Good fortune, good luck, a good cross, and the right yearling preparation is what Tom Lane puts his success at the Karaka National yearling sales down too.
The retired horse breaker, now rural real estate agent in Gisborne, and his mate Campbell Crisp were the proud owners of Lot 28 the Showcasing(GB) colt out of Khales that Haunui Farm sold to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock/Astute Bloodstock for $500,000.
“The best thing is the magic of this breeding industry we knew we had a good cross, and a mare who had produced winners to three different sires,” Lane recalled, “It was just a matter of having good luck and good fortune.
“We had no expectations it just goes to show that when you have the right product and two people who want your yearling what can happen.
“You dream about getting a price like that, I jokingly promised my son if we got over $250,000, I would get him a new pony. To have Bob Peters and Ciaron Maher going toe to toe on a yearling you own is a pretty special feeling.”
Lane an exceptional horseman in his own right, had a business in Karaka breaking in horses, weaning mares, foaling down etc, and had also done work for the nearby Haunui Farm.
He had broken in one of Khales (Don Eduardo-Precious Glitter[AUS]) yearlings in La Mouline (by Showcasing[GB]) and really liked the horse, so when the mare came up for sale at the May Broodmare Sale he took the plunge and purchased her for $8,500.
She was in foal to Super Easy, and he later sold the resulting filly as a weanling for $28,000.
Khales only raced once, she is a sister to Lara’s Glitter who won four races and was stakes placed twice. Her dam Precious Glitter (AUS) is a Danehill (USA) mare who won two races including the Gr.2 STC Magic Night Stakes, and she in turn is a half-sister to Beauty Watch who was placed three times at Group One level and won the Gr.3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup. This family also produced last season’s Gr.1 SAJC Schweppes Oaks winner Princess Jenni.
“Just after I bought the mare, by good fortune, La Mouline came up, and Bahana became the Champion Stayer in Singapore, and before I knew it, she had left four winners in four countries by three different sires, that was luck really.
“The cross with Showcasing and Don Eduardo mares was proving to be an incredible cross so I sent the mare back there.”
La Mouline is owned by Bob Peters in Western Australia. She was placed here as a two-year-old in the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic, before being sold to Peters and going to Perth where she has won six races. She is the fourth foal from the mare, and Peters also owns her younger brother Showmanship who is also a winner.
Bahana is the mare's second foal, and is by Elusive City(USA), he has won seven races and was the 2016 Champion Stayer in Singapore. His wins include the Listed Singapore Gold Cup, El Dorado Classic, and Solutions Stakes. La Grazie (Zacinto[GB]) raced once for one win. Her Super Easy filly who is now a three-year-old is yet to race, and her next foal was the Showcasing yearling that sold.
After Lane decided that his body was too old for horse breaking, he returned to Gisborne and became a rural real estate agent and is also a committee man on the Poverty Bay Turf Club. He has entrusted the care of Khales back to Haunui Farm.
“Khales is now being cared for by Haunui Farm,” Lane said of the only mare he and Crisp own, “They do a fantastic job growing out yearlings and she couldn’t be in better hands. They are weaning her filly foal by Belardo(IRE) at the moment and she is back in foal to him again this season.
“I think that the Belardo cross with Don Eduardo will be quite an exciting cross and we are looking forward to what good fortune that cross may produce.” -Michelle Saba, NZTBA
