NZ Ready to Run Graduate Earns Caulfield Cup Start

NZB Ready to Run graduate Folding Gear (NZ) has earned a free passage into the Caulfield Cup with a winning performance in the A$150,000 Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

With New Zealand filling the first four places across the line, the Group 3 victory couldn’t have come at a better time for NZB’s Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs with the highly anticipated 2012 catalogue in the post and set to be released online tomorrow.

The Lee & Shannon Hope trained Folding Gear (Johar x Royal Show) has been a consistent performer for owner Mr KJ Beck, having won the Group 2 Autumn Classic at three, the Group 3 Easter Cup at four, and now the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes.

Folding Gear was one of three New Zealand Group winners in Australia on Saturday, with Ocean Park (NZ) (Thorn Park) winning the Group 1 Underwood Stakes and It’s A Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral) taking the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes.

Averaging 14 individual stakes winners per season for the last five seasons, the NZ Ready to Run Sale has proven a consistent source of quality pre-trained two-year-olds and its record of success, with nine Group 1 winners in the last five seasons, sees it unmatched by any other two-year-old Sale in Australasia.

Folding Gear is the Sale’s first stakes winner for the 2012/13 season and the son of Johar holds a nomination for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup on 20 October.

Saturday’s win saw the five-year-old come from off the pace and run down race leader Mr O’Ceirin (Postponed), who had three lengths on Folding Gear 300 metres from home, to win by a stylish half-a-length margin.

His co-trainer Lee Hope is keen to take the son of Johar straight to the Caulfield Cup without another run as he is confident that the horse has done enough in his three starts this season to handle his first start beyond 2040 metres.

Folding Gear was purchased by Paul Duncan from breeder Chequers Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Karaka Select Sale for $30,000. He was later offered at the 2009 Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds where he was purchased by Lee Hope from Esker Lodge for $50,000.

Raced by Mr K J Beck, Folding Gear has won four of his 14 race starts for over $445,000 in stakes earnings.

To request catalogues for the 2012 Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs – 20 & 21 November - contact [email protected].