$6000 Broodmare a Star Producer

Media Release - Tuesday December 3

A chance purchase at Karaka has proved to be an outstanding piece of business for Waikato breeders and owners Ross and Corrine Kearney.

While wandering around the complex, a winning daughter of Conatus caught their attention and they followed through to secure Signorina for $6,000 out of Westbury Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Broodmare Sale.

She has proved to be a gem for the couple with Saturday’s Listed Armacup Stakes (1500m) winner Checkmate, who is raced under their Okaharau Station banner, her latest success story.

Checkmate carrying the Okaharau Station colours to victory in Saturday’s Listed Armacup Stakes (1500m) at Ellerslie.   Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

“She’s been fantastic, it was a bit of a spur of the moment job,” Ross Kearney said.

“We didn’t actually go to the sale to look at her but saw her being paraded and thought we like her and got her with a last bid, we had decided that was enough.”

She was in foal to Swiss Ace and the result was Jodelin Gal, who won seven races and placed in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) and the Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m), and is now in foal to Paddington.

Signorina’s visit to Mongolian Khan then produced Bankers Choice, who won five of his first 10 starts from Stephen Marsh’s stable and culminating in success in the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m).

He was subsequently sold to clients of Michael Moroney’s Flemington stable with the Kearneys remaining in the ownership group.

“We’ve still got shares in him and (three-time winner) Grand Impact, Bankers Choice’s next race will be the Ballarat Cup (Listed, 2000m),” he said.

His last win was in the 2022 edition of the race, and he’s also been a multiple stakes placegetter, including a third in the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m), since relocating across the Tasman.

Advertisement

“He hasn’t been racing very well this spring, but in his last race at Moonee Valley he did look a bit sharper.”

His brother Checkmate has posted consecutive wins following a debut second for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott to attract buyer interest.

“At this stage he is looking good, we had a phone call before the race and they decided not to proceed,” Kearney said.

“He’s coming home for a few days now to have a rest and put his feet up.”

A slot in the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) is likely to be the aim for Checkmate, who also has younger half-siblings coming through.

“We’ve got an Ace High two-year-old in training, she’s with Janenne Dalley who generally breaks in our horses,” Kearney said.

“The mare’s also got a Vadamos yearling who was a feisty wee boy, so he was gelded early and he’s still got some spirit.

“She’s got a foal at foot, a filly by Staphanos, and she’ll be going to Turn Me Loose. We’ll only give her one chance because it’s getting quite late.

“The only one who missed was by Time Test (Justadude), it didn’t work out for us and we sold him so hopefully he can go on and win a race somewhere else.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Trainers Rewarded with Continued NZB Ready to Run Series
With the continued long-term support of Majestic Horse Transport and Dunstan Horsefeeds, NZB is pleased to announce that the Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series will return for its sixth edition this season, kicking off on Saturday at two venues. ? 
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 9
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Debut Farnan Winner for Pencarrow Stud
Three-year-old filly Passiflora showed promise at the trials and transferred that potential into raceday success when scoring on debut in the NZ Horse Ambulance 970 at Cambridge on Wednesday.
Cogburn Sire Not This Time on Fire at Keeneland September
If you have been considering sending a mare to Widden Stud’s exciting new shuttle sire Cogburn (USA) or have already booked one in you are going to be pretty interested in what is going on at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale this week where his sire Not This Time is in hot demand.
Keeneland September Record Breaking Book 1 Concludes
Trade at Tuesday’s second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued the enthusiasm for Thoroughbred racing prospects shown during Monday’s opening day with nearly $75 million in sales and a September Sale record session average of $675,180 and median of $550,000. Twenty yearlings sold for $1 million or more to set a Day 2 session record. 
Vale, Ryan Smith
Victorian breeding farm Kulani Park are mourning the loss of partner and family member Ryan Smith.
Another Impressive New Winner St Mark’s Basilica
A colt that holds entries for several upcoming Group races, Piazza San Marco became the 12th winner for Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (FR) when bolting in at Galway overnight.
First Stakes Win for Bankers Choice Brother
The race now known as the Listed Armacup 3YO Stakes (1500m) is becoming a reliable springboard to bigger and better things for Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, and that trend looks likely to continue after a smart win by Checkmate at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Checkmate Stakes Goal Plans to Be Decided
The future prospects for rising star Checkmate continue to be uncertain for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, after the impressive three-year-old trounced his rivals in the Sunday’s Cloudsoft Accounting 1500 at Ellerslie.
Karaka Graduates Honoured at New Zealand Horse of the Year Awards
The champions of New Zealand’s 2024-25 season were crowned during the Horse of the Year Awards in Hamilton on Sunday night, where four Karaka graduates were named the standouts of their respective categories.