New Zealand's two latest Group One winners, at Te Rapa on Saturday, have a couple of features in common. Firstly, they were bred by small-scale private breeders in what used to be called "the provinces", but is now more fashionably known as "heartland New Zealand". And secondly, although both were entered for yearling sales, neither made the Premier Sale catalogue.
The immensely popular winner of the Waikato RC Waikato Sprint 1400m G1, Kristov(Slavic-Santa Barbra by Piperhill) was bred by NZTBA member Greg Meads' Willow Park Ltd and is raced on lease by Greg with trainer Philip Stevens, and Philip's partner Charlotte Beckett. Offered at the 2001 NZ Festival Yearling Sale, Kristov was passed in at $23,000. It's been reported he was then offered at the 2001 Ready To Run Sale, but he doesn't appear in New Zealand Bloodstock's online records of that auction. In any case, his owners have nothing to regret as he's now compiled a wonderfully consistent and ultimately profitable record: 13 wins and 22 placings from 42 starts and prizemoney of more than $320,000.
It's to be hoped that at least a few of New Zealand's thoroughbred industry leaders note that Kristov's reward for Saturday's effort is about one-third of the $A180,000 Perfect Promise collected for an exactly equivalent weight-for-age event, the MRC C.F. Orr S. 1400m G1, in Melbourne on the same day.
Although the riders of Darci Brahma and Gee I Jane were caught out by the slow early pace set by Jason Waddell on Kristov, their mounts were not disgraced and ran home well to fill the placings. Darci Brahma's Melbourne debut on 11 March is keenly awaited as he seeks to be the first New Zealand-owned and -trained horse to win the Australian Guineas, and the first New Zealand-owned three-year-old colt to claim an Australian classic since Second Coming led all the way in the 1997 Victoria Derby.
The rapidly progressive Snazzy (Danske-Ballini by Balmerino) gave his breeders, Marton-based NZTBA member Jack Georgetti and his family, their second Group One winner for the season when he won Waikato RC International S. 2000m G1. The Georgettis also bred and race Avondale Cup G1 winner Creil.
Snazzy, who is owned by Don Frampton, his wife Toni and daughters Sarah and Zay, became the first Group One winner for Danske, whose record has improved dramatically as his early progeny have matured and raced beyond 1600 metres. Danske is owned by Windsor Park Stud, but stood the 2005 season at Emerald Lodge Stud in Canterbury. Incidentally, Don Frampton is also the writer of a long, ongoing series of well-informed and outspoken letters on industry issues to the Friday Flash.
Snazzy, who has now won six of his eleven starts, is descended from the fine sprinter-miler Wavering, bred by Bob Stead in 1960. It's a family the Georgettis have bred from for almost forty years and Snazzy is the second Group One winner it has produced for them, after Status, who won the 1990 ARC Easter Handicap.
Thanks as always to Arion Pedigrees for pedigree, performance and statistical data.
- Susan Archer
 |
| Danske, sire of Te Rapa Group One winner Snazzy |
It's to be hoped that at least a few of New Zealand's thoroughbred industry leaders note that Kristov's reward for Saturday's effort is about one-third of the $A180,000 Perfect Promise collected for an exactly equivalent weight-for-age event, the MRC C.F. Orr S. 1400m G1, in Melbourne on the same day.
Although the riders of Darci Brahma and Gee I Jane were caught out by the slow early pace set by Jason Waddell on Kristov, their mounts were not disgraced and ran home well to fill the placings. Darci Brahma's Melbourne debut on 11 March is keenly awaited as he seeks to be the first New Zealand-owned and -trained horse to win the Australian Guineas, and the first New Zealand-owned three-year-old colt to claim an Australian classic since Second Coming led all the way in the 1997 Victoria Derby.
The rapidly progressive Snazzy (Danske-Ballini by Balmerino) gave his breeders, Marton-based NZTBA member Jack Georgetti and his family, their second Group One winner for the season when he won Waikato RC International S. 2000m G1. The Georgettis also bred and race Avondale Cup G1 winner Creil.
Snazzy, who is owned by Don Frampton, his wife Toni and daughters Sarah and Zay, became the first Group One winner for Danske, whose record has improved dramatically as his early progeny have matured and raced beyond 1600 metres. Danske is owned by Windsor Park Stud, but stood the 2005 season at Emerald Lodge Stud in Canterbury. Incidentally, Don Frampton is also the writer of a long, ongoing series of well-informed and outspoken letters on industry issues to the Friday Flash.
Snazzy, who has now won six of his eleven starts, is descended from the fine sprinter-miler Wavering, bred by Bob Stead in 1960. It's a family the Georgettis have bred from for almost forty years and Snazzy is the second Group One winner it has produced for them, after Status, who won the 1990 ARC Easter Handicap.
Thanks as always to Arion Pedigrees for pedigree, performance and statistical data.
- Susan Archer
