Ready to Run Graduate Wins Derby Prize in Military Move

New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale graduate Military Move (Volksraad x All Night Party, by Just a Dancer) led a Karaka trifecta on Saturday in the prestigious Group 1 Telecom New Zealand Derby (2400m).

The richest derby in the southern hemisphere, the Telecom New Zealand Derby was raced for $2.2 million dollars with the winner effectively earning $15,000 for every second in running.

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�Military Move wins the Group 1 New Zealand Derby for his prolific sire Volksraad photo: Trish Dunnell

The 2010 race drew 15 of New Zealand's finest three-year-olds, with the quality this year amongst the best NZ Derby fields assembled in recent seasons.

The pace of the race was much discussed in the week leading up to the feature after favoured runners Zarzuela (Zabeel), Corporal Jones (Pentire), and Katie Lee (Pins) all drew outside marbles.

Group 1 VRC Derby winner Monaco Consul (High Chaparral) started favourite from his mid-field draw with a ton of support on the tote for the entire who looked to be returning to his best in trackwork.

Time Keeper (Stravinsky) lead the field from the jump with Military Move (Volksraad x All Night Party, by Just a Dancer) in the box seat immediately behind the leader with Imabayboy (San Luis) covering him up.

At the other end of the spectrum Zarzuela and Corporal Jones could see the entire field in front of them as they tailed the field until sweeping for home in the Ellerslie straight.

Up front Military Move was pulled one out by Michael Walker and was sent for home, as was Handsome Zulu (Handsome Ransom) who was slowly warming up a couple of lengths behind after enjoying a good position in the hands of Mark Du Plessis.

With mountains of work still to do to catch the front of the field, Zarzuela and Corporal Jones swung wide, with Corporal Jones widest of all, before the pair closed strongly from their backmarker positions.

Their class was matched by Military Move though who found all the way to the line to win by a length over Corporal Jones (second), Handsome Zulu (third), and Zarzuela (fourth) in 2.27.91.

Trained by Shaune Ritchie in Cambridge, Military Move is owned by Steven Kit Sing Lo who watched all the action from his Hong Kong base where the Derby was beamed live for the very first time.

His charge, blessed with tactical speed, was good enough to give Katie Lee a real fight in the $1 million New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November when running second, and looks an ideal prospect for Hong Kong's most prestigious event, the Group 1 Mercedes Hong Kong Derby (2000m) for four-year-olds in March 2011.

Before then Military Move may journey to Sydney to take in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and the Group 1 AJC Derby (2400m) over the Easter carnival.

Military Move was purchased by Hong Kong trainer Almond Lee for $110,000 at the 2008 Karaka Ready to Run Sale. Sold by Amity Lodge, Military Move breezed up at Te Rapa as Lot 300 and ran 11.51 for the 200m timed section in the home straight.

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�Military Move (outside) breezes in 11.51�prior to the 2008 Karaka Ready to Run Sale photo: Trish Dunnell

The winner of over $1,500,000 in stake-money, Military Move's victory gave Karaka graduates two of the 'Big 3' Australasian derbies this season after Monaco Consul's Group 1 Victoria Derby in November.

The other Derby feature - the Group 1 AJC Derby - will be contested on 10 April. New Zealand Bloodstock has provided Roman Emperor, Nom Du Jeu, and Fiumicinio to win the past three events.

The Derby win also capped a great season for breeder's Windsor Park Stud who� bred and sold at Karaka Military Move, Monaco�Consul, So You Think, and�Beauty Flash who is amongst this weekend's Group 1 Hong Kong Derby favourites.

The next Sale to be conducted by New Zealand Bloodstock is the Selwyn River Stud Unreserved Dispersal Sale on 26 March. Over 70 lots will sell unreserved in Christchurch including a majority of the first crop of exciting young sire Edenwold (Southern Halo), Canada's champion juvenile of his generation.

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