Kiwis in Contention for Carnival Riches

With the big prizes of the Sydney Autumn Carnival on the horizon, Karaka graduates Divine Rebel, Sousa, Marquardt, and Ahdashim all put their hands up at Rosehill on Saturday for the higher honours to come.

Marquardt (Shamardal - Centrefold Angel, by Centaine) got the ball rolling in significant fashion for New Zealand Bloodstock by running herself into Group 1 STC Golden Slipper contention. The Jason Coyle trained filly ran an enormous race in the Group 2 STC Magic Night Stakes (1200m), coming from a clear last on the home turn in a field of eighteen to go down by just a half-head to Indian Ocean (Danehill Dancer).

Purchased at the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale for $100,000 from Little Avondale Stud by Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm, Marquardt will take her place in this Saturday's Group 1 STC Golden Slipper (1200m) where she will again be ridden by Peter Robl.

The filly from the same family as Group 1 Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes winner Ballroom Babe (Citidancer) would be the first New Zealand-bred to win the race since Courtza (Pompeii Court) in 1989.

In the very next race, the Mike Moroney trained Divine Rebel (Don Eduardo - It's My Sin, by Success Express) won the Listed Epona Stakes (1900m) in a dominant fashion for jockey Kerrin McEvoy. The daughter of Group 1 winner It's My Sin has now won five times from fourteen starts, and she became Don Eduardo's second stakes winner this season. 

Divine Rebel was an $80,000 purchase by Paul Moroney from Seaton Park at the 2006 Karaka Premier Sale and she has now earned close to A$200,000 for her owners.

The feature race of the day, the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas, saw a New Zealand-bred quinella when Metal Bender (Danasinga) got up to beat Sousa (Galileo - Liberty Song, by Last Tycoon), a $150,000 Karaka weanling graduate, by half a head.

It was Sousa's first step up to 2000m this preparation, a distance he relished in the Sydney spring when he won the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes. The Group 1 AJC Derby (2400m) on 11 April is now on the agenda for the good-looking bay who was sold by Curraghmore Stud as a weanling to Lyndhurst Farm.

The Darley owned, Peter Snowden trained, colt will meet fellow Karaka graduate Roman Emperor (Montjeu - Gussy Godiva, by Last Tycoon) in the Easter Saturday feature, a race which was won last year by another Kiwi-bred in Nom De Jeu.

The second to last race of the day saw Sydney's top three-year-old sprinting colts contest the Listed Darby Munro Stakes (1200m). Again New Zealand-breds provided the quinella with Centennial Park (Thorn Park) just beating Karaka graduate Ahdashim (Elusive City - Clinique, by Dance Floor).

Both colts have big reputations and the result was a boost for New Zealand's smart young sires Elusive City and Thorn Park. Ahdashim was purchased by his trainer Gerald Ryan from Trelawney Stud at the 2007 Karaka Premier Sale.

Previous winners of the Listed Darby Munro Stakes include Metal Bender's sire Danasinga (Danehill) who went on to capture the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

New Zealand Bloodstock's next sale, the 2009 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale, will be conducted at Karaka on May 4, 5 & 6. The catalogue will be online on Wednesday.