Half-Brother to Elusive Catch at NZB Weanling Sale

Impressive two-year-old Elusive Catch (NZ) (Elusive City) added black-type to the pedigree of her younger half-brother in NZB’s upcoming National Weanling Sale with a strong victory in Saturday’s Listed $50,000 Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.

Elusive Catch (NZ) victorious in the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes. Photo courtesy of Race Images.

Catalogued at Lot 89, the half-brother to Elusive Catch is by Iffraaj and is to be offered by Haunui Farm who stand the sire.

Elusive Catch (Elusive City x Milord a Lady, by Lord Ballina) was herself at a New Zealand Bloodstock Sale only six months ago when offered at the Ready to Run Sale by Phoenix Park. She was runner-up at her first start when charging home late on 10 April at Riverton.

Trained by Sabin Kirkland, Elusive Catch drew the outside of the seven-horse field which was an advantage as the field stayed wide on the Heavy 11 track.

After settling behind the leaders, Elusive Catch strode alongside the leader Second Time Lucky (NZ) (Any Suggestion) at the top of the straight and under the urgings of Chris Johnson pulled away from the field to win by 2.3 lengths from stakes winner Second Time Lucky and Two over One (NZ) (Duporth), giving Karaka graduates the trifecta.

“We were very, very happy with her,” commented Kirkland. “When you watch the reply she actually won quite well by nearly two-and-a-half lengths and there were some quite nice horses there.

“We will just take her home and see what we can do with her now, see how she gets over it. The way the track was on Saturday she obviously handles the wet tracks. The Lord Ballina mare helps too, that was a big factor, the mother handled wet tracks.

“She didn’t meet her reserve at the Ready to Run Sale and Janine Dunlop from Phoenix Park put us on to it. Janine said it was a nice filly and us boys should give her a go down here.”

Elusive Catch is owned by trainer Kirkland, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and Grant McKenzie, with the filly already earning them $31,125 in prizemoney from her first two starts.

Bred by C J & K W Pennell, Elusive Catch is out of a winning Lord Ballina mare Milord a Lady and is from the family of five-time Group 1 winner Tit for Taat (Faltaat). Milord a Lady is herself catalogued for sale at NZB’s National Broodmare Sale at Lot 382.

Iffraaj has nine weanlings in New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling & Broodmare Sale next week on 12 & 13 of May at Karaka.