Te Akau at the double

Quality galloper Avantage (Fastnet Rock) showed she is the horse to beat in the upcoming Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown series when she produced a strong fresh-up effort to take out the G2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Pate at Te Rapa.

“It always mapped like she was going to get a good run from the barrier and so it played out,” trainer Jamie Richards said. “Danielle (Johnson) was able to sneak her up on the inside of Julius on the home corner and once she was clear she found a good kick.”

Avantage will make her next appearance in the G1 Tarzino Trophy on September 19.

Earlier in the day, a powerful display of front-running paved the way for exciting 3-year-old Need I Say More (No Nay Never {USA}) to maintain his unbeaten career record with victory in the G3 WRC Northland Breeders’ S.

“It was a really good win by a promising sort of horse,” Richards said. “There is further improvement to come. He’s not there in the coat just yet, so we’ll potter around with him now. I don’t think we’ll rush, probably three or four weeks until we find another suitable race.”

Another winning show

Rising star Showmanship (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) took his record to seven wins from eight starts with an easy victory at The Valley.

Showmanship was given a top ride by William Pike before going for gold at the top of the straight and drew clear to beat Felicia (Unencumbered) by 1.25l in the Listed Strathmore Community Bendigo Bank S.

Co-trainer Grant Williams said he would speak to owner Bob Peters about the horse’s next start with the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. at Caulfield a likely option.

Successful return

Progressive 4-year-old All Time Legend (Zoustar) returned from a break to beat a strong BM72 line-up in the Quincy Seltzer H. at Randwick.

He won two of his four starts for trainer Les Bridge last preparation and rounded off strongly on Saturday to down the stakes-placed Air To Air (Smart Missile).

Bred by Woodside Park Stud, All Time Legend is out of the stakes winner Snow Bell (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) and was a $300,000 buy at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for Carmel Size on behalf of owner Bon Ho.

“Great credit to Les because the horse is a bit of a hot head and a work in progress, he’s not fully wound up yet,” Size said.

Sheezdashing headline act

A dual Group 1-placed mare is the stand-out in a stellar line up of fillies and mares in the 185-strong Inglis Digital September (Early) Online Sale, which is open for bidding.

High-class race mare Sheezdashing (Myboycharlie {Ire}) finished runner-up to Sopressa (So You Think {NZ}) in the G1 Schweppes Oaks and third behind Youngstar (High Chaparral {Ire}) in the G1 Queensland Oaks.

Sheezdashing is from a current black-type family, being out of a half-sister to dual Listed winner Celebrity Girl (Starcraft {NZ}).

Only Words takes Guineas

Only Words (NZ) (Sweynesse) provided her Te Awamutu trainer Clint Isdale with the biggest victory of his fledgling training career after taking out the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas.

Suited by an outside draw on the Heavy 10 surface, rider Shaun McKay had Only Words idling along nicely in midfield before making a sharp move forward approaching the home corner.

The filly sprinted quickly to strike the front and despite showing some wayward tendencies in the run home, she held out a late charge from fellow northern raider Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) to win by a neck.

Only Words holds a nomination for the G1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 14 although Isdale, who shares in her ownership, has yet to decide on how he will place her on the way to that target.

“She’s come a long way in a short time and has now had two very tough runs back to back,” he said. “I think the best thing is to put her in the paddock for 10 days and let her get over the run and the trip away and then look at what is available to us.”

Stallion opens NZ account

Swettenham Stud stallion Akeed Mofeed (GB) has sired his first New Zealand winner.

His daughter A Box Of Tricks broke her maiden at her second appearance when she successfully resumed in the Take It Easy Tours 1200.

“She’s taken a bit of work, she’s a hot little number but she’s settling down now,” trainer Bryce Newman said.

A Box Of Tricks was bought out of Goldin Farms draft at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale for $17,500. The filly is a sister to the three-time winner and Group 3 placegetter Poised To Strike.

Well-bred filly strikes

Well-related Tavistock (NZ) filly Sweet Anna (NZ) is on the board early following her maiden success at Te Rapa at her second appearance.

Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, the 3-year-old ran fifth on debut and showed sharp improvement to take out the Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate.

Sweet Anna is raced by co-breeders Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan and is a sister to the G1 Australian Derby winner Tavago (NZ) with their unraced dam Sara Ann (Stravinsky {USA}) currently in foal to The Autumn Sun.

Sale record equalled

The world in 2020 is vastly different to the one we knew 12 months ago, but a familiar theme was revisited with one moment of déjà vu in the ring at BBAG on Friday as a daughter of Sea The Stars (Ire) out of a Monsun (Ger) mare sold for a sale record-equalling €820,000 (AU$1,566,300).

In 2019, it was Matt Coleman who signed for the top lot on behalf of Godolphin, this time around the day’s prize offering, a full-sister to G1 German Derby winner Sea The Moon (Ger), will remain in German ownership, having been sold by her breeders Heike Bischoff and Niko Lafrentz of Gestut Gorlsdorf to Dietrich Von Boetticher’s Gestut Ammerland.

Named Sea The Sky (Ger), the filly is a daughter of no ordinary Monsun mare. Her dam Sanwa (Ger) has already produced a Classic winner who is now a much sought-after young stallion and is herself a sister to the German Classic-winning trio of Samum (Ger), Schiaparelli (Ger) and Salve Regina (Ger).

In 2019, 21 horses achieved six-figure prices, but this time around only nine reached that level and a downturn of 21 per cent in the turnover of €6,465,500 (AU$12,349,105), with an average of €41,446 (AU$79,161), down 21 per cent, and the median dropped 29 per cent to €39,000 (AU$74,490).

Goffs put back

The Goffs Champions Sale, which typically takes place in the Leopardstown parade ring prior to the start of Irish Champions Weekend but will this year be online, has been moved back with bidding now to run from September 16 to 18.

The decision was taken because recent heavy ground conditions at Irish meetings have affected the number of suitable sale candidates.

“An advantage of an online sale is its flexibility to move and adapt in order to maximise opportunities for everybody,” Nick Nugent of Goffs said.

“Recent ground conditions have not been helpful but, with plenty of high-class racing in the next week and hopefully better going, the hope is that more suitable candidates will emerge.”