NZ Flag Flies High in Futurity

For the second consecutive year, the A$750,000 Group One Lamaro’s Hotel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield has produced an outstanding result for New Zealand Bloodstock and the kiwi thoroughbred industry.

Twelve months ago, exceptional Karaka graduate Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) collected the third of her four career Group One triumphs with a dazzling performance in the weight-for-age feature. While a career-ending injury prevented a defence of that title by the reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year, her compatriots stepped up on Saturday to follow her example.

Top-quality Karaka graduates Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) headlined a New Zealand-bred trifecta in the star-studded race, with four-time Group One winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park) close up behind them in a gallant third.

Sierra Sue was passed in at Karaka 2018 with a reserve of only $30,000, and she was bought by Peter Lock for just $2000 from the May Sale a year later. She has now won nine of her 22 starts and more than A$1.6 million in stakes – over 800 times her purchase price at the May Sale.

The superb mare is trained at Cranbourne by expat Kiwi couple Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, and she is raced by a syndicate headed by prominent owners Ozzie Kheir, John O’Neill and Brae Sokolski.

“Unbelievable, honestly,” Young said. “She paraded fantastic, she looked super, and now she’s a multiple Group One winner and she’s a valuable mare. A Darci Brahma from New Zealand, so flying the flag for the Kiwi breeders.”

Already a Group One winner over the same course and distance in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) in the spring, Sierra Sue delivered another stellar performance on Saturday.

Ridden by John Allen, the five-year-old settled just in behind the leaders before joining the fray with a slick turn of foot in the straight.

Sierra Sue soon kicked clear coming into the last 200 metres and then kept finding all the way to the line, maintaining an advantage of a length and a quarter over the fast-finishing Mo’unga.

“The race couldn’t have worked out any better really,” Allen said. “I knew there would be a bit of pressure, but we just wanted to use a bit early to hold the box seat.

“I was happy when we were tracking through, the horse outside the lead was asked to do a lot of work, so I was pretty hopeful it was going to drop off in the home straight and we were travelling that well.

“When she did get out, she let down well and showed a good turn of foot.

Runner-up Mo’unga lost little in defeat, making his first appearance since finishing third in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in November. Bought for $325,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2019, he has had 15 starts for five wins, five placings and more than $1.8 million.

“Very happy,” jockey Jamie Kah said after Saturday’s run. “He’s in for a very good prep.”

Mo’unga has a full-brother catalogued for Karaka 2022, going through the Waikato Stud draft as Lot 161 in Book 1.