sale | Lot 116, 2017 Premier Sale, $70,000 |
| Bred by | T V Rider |
Singapore Gold Cup Glory for Mr Clint (NZ)
Back in 2016, Mr Clint (NZ) (Power) attracted a total of less than $150,000 across his two trips through the Karaka sale ring. He has since forged a highly successful racing career in Singapore, which went to new heights on Sunday with victory in the S$1 million Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m).
The Lee Freedman-trained runner has now earned more than S$1.7 million – the equivalent of NZ$2 million, which is 38 times his price at the Select Sale and 21 times his price at the Ready to Run Sale.
Ridden on Sunday by Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Craig Williams, Mr Clint raced in mid-pack before swooping to the front at the home turn. He galloped strongly down the straight to win by three-quarters of a length.
“Lee was very confident with Mr Clint,” Williams said. He said he was going well, he was rock-hard fit and he didn’t tie me down to any instructions, he just told me this horse loves to have a lot of room.
“The race panned out as planned. I got a nice spot in midfield on the outside and I just let him roll forward from the back, he just outstayed them in the end.
“I’d like to thank Lee for the fantastic opportunity. His confidence convinced me to fly over.”
Freedman was delighted to have brought Williams in from Australia for the ride.
“I was at the Melbourne Cup and saw Craig win, and he’s now won the Gold Cup for me here – it’s most incredible,” Freedman said.
“I always knew Mr Clint was a good horse. He had a good prep all the way through, and if he gets a soft run and can come out wide, I was confident he could win.”
Mr Clint has now had 23 starts for five wins and eight placings. He had previously won the Singapore Guineas (1600m) in 2018, and he finished second in this year’s Singapore Derby (1800m).
For your chance to find another Mr Clint, head to Karaka for the 2019 Ready to Run Sale on November 20 and 21.
| Vendor | Select Sale: Cambridge Stud Ready to Run: Riversley Park Ltd |
| Purchaser | Select Sale: Stuart Hale & Co (Cambridge) Ready to Run: Mr LK Laxon (Singapore) |
| Breeding | Power – Victoria Belle |
| Sale | Lot 662, 2016 Select Sale, $52,500 Lot 13, 2016 Ready to Run Sale, $95,000 |
| Bred by | Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan |
Inferno Remains Unbeaten in Saas Fee Stakes
Exciting galloper Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor) extended his unbeaten record to four out of four with a dominant performance in Sunday’s S$175,000 Saas Fee Stakes (1200m) in Singapore.
The gelding is a graduate of Karaka 2018, bought for $140,000 by trainer Cliff Brown during Book 1.
Inferno began his career with a win in early July, then added the Golden Horseshoe (1200m) less than two weeks later. He resumed his career with a win on October 20, then collected more black-type spoils with Sunday’s superb performance.
Rider Michael Rodd had Inferno poised to pounce just behind the leaders, then let him go in the straight and he bounded to victory by a length and three-quarters.
“I’ve trained a few good horses, like Debt Collector (NZ) (Thorn Park),” Brown said. “To win five Group 1 races, you can’t be average to do that.
“This guy (Inferno) is an exciting horse, he’s on the right way, but he’s still got a long way to go.
“That was really good, we enjoyed that. He wants 1400 metres now.
“Obviously, we were all a little nervous, but we’re very pleased he won, and always relieved when it comes off.
“It’s always a team effort. We have the good ones and the slow ones, but that’s what it’s all about, especially for staff who has been with me for a long time.
“Credit must also go to Chris Bock, who is the one who bought Inferno. Chris has been with me a long time, 23 years, he’s like my brother.
“I talk to him all the time. A lot of things have to get past him, Chris is pivotal to the buying of horses and the success of the stable.”
