Written by Paul Vettise
Australia is calling New Zealand’s leading 3-year-old, but not before Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) attends to one final piece of domestic business when he bids to crown his unbeaten record this preparation with a classic success.
The Oaks Stud homebred is a commanding pre-post favourite for the G1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas, with owner Dick Karreman keen to chase feature events across the Tasman next year with the gelding who has been the subject of several hefty offers.
Catalyst (NZ) is looking to continue his unbeaten record in the G1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas
Karreman’s colours will also be atop the G1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas market leader Kali (NZ), a daughter of the stud’s resident sire Darci Brahma who was a private purchase for the Queensland-based identity.
“The racing team is certainly going well and they are both live chances, there’s no doubt about that and they are both still improving,” the Cambridge farm’s manager Rick Williams said. “It’s a good spot to be in right now.”
“The racing team is certainly going well and they are both live chances, there’s no doubt about that and they are both still improving.” – Rick Williams
The Clayton Chipperfield-trained Catalyst, who didn’t see a sale ring, has won all three starts this spring, including a runaway victory in the G2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas.
“He was a November 16 foal and was a little bit small so we didn’t take him to the sales,” Williams said. “The mare had been pretty well exposed and had a stakes performer earlier in her career and I sold her.”
Catalyst won both of his trials before he was unplaced on debut and the only time he has been beaten.
“That was at Te Rapa where he got a hell of a fright with the kick-back and just didn’t know what was happening,” Williams said.
“Since then he’s got better and better. The idea was to get him going and sell him and we got offered NZ$300,000 for him after his first trial and the offers have kept getting bigger, but Dick wants to race him.
“The reality is that he’s an exceptional horse and we don’t know how exceptional he is, he’s bloody talented I can tell you that.
“The reality is that he’s an exceptional horse and we don’t know how exceptional he is, he’s bloody talented I can tell you that.” – Rick Williams
“He’ll go to the Guineas at Riccarton and then he’ll do his future racing almost exclusively in Australia. There’s so much money there and two states that seem to be at each other so it’s splitting the talent up as well.
“He could be trained here and then take him over for three or four races and come home. I’d be very reluctant to take him off the current trainer, that’s not what I’ve done in the past.
The Oaks Stud general manager, Rick Williams
“We’ll give him a break after the Guineas and we’ll give him a go against the Australian 3-year-olds in the autumn and see how good we are.
“A lot of people said we should have gone over for the Caulfield Guineas, but he wasn’t ready for that and he hadn’t turned in the coat and isn’t fully furnished yet.”
Private deal
While Catalyst is a homebred product, The Oaks bought into Kali who went to the top of the 1000 Guineas market after winning the G3 Barneswood Farm Classic on Saturday. She too has only been beaten once in four appearances from Tony Pike’s stable.
Tony Pike, purchased Kali (NZ) privately along with good friend Bruce Sherwin and other partners
Kali was purchased privately by Pike and good friend Bruce Sherwin, of Raffles Farm, with other partners under their Frontier Bloodstock banner before she had raced and following a debut victory there was Australian interest in the filly.
“I saw her at the Cambridge track and she’s a really impressive type so we bought a majority interest. Tony gets to keep her to train so it was a win-win for everyone,” Williams said.
“Now she’s won a Group 3 she’s worth a lot more than we paid for her.”
