Kiwis Singing in Singapore

Kiwis Singing in Singapore

It was a memorable weekend at Kranji racecourse with expatriate New Zealand trainer, Laurie Laxon, scoring three wins from the nine race card on Friday night including both feature races. New Zealand breds were victorious in three races overall while the winning continued on Sunday taking out five out of the ten races.

Leading the charge on Friday night for Laxon was Karaka Select Sale graduate Why Be (Success Express x Charybdis). Guided by Mark du Plessis, Why Be's win in the S$125,000 feature extended his winning sequence to five, and he now has a record of 14 wins from 17 starts. Trained by Laxon for Perfectum Stable the four-year-old has won over S$1,000,000 in prize money. Astute judge, Bruce Wallace, bid to NZ$26,000 to secure Why Be from the Chequers Stud draft at the 2004 Karaka Select Sale.

Laxon's other winners were Shanghai Hero (AUS) in the other feature S$125,000 Open 1600m where he achieved a quinella with former NZ galloper, Abbey Drive (Zabeel x Grace and Power) in second and with Royal Jade (AUS) in the S$55,000 Class 4 (1200m).

Stealth (Sakura Seeking x Larrikin Lady), prevailed in the S$75,000 Progress (1800m) for the AJ Racing Stable and now has a hat trick of wins to his name. A stayer in the making, he is trained by fellow New Zealand expatriate, Bruce Marsh and was ridden by Kiwi jockey Andrew Calder.

In the Class 4 (1200m) Karaka Select Sale graduate Tommaloms (Black Minnaloushe x Riposte), trained by Don Baertschiger for Auric Stable, kept his perfect record intact and now boasts three wins from three starts. Richard O'Gorman secured Tommaloms for NZ$140,000. A half-sister by Waikato Stud sire Pins is due to go under the hammer on the final day of the Karaka Select Sale as Lot 926. Like her half-brother she will be offered by Haunui Farm on behalf of Roberts Holdings Ltd.

Rounding off the successful night, the Tesio Bloodstock Services bred Han Effect (Kashani x Fly North) broke Maiden ranks with a one-and-a-quarter length victory in the S$35,000 Maiden over 1100m.

On Sunday Laxon again took out the feature, this time with Royal Admiral (Starjo x Kilmaghenny) in the S$95,000 Class 1 (1600m). Fellow New Zealand bred Sharp Spur (Classic Fame x The Country's Best) finished three lengths behind in second. Recording his second win in a row, Royal Admiral's prize money haul in Singapore has nearly reached S$290,000 - a significant return on the original purchase price of NZ$800. Local racing identity, Charlie Faulkner bought the gelding as a weanling from Ardsley Stud at the 2002 National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale.

Stuart Hale's 2004 Karaka Festival Sale purchase, the Douglas Dragon trained Jaywin (Align x Iamascene), took out the Class 3 S$75,000. Sold by Halo Farm, he was secured for NZ$14,000.

Stephen Gray's Manuka (Prized x Breath of Life) took out the S$55,000 Class 4 1400m. Katrina & Simon Alexander purchased the gelding, now the winner of three races, from the Te Runga Stud draft at the 2004 Karaka Select Sale.

In the Restricted Maiden over 1200m Pin Number (Pins x Symphius) cleared maiden ranks at just his third start. Former top Australian jockey, Mick Dittman, paid NZ$50,000 for the gelding at the 2005 Ready to Run Sale from the Mission Lodge draft. He is now trained by Australian John Meagher, for the Champagne Stable.

The Sue Oomen bred Royal Force (Deputy Governeor x Celedon) took out the S$55,000 Class 4 (1400m) for trainer Brian Dean who trains the five-year-old for the Dragon Stable.

Mighty Effort by Kiwis at Sha Tin

New Zealand bred horses were victorious in four races in Hong Kong on Saturday, including a remarkable result with New Zealand Bloodstock graduates filling the first four placings in one of the races.

The Tony Cruz trained Multimighty (Danehill x Tamarino) cleared maiden ranks in the Class 4 Norfolk Handicap (1600m) with a decisive victory almost two lengths ahead of fellow Karaka Premier Sale graduate, Stilton (Cape Cross x Samantha Rush). Karaka Ready to Run Sale graduate Kingsgate Glory (Fusaichi Pegasus x Tremone Bay) was third and Sohna (Canny Lad x Zinarush), fourth.

Multimighty was purchased from the Pencarrow Stud draft at the 2005 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$475,000 while Stilton was a NZ$240,000 purchase at the same sale from Curraghamore Stud. Both are also graduates of last year's Hong Kong Jockey Club International Sale. Kingsgate Glory, who fetched NZ$250,000 to the bid of NZB as agent was second top-priced lot at last year's Karaka Ready to Run Sale.

Owner of Multimighty, Lyraa Ng, is no stranger to racing successful New Zealand racehorses having previously raced the talented Multi-Star (Grosvenor x Anouska).

In the Class 4 Essex Handicap (1200m) Lucky Danske (Danske x Penny Royal) recorded win number four for trainer Michael Chang for Cheung Pui Chu. He was originally a Karaka Select Sale purchase by local trainer Denise Jeffcoat for NZ$25,000 from Lyndhurst Farm.

Cheung Pui Chu was also successful as the owner of Luckyme (Chief Bearheart x Frizzle) in Race 4, the Lancashire Handicap (1400m). Lucky Me's yearling half-brother, by the Mr Prospector son, Traditionally, goes up for sale on the first day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale on Monday 29 January 2007.

In the Class 4 Somerset Handicap (2000m) Rich Hill Stud graduate Super Dana (Danasinga x Aer Lingus), a NZ$95,000 purchase at the 2001 Karaka Select Sale, got home for his sixth career win. Second placed Sea Treasure (Stravinsky x Stormy Alley) made it a Karaka quinella.

Sea Treasure was purchased from the draft of his breeders, Trelawney Stud, at the 2003 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$74,000. His half-sister, by first season sire, Elusive City, will go under the hammer as Lot 998 at the Karaka Select Yearling Sale.

ends

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