Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Drops Of God’s dazzling display at Te Rapa at the weekend set up a quickfire inter-Island black type double for Nearco Stud with the second leg stylishly closed out soon after at Riccarton by Perlino.
The lightly raced pair of homebred fillies are now both three-time winners prepared by Te Akau’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, with the former also carrying the colours of farm principal Greg Tomlinson.
Drops Of God’s victory romp in Saturday’s Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) came off a third in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) while Perlino followed up her placing in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) with success in the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m).
“It was the sort of day that breeders dream about, to have frontrunners in stakes races in the North and South Island duly deliver in amazing fashion was incredible,” Tomlinson’s bloodstock consultant Patrick Cunningham said.
A daughter of Hello Youmzain, Drops Of God has continued the remarkable record of dam Distinctive Lass, a granddaughter by Orientate of three-time elite level winner Special.
“She’s rising 22 now but has continued to produce year on year and has had 10 foals to the races for nine winners and five stakes winners,” Cunningham said.
Purchased at the Inglis Sydney Easter Broodmare Sale, Distinctive Lass is also the dam of Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner Kahma Lass, with Kuro, Distinctive Darci and Southern Lad successful at Listed level.
“Credit must go to (bloodstock agent, syndicator) Adrian Clark who sourced the mare when he was managing the portfolio of Nearco back in 2011, he bought her for A$140,000,” Cunningham said.
“She has a clean bill of health and is currently in foal to Super Seth and what a mare she is, to put it lightly.”
Distinctive Lass’ Super Seth colt was sold earlier this year at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $300,000 to Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock through the draft of Curraghmore, operated by Cunningham’s father Gordon.
Drops Of God was also originally to have been sold at Karaka, before fate determined she was to race for Nearco with good client Raptors Thoroughbred, who accepted the invite of a 50 percent racing lease share.
“She got up to the complex and at the 11th hour she went lame and that pulled the pin on her going through the sale,” Cunningham said.
“She would no doubt have commanded a lot of money, that’s how it went but Greg is reaping the benefits now.”
Perlino was bought out of Curraghmore’s Karaka consignment by Te Akau’s David Ellis for $120,000, with the Super Seth filly a daughter of the Exceed And Excel mare Palomino.
“She has been racing so well, and it was a good win going up in distance,” Cunningham said.
A half-sister to dual stakes winner Malice, Palomino is from the family of four-time Group One winner Criterion whose half-brother Comin’ Through also won at the highest level.
“She’s a young Exceed And Excel mare who has ticked that stakes winner box and unfortunately she lost a filly by Wrote pretty early in the piece, but she’s back in foal to him and he’s a promising sire,” Cunningham said.
