Ferguson’s High-Quality Broodmare Dispersal a Major Drawcard at Karaka

2 June 2023

A select offering of 70 broodmares will go under the hammer during the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling & Broodmare Sale at Karaka on June 16, with a dispersal of Rob Ferguson’s New Zealand-based mares set to command particular attention.

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Buyers will get the chance to secure mares in foal to 2024 first season sire Sword of State. 

Ferguson is a highly respected figure in the Australasian thoroughbred industry, being a former owner of Magic Millions and also of Torryburn Stud, where he and his wife Jenny counted a Golden Slipper (1200m) triumph with Ha Ha (Danehill) among their list of achievements.

An unreserved dispersal of the Fergusons’ 15 New Zealand-based mares – many of them young prospects who are carrying their first foals – will be offered at Karaka among the drafts of Hallmark Stud and Kilmore Stud.

With Ferguson being a shareholder in exciting stallions Tarzino (NZ) and Sword Of State, seven of his mares are being offered in foal to Tarzino and seven in foal to Sword Of State.

  • The first mare in the Ferguson dispersal is Hilton Head (Fastnet Rock), who is being offered by Hallmark Stud as Lot 204. Herself a winner on the track as a two-year-old, Hilton Head is a half-sister to the Group Two winner, Group One placegetter and highly successful sire Star Turn (Star Witness). Another half-brother, Straight Gold (Stratum), won six races and was stakes-placed in Hong Kong. Hilton Head is the dam of five winners from seven foals to race, including the Listed Lonhro Plate (1100m) placegetter Eden Roc (Star Witness). Hilton Head is in foal to Tarzino.
  • Lot 209 in the catalogue is Kate Velour (NZ) (Showcasing), who is also part of the Hallmark Stud draft. A half-sister to the Group One Zabeel Classic (2000m) and Group Two Sunline Stakes (1600m) winner Consensus (NZ) (Postponed), Kate Velour was covered by Tarzino last spring and is carrying her first foal.
  • Ferguson’s first mare among the Kilmore Farm consignment is Luckily (NZ) (Kermadec), who will go through the ring as Lot 216. She is an unraced half-sister to stakes winner Kolonel Kev (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and the Group Three-placed Santangelo (NZ) (Lonhro), and she is in foal to Sword Of State – her first foal.
  • Following soon after her at Lot 218 is Medieval Miss (Camelot), who is also being offered by Kilmore Farm. She won six races and placed in the Listed Birthday Cup (2040m), and she is a half-sister to the Group Three-placed La Tigeressa (Street Cry). She is also carrying her first foal on a service by Sword Of State.
  • Lot 222 is Naval Fleet (NZ) (Declaration Of War), who is being consigned by Hallmark Stud. She won three races and placed at Listed level, and she is a half-sister to the Group Three-placed Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini). She was covered by Tarzino and is carrying her first foal.
  • Page Three (NZ) (Makfi) will be offered by Kilmore Farm as Lot 227. Herself a winner on the track and still only five years old, she is closely related to the Group performers Larry’s Never Late (NZ) (Pentire) and Collar (NZ) (O’Reilly). Page Three is being offered in foal to Sword Of State.
  • Lot 228 is the four-year-old Paper Dragon (NZ) (Charm Spirit), in the draft of Kilmore Farm. She was a three-race winner in Victoria, including at Moonee Valley, and she is a full-sister to the Listed winner and Group Two-placed Pacific Dragon (NZ) (Charm Spirit). She is also closely related to the Group One winner Summer Passage (Snitzel) and is in foal to Sword Of State.
  • Four-year-old mare Patrida (Manhattan Rain) will go through the ring as Lot 229 in the draft of Hallmark Stud. A half-sister to eight winners including Group Three winner Broken (Halo Homewrecker) and Listed-placed Sunday Escape (Hard Spun), she comes from the family of Group One winner and successful sire Keeper, along with fellow Group One winners Metal Bender (NZ) (Danasinga) and Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel).
  • Completing a sequence of four Ferguson mares in a row, Pentara (NZ) (Pentire) will be offered by Kilmore Farm as Lot 230. The five-year-old was a winner this season and is a half-sister to the Group Three winner Zonza (NZ) (Zabeel), who is the dam of Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) winner Pinarello (NZ) (Tavistock), Group Two winner Vernazza (NZ) (More Than Ready) and stakes winner Bavella (Snitzel). Another half-sister to Pentara is Our Shakira (NZ) (Cullen), who placed at Listed level. Pentara was covered by Tarzino in the spring and is carrying her first foal.
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    7 mares of which are being offered in foal to emerging sire Tarzino.

     

  • Three-time Victorian winner Quesadilla (Dream Ahead) is in the Kilmore Farm draft and will be offered as Lot 235. Her dam Atlantic Gold (Encosta De Lago) is a full-sister to the Group One winner Titanic Jack (Encosta De Lago). Quesadilla is six years old and is carrying her first foal on a service by Sword Of State.
  • Hallmark Stud will offer the four-year-old Rue Vivienne (Lonhro) as Lot 239. She is a winning daughter of the stakes-winning mare Chloe In Paris (Exceed And Excel). She is being offered in foal to Tarzino.
  • Lot 244 is the stakes-performed Serena (NZ) (Swiss Ace), consigned by Hallmark Stud. The six-year-old won four races and placed in the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). Closely related to Group One performers Sedecrem (NZ) (Faltaat) and Mount Street (NZ) (Kilimanjaro), she is in foal to Tarzino.
  • Hallmark Stud also offers Spensierato (Fiorente) as Lot 246. She was a three-time winner in Victoria and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Sugar Cain (Americain). She is in foal to Tarzino.
  • Lot 251 is the five-year-old White Lightning (NZ) (Reliable Man), from the draft of Kilmore Farm. She won two races and placed in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m), and she is a daughter of the dual stakes-winning mare No Excuse Maggie (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), descending from a prolific black-type family that has produced multiple Group One winners.
  • The final member of the Ferguson dispersal is Windermere (All Too Hard), who will be offered by Kilmore Farm as Lot 252. The six-year-old was a four-time winner in Australia and placed in the Listed ATC Christmas Cup (2400m) and Listed Tatt’s Gold Crown (2137m). Windermere is out of the unraced Sadler’s Wells mare Rosetta Stone, a sister to multiple Group One winner Brian Boru (Sadler’s Wells) and Group One-producing broodmare Kitty O’Shea (Sadler’s Wells). She is also closely related to the Epsom Derby (2400m) winner Workforce (King’s Best).

The National Weanling & Broodmare Sale will be held at Karaka on June 16, with selling starting at 10am.

For more information about the Sale, contact NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email [email protected].