With a glittering honour roll featuring racetrack stars in New Zealand, Australia and across Asia, New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale of 2YO's is by far the most successful sale of its kind in Australasia.
New Zealand and Australia
The current headline act is undoubtedlyGingernuts(NZ) (Iffraaj), who was purchased for $42,500 at the 2015 Sale by Te Akau Racing's David Ellis. The chestnut is now a millionaire, courtesy of Group 1 wins in the New Zealand Derby, Rosehill Guineas and Windsor Park Plate. He has earned almost 30 times his purchase price.
There are seven two-year-olds byIffraajcatalogued for the upcoming Ready to Run Sale.
Gingernuts was one of only two purchases made by Ellis at the 2015 Sale. The other was $230,000 purchaseHall Of Fame(NZ) (Savabeel), who won this year's Group 1 Levin Classic before attracting the attention of Hong Kong buyers.
Six ofSavabeel'sprogeny feature in the catalogue.
The list of Group 1-winning graduates also features two superstar former stablemates –Mongolian Khan(Holy Roman Emperor) andTurn Me Loose(NZ) (Iffraaj).
Purchased at the 2013 Sale for $220,000 by Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group, Mongolian Khan was trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman to win eight races and more than $4.1 million in prizemoney.
He was the first horse in 30 years to win the Group 1 New Zealand Derby and Australian Derby, and later that year he became the first ever to add the coveted Caulfield Cup to that classic double. Having earned more than 20 times his purchase price, Mongolian Khan now stands at Windsor Park Stud with the first of his progeny including a white rarity thoroughbred – a filly out ofThe Opera House(NZ) (Zabeel).
Turn Me Loose cost $52,500 at the 2013 Sale, where he was bought by part-owner Todd Hartley. Baker and Forsman guided him to seven wins including the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas, the Group 1 Emirates Stakes and the Group 1 Futurity Stakes. He earned $1.7 million, 33 times his purchase price, and stands alongside Mongolian Khan at Windsor Park Stud.
Singapore
Graduates have also enjoyed outstanding success in some of Singapore's richest and most prestigious races.Debt Collector(NZ) (Thorn Park) has won eight races and more than S$1.6 million, including the Singapore Guineas, Kranji Mile and Raffles Cup. His four-win performance last season saw him crowned as Horse of the Year along with four other titles.
Countofmontecristo(NZ) (Echoes of Heaven), has won seven of his nine starts and S$800,000 in prizemoney. He took out the first two legs of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge with victories in the Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint and Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic, along with a win in the Jumbo Jet Trophy this season.
Other graduates to have won at stakes level in Singapore in the 2016-17 season areAlibi(NZ) (Darci Brahma), who won the Patron's Bowl and Stewards' Cup;Bahana(NZ) (Elusive City), who took out the El Dorado Classic;Be Bee(NZ) (Showcasing), winner of the Golden Horseshoe; andFaaltless(NZ) (Faltaat), who won the Garden City Trophy.
Hong Kong
Making their presence felt at the highest level of racing in Hong Kong,Able One(NZ) (Cape Cross) andGlorious Days(Hussonet) both claimed Group 1 titles.
Glorious Days won seven races and more than HK$33 million in prizemoney. He won the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile along with victories in the Stewards' Cup and Jockey Club Mile, while Able One was trained by John Moore to win 10 races and more than HK$37 million in prizemoney, headed by the Group 1 Champions Mile.
A number of proven horses to compete at elite level in Australasia are also now paving their way in Hong Kong.Dukedom(NZ) (Bachelor Duke),Simply Invincible(NZ) (Rios),andHall of Fameall succeeded in the Group 1 Levin Classic at Trentham in a three-year-reign. Dukedom has already picked up a win, with Simply Invincible claiming three wins, and Hall of Fame yet to step out.
Malaysia
Success from graduates across the globe extends into Malaysia with recent Listed winner in MacauBobo So Cute(Savabeel). His half-length victory in the Macau Gold Cup made it his 10th win and lifted his stake earnings past M$3 million. He has now won three Listed races, having previously claimed the Macau Spring Trophy and Lisboa Challenge.
The later race has been won three times in the last five years by graduates of the Sale includingLuen on Treasure(Dane Shadow) in 2017 andSunshine Kingdom(NZ) (Darci Brahma) in 2013. The Selangor Gold Cup has also been dominated by the New Zealand horses with the Iffraaj geldingListen(Iffraaj) (NZ) winning the Cup for the last two consecutive years.
Promising three-year-oldBobo So Good(Zoffany) who sold at last year's Sale is set for a flight to Macau to continue his career.
2017 Catalogue
437 two-year-olds are set to be offered at Karaka on 22 & 23 November with 51 siblings to stakes winners and the progeny of 31 stakes winners. Amongst these are siblings to stakes-winning Ready to Run Sale graduates Able One (a half-brother atLot 135),Magic Cape(NZ) (Magic Albert) (a half-brother atLot 52), and current winnerMain Stage(NZ) (Reliable Man) (a full-sister atLot 186) who joins the flurry of recent winners forReliable Man.
Breeze Ups were conducted on 16 & 17 October with each horse filmed and timed. The videos are available toview onlineand are also scheduled to be broadcast on Trackside in New Zealand and Racing.com in Australia at the following times:
Trackside 1
Tuesday 2 November from 9pm
Thursday 9 November from 9pm
Racing.com
Monday 30 October from 7am AEDT
