Written by Paul Vettise
Cover image courtesy Kia Ora Stud
Kia Ora Stud has celebrated significant victories on both the domestic and international fronts with homebred Group 1 success at The Valley, while at Sha Tin a graduate of the Scone farm kept his unbeaten record intact.
Glamour filly Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) added the G1 William Reid S. to her growing collection of top-flight titles and Wellington (All Too Hard) was an impressive winner on the Hong Kong Derby undercard on Sunday evening.
Loving Gaby was bred by Kia Ora and Alan Bell and sold to Phoenix Thoroughbreds for $500,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and the farm will offer her half-sister by Sebring as Lot 49 at the Riverside Stables on April 7.
They are out of Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who realised $2,250,000 at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale last year when offered through the Newgate draft. She was the most expensive pregnant mare sold at public auction in 2019 and has subsequently foaled a sister to Loving Gaby.
Maastricht was signed for by James Bester and Coolmore, and Kia Ora has remained in the ownership of the mare, who was served by Justify (USA) last spring.
Maastricht (NZ) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We retained 50 per cent and Alan Bell’s share was bought out by Coolmore,” Kia Ora’s Bloodstock Manager Andrew Perryman said.
Her star filly Loving Gaby has now beaten the older horses twice at The Valley having claimed the G1 Manikato S. there in the spring for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
“It was very nice to see Loving Gaby get another Group 1 with the sale coming up so you couldn’t ask for any more in terms of timing,” Perryman said.
“It was very nice to see Loving Gaby get another Group 1 with the sale coming up so you couldn’t ask for any more in terms of timing.” - Andrew Perryman
“I didn’t actually see Loving Gaby as a young horse, but our Yearling Manager Jess Halstead said she was a big filly, as is the Sebring so there are similarities.
“Maastricht is a massive, powerful mare and the Sebrings are refined, which is good and the filly has plenty of strength and bone and is a good-sized athlete. She looks forward enough and looks like an early runner.”
A half-sister to the G1 Goodwood H. winner Velocitea (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}), Maastricht won twice and was placed four times at stakes level and is from the family of the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. winner Orange County (Volksraad {GB}). Loving Gaby is her only foal to race.
Wellington as a yearling
Wellington was sold for $70,000 to James O’Brien’s Lauriston Thoroughbreds at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is the first foal to race for Mihiri (More Than Ready {USA}) and she won five races and was Group 3 placed. She boasts a strong international pedigree with her family including the Group 1 winners Cerulean Sky (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) and Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}).
Wellington has won all three of his starts for trainer Richard Gibson, the latest on Sunday evening in the hands of Zac Purton.
“He won impressively and settled back a fair way and he didn’t even have to be ride him out,” Perryman said.
“We bred him in partnership with Steve McCann and David Paradise and she’s got a Star Turn yearling colt going to the Gold Coast June Sale and she’s got a Star Witness filly on the ground. The mare’s empty, she was a bit late.”
