Bestower (NZ) Breaks Through in The Beauford

Consistency was rewarded at Newcastle on Saturday when Karaka 2022 graduate Bestower (NZ) (Contributer) stepped up to Listed level and took out the A$300,000 NJC The Beauford (2300m).

It was the fourth win and first black-type success for Bestower, who was a $50,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2022. She has now had 35 starts for four wins, 14 placings and A$520,450 in stakes.

Bestower was offered at Karaka by her co-breeders Mapperley Stud, and she was purchased by Beamish Bloodstock.

Although Bestower went into Saturday’s race with no victories to her name since December last year, she had been super-consistent through her 10 starts in between times with a second, a third, three fourths, three fifths and a sixth. One of the fourths was in the Listed Tattersall’s Gold Crown (2100m), in which she finished only 2.6 lengths from the winner.

The Kris Lees-trained Bestower was ridden by Tyler Schiller in Saturday’s Beauford, and after settling in fourth among a strung-out field, she began to build momentum and was looming on the outside of the leader before the home turn.

Schiller asked Bestower for full effort down the straight and she powered clear, going on to win by three lengths.

“When I peeled out at the 800, I still didn't think she’d sustain it,” Schiller said. “I knew she'd be strong late, but I thought there'd be something that would outstay us in the class. But with the weight, she's done a great job.”

Lees, who trains at Newcastle, was pleased to deliver a popular local result.

“To win a stakes race with a mare and a Newcastle bunch of owners, they were rapt when we even decided to go this way,” he said.

“We considered a Benchmark 78 next week at Kembla, which she ran second in last year, but we went with the stakes race and gave her a chance in better company, and it's come off nicely for her.

“Tyler and I discussed before the race that she often hits a flat spot, and he was adamant he wanted to get going before that to help her through it. I started to wonder, ‘I hope he hasn't gone too early here.’ But he knew what he was doing. She could have gone another lap.”

A half-brother to Bestower by Super Seth was offered by Riversley Park at the 2025 Ready to Run Sale last November and sold to Solari Bloodstock Company Limited for $330,000.

Vendor	Mapperley Stud Ltd
Purchaser	Beamish Bloodstock (New South Wales)
Breeding	Contributer – Nomisma
Sale	Lot 453, Karaka 2022 Book 1, $50,000
Breeder	Simms Davison & Mrs M P Schick
Owner	Mr A J S Hall, Mr S M Bilich, Mr A J Walker, Mr R I Knights, Mr L E Curtis, Dr M C Westerman, Mr J S Bilich