Inferno has now earned more than S$290,000 in prize-money for owners Barree Stable. That is the equivalent of more than $336,000, which is two and a half times his purchase price.
| Vendor | Westbury Stud |
| Purchaser | Cliff Brown Racing |
| Breeding | Holy Roman Emperor – Spina Rosa |
| Sale | Lot 615, 2018 Karaka Book 1, $140,000 |
| Bred by | Westbury Stud Ltd |
Group 1 Star Back in Winning Groove
$425,000 Premier Sale purchase Media Sensation (I Am Invincible) was a Group 1 winner last season, and she began a new campaign on the perfect note in Saturday’s $50,000 Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa.
Trained by Peter and Dawn Williams for owners Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer’s Barneswood Farm, Media Sensation showed star quality in the spring of 2018 with victories in the Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and the Group 3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m).
Saturday’s open sprint was her first outing since April, and after tracking the front-runner Ferrando (NZ) (Fast ‘N’ Famous) up to the top of the home straight, she quickened stylishly to take the lead.
With Michael Coleman in the saddle, Media Sensation went clear to win by a length and three-quarters from Ferrando, with the rest of the field another six lengths adrift.
Media Sensation has now had 11 starts for six wins and prize-money earnings of $299,565.
“I’m very pleased – she seemed to put herself there very easily,” Peter Williams said. “She looks like she has come up well and I’m very happy with her.”
The Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day has been identified as a possible target for the quality performer.
Runner-up Ferrando is also a Karaka graduate, passed in at the 2015 Festival Sale and sold for $40,000 at the Ready to Run Sale later that year. He has earned $272,019 in a 26-start, eight-win career.
| Vendor | Lime Country Thoroughbreds Ltd |
| Purchaser | Mr GC Beemsterboer (Netherlands) |
| Breeding | I Am Invincible – Different To |
| Sale | Lot 131, 2017 Premier Sale, $425,000 |
| Bred by | Mrs L Huddy |
Karaka Trifecta in Metropolitan Trophy
Graduates of the National Yearling Sales Series dominated the finish of Saturday’s $75,000 Redwood Metropolitan Trophy (2500m) at Riccarton, filling the first three placings.
The staying feature was won by the $27,500 Select Sale purchase Duplicity (NZ) (Duporth), while the $16,000 Select Sale graduate Dee and Gee (NZ) (Darci Brahma) finished second and third place went to Soleseifei (NZ) (Shocking), who cost $26,000 at the Select Sale.
It was a strong staying performance from Duplicity, who had previously placed in the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) and last weekend’s Listed Feilding Gold Cup (2200m). He trailed the early leaders before lodging his claim at the top of the straight.
It turned into a four-way battle to the finish with Dee and Gee, Soleseifei and Nymph Monte (NZ) (Tavistock), but Duplicity fought them all off and won by a half-head.
“He’s a neat horse who only does what he has to, but he stuck his head out at the line and it was a very good win,” jockey Rosie Myers said.
“He was just beaten in the New Zealand Cup last year, and hopefully we can go one better this time. He’s full of beans and they’ve done a great job with him.”
Duplicity is trained by Ashley Meadows, who is keen to back up for another shot at the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) next Saturday.
“He’s a lot stronger this time,” Meadows said. “Last year he needed the run on the first day, so now it is hopefully just maintenance for the next week and we can go again in the Cup.”
Duplicity has now had 32 starts for six wins, eight placings and $224,662 in stakes – more than eight times his purchase price.
Dee and Gee won the Metropolitan Trophy 12 months ago and was a close second on Saturday in her attempted defence of that title. She has had 35 starts for five wins, eight placings and $231,610 -almost 15 times her purchase price.
Third-placed Soleseifei has had 27 starts for four wins, nine placings and $90,290 – three times what she cost at Karaka.
| Vendor | Lime Country Thoroughbreds Ltd |
| Purchaser | Mr AJ Meadows (Palmerston North) |
| Breeding | Duporth – Bidthemobgooday |
| Sale | Lot 960, 2014 Select Sale, $27,500 |
| Bred by | Chouxmaani Investments Ltd |