Monaco Consul Delivers More Karaka Magic

2 November 2009

The win by Monaco Consul in Saturday's Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) gave Karaka graduates Group 1 success number four�at the Victorian Spring Carnival following on from So You Think (Cox Plate), Efficient (Turnbull Stakes), and Allez Wonder (Toorak Handicap).

Monaco Consul (High Chaparral x Argante, by Star Way), who showed an exceptional turn of foot at the end of the 2500m Derby to beat Extra Zero (Danzero) by a length, had taken the Group�1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick a month previous in his Australian racing debut.

Trained by the New Zealand combination of Mike and Paul Moroney, it was Paul who selected the brown colt from Windsor Park Stud at the 2008 Karaka Select Sale.

high chaparral

�High Chaparral at Coolmore Ireland

It took $100,000 to secure the now $1,000,000 earning son of dual Group 1 English and Irish Derby winner High Chaparral and Argante, a Star Way half-sister to Group 1 Australian Guineas winner Military Plume.

Monaco Consul's owners include Owen Glenn and�Gerard Peterson's GG syndicate who have the great privilege of having Warringah (Galileo) in the 2009 Melbourne Cup, a European-bred galloper who will sport the same yellow colours as the 2009 Victoria Derby winner.

Monaco Consul is now likely to tackle the $2,200,000 NZ Derby at Ellerslie in March before heading to the Group 1 AJC Derby a month later.

Windsor Park Stud's High Chaparral (Sadler's Wells) has accomplished so much with his first crop that he currently leads the 2009/10 Australian General Sires Premiership over the likes of Encosta De Lago , Redoute's Choice, Street Cry and More Than Ready.

Besides Monaco Consul, High Chaparral has left Group 1 Cox Plate winner So You Think, Group 2 QTC Sires Produce winner Shoot Out, Group 2 Wellington Guineas placed Descarado, and a further four winners from just 25 starters with his oldest Southern Hemisphere crop just spring three-year-olds.

With High Chaparral missing a season, the last opportunity buyers will have to purchase the stock of High Chaparral at auction (Southern Hemisphere) before Karaka's 2011 Yearling Sales is at Karaka's 2009 Ready to Run Sale in just a fortnight's time.

The Ready to Run Sale will see three geldings go under the hammer on Tuesday, 17 November including:

RTR Lot 68 and 73 - High Chaps

�High Chaparral geldings, Lot 68 (inside)�and Lot 73, breeze together at Te Rapa racecourse.�

Lot 68 - Brown Gelding - High Chaparral x Royal Cashel (Royal Academy) - Windsor Park Stud

��������� This gelding is out of young winning Royal Academy mare Royal Cashel, a daughter of Group 1 Kelt Capital Stakes winner Love Dance (Kaapstad).

��������� Click here for breeze-up video.

RTR Lot 73 High Chap - Rune

�Lot 73 in the outside parade ring before breezing.

Lot 73 - Bay Gelding - High Chaparral x Rune (Star Way) - Windsor Park Stud

��������� This gelding is bred on the same High Caparral/Star Way cross as Monaco Consul.

��������� He is a half-brother to three winners being out of Rune, a full-sister to triple Group 1 winner Sky Chase.

��������� Click here for breeze-up video.

09RTR - H.Chap - coochie

�Lot 212,�the High Chaparral gelding out of Coochicoochie Coo.

Lot 212 - Bay Gelding - High Chaparral x Coochiecoochie Coo (Touching Wood) - Mangatiti Bloodstock

��������� This bay gelding is out of winning Touching Wood mare Coochiecoochie Coo, a half-sister to Group 1 winner No Mean City (Star Board).

��������� Click here for breeze-up video.

Better Than Ever and Mexican Rose Do It Again

Laurie Laxon's Karaka duet, Better Than Ever (French Deputy x Songfest, by Unbridled's Song) and Mexican Rose (Volksraad x Down View, by Gone West) continue to prove invincible in Singapore with both remaining unbeaten after victories at Kranji over the weekend.

Better Than Ever took out his fifth straight victory when claiming his first Group race in the Singapore Group 3 Stewards Cup (1400m) last night.

The race followed the pattern of betting with the contest turning into a two horse battle between Better Than Ever and Always Certain (Not a Single Doubt).

The two cleared out ten lengths ahead of third placed Super Lucky Colour (Blevic), and as they fought hard to the line it was the power of Better Than Ever that proved too much for Always Certain who tasted defeat by a length and a half.

The black-type victory provides a significant update to the pedigree of Lot 101 at Karaka's Ready to Run Sale. On account of Esker Lodge the son of Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) is a half-brother to Better Than Ever. Click here for his breeze-up video.

Better Than Ever is now expected to spell in preparation for next year's Singapore 3YO Challenge Series which culminates in the Group 1 Singapore Guineas on May 16.

Another unbeaten three-year-old raced by Tang Weng Fei's Jupiter Stable is Mexican Rose who took her Kranji record to five straight when beating the older sprinters in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A (1200m) on Friday night.

Mexican Rose Kranji Stakes A

�Mexican Rose winning the Kranji Stakes A for Laurie Laxon and the Jupiter Stable

The Singapore Juvenile Championship winner sat handy and kicked in the home straight to beat Perfect Sky (Bel Esprit) and Noble Manor (Stravinsky) by two and a half and three lengths respectively.

Jockey Saimee Jumait was full of praise for the young female speedster.

"The tougher the opposition the better she likes," said Saimee. "She just keeps rising to the challenge.

"I was mindful of not wanting to give her too hard a run. I wanted to stalk the leader and make him carry his weight and when I went for her she really responded.

"She is a really beautiful filly."

Laurie Laxon confirmed that Mexican Rose will follow Better Than Ever to the spelling paddock and return for next year's Singapore Sprint Series which finishes with the KrisFlyer International Sprint in May.

Laxon purchased both his star three-year-olds from Karaka with Better Than Ever costing $80,000, while $85,000 was needed to secure Mexican Rose.

Catalogues for New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Ready to Run Sale can now be viewed at http://www.nzb.co.nz/.

Hard copies and Breeze Up DVDs (TV or PC) are available from [email protected].

View breeze-ups online here.

For assistance with hotel bookings in Auckland for November contact NZB Hospitality Coordinator Victoria Vela on +64 9298 0055 or email [email protected]