Karaka Graduates Honoured at South Island Awards

5 October 2020

Lightning Jack (NZ) named South Island�s Champion Three-Year-Old for 2019-20.
Lightning Jack (NZ) named South Island�s Champion Three-Year-Old for 2019-20.

Graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock Sales won five trophies at the Christchurch Casino 2019-20 South Island Racing Awards at Riccarton on Friday night.

The South Island’s Champion Three-Year-Old of the season was Lightning Jack (NZ) (Per Incanto), who was sold by his breeder Gloria Kenny at the 2018 Karaka May Sale and was an $8,000 purchase by Southland’s Relyt Farm.

Lightning Jack had eight starts in the 2019-20 season for three wins and three placings, earning $101,000 in stakes. He won the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) and Southland Guineas (1600m), then ventured north to Trentham and ran a big race for third against a quality field in the Group Two Wellington Guineas (1400m).

The New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year was Miss Federer (NZ) (Swiss Ace), who was bought for $10,000 by trainer Andrew Carston from Bradbury Park’s draft in Book 2 of Karaka 2018.

From seven starts during the season, Miss Federer scored two wins and three placings, earning $71,975 in stakes. Her two victories were significant ones – the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) and NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m). That was a repeat of her two-year-old season, in which she was also a two-time winner at black-type level. She has earned a total of $160,385 in her career.

A breakthrough 2019-20 season for Out Of The Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) was rewarded with the title of the South Island’s Champion Miler.

Bought for $100,000 by Vermair Racing from Waikato Stud’s draft at the 2016 Premier Sale, Out Of The Park began her career in the North Island and showed good ability.

But a move south to the Woodlands stable of Robert Dennis proved to be the making of the mare. She won four of her 11 starts during the season and collected $89,500 in prizemoney, headed by a hugely valuable Group Three victory in the Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in March.

Another top season for tenacious stayer Dee And Gee (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was honoured with the Champion Stayer Award.

Dee And Gee cost only $16,000 when Shaune Ritchie recruited her from the draft of The Oaks Stud in the 2015 Select Sale, and she has won six races and almost $400,000.

During the 2019-20 season, she won the Group Three New Zealand Cup (3200m) and placed in the Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2500m), earning $170,625.

The Champion Jumper was Delacroix (NZ) (Zabeel), who was passed in at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale. The winner of 15 races and $245,145 in his accomplished career, he won the Ken & Roger Browne Memorial Steeplechase (3900m) and ran second in the Waikato Steeplechase (3900m).