Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
A private purchase for Kia Ora at the conclusion of her racing days, O’Marilyn’s first foals through the auction ring have sold spectacularly well and the youngest of them, O’President (Fastnet Rock), is now a live G1 Golden Slipper S. contender.
The Chris Waller-trained O’President has won his last two starts and the colt was confirmed as a Golden Slipper runner in the wake of his dominant front-running victory in the G2 Skyline S. at Randwick last weekend.
He was sold by Kia Ora at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to agent James Bester for $520,000 and continued the success O’Marilyn’s progeny have enjoyed at that premier auction.
Her first two foals, also by Fastnet Rock, were Circuit Five who was purchased by George Moore Bloodstock for $1.8 million while Fifteen Aria, who has won one of her two starts, was knocked down to Katsumi Yoshida for $600,000.
“They have all sold exceptionally well and it’s an absolutely amazing family. Now O’President is up and running, it looks like the mare will continue on with it,” Kia Ora Bloodstock and Breeding Manager, Shane Wright, said.
“They have all sold exceptionally well and it’s an absolutely amazing family.” – Shane Wright
“He was very, very impressive last Saturday and Chris Waller believes the best is yet to come later this year and on into that 3-year-old career.”
O’President’s emergence is timely for Kia Ora on another front as his half-sister, Lot 458, by I Am Invincible features in its draft at Inglis' Riverside Stables next month.
“She is a very, very nice filly and we’re excited about her. She’s a well-made type and looks like she will run,” Wright said. “She is a neater and sharper type.
“The mare has a Fastnet Rock colt foal at foot and she had one cover to Justify, but missed so we gave her the year off. I think she’s probably just about made up her mind who she wants to be mated to this year with O’President coming out like he has.
“I was there with him as a yearling and when he sold to the Coolmore Stallion Syndicate. He was a beautiful colt and an amazing mover, he was pretty much faultless and everyone loved him.”
“He (O'President) was a beautiful colt and an amazing mover, he was pretty much faultless and everyone loved him.” – Shane Wright
O’Marilyn was bred by Whakanui Stud and sold through Cambridge Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for NZ$130,000 to the late Trevor McKee.
His son Stephen trained O’Marilyn to win four of her 10 starts, including the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S., the G3 Gold Trail S. and the G3 James & Annie Sarten Memorial. She was also runner-up in the G1 Ellerslie Sires’ Produce S. and third in the R. Listed Karaka Million.
“She was bought privately for the farm and is a lovely mare, just normal size but with a lot of the quality that O’Reilly brings and there’s Zabeel in there as well,” Wright said.
O’Marilyn is out of Monroe Magic (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and is a half-sister to the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner and sire Anacheeva, whose brother Headturner (Anabaa {USA}) was successful in the G1 VRC Derby. Another half-brother Kroner (NZ) (Viking Ruler) won the G2 Premier S.
“Everything is going really well on the farm and we sold five of our yearlings in Melbourne. It was a very strong Sale and we’ve got 15 going to Sydney Easter and I’m very, very happy with that draft,” Wright said.
Shane Wright
Pierro, Lonhro popular
Presented as part of the Lime Country Thoroughbreds' draft, Kia Ora’s top-priced youngsters at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale were a filly, Lot 69, by Pierro and a Lonhro colt, Lot 536, with both realising $150,000.
The daughter of Pierro was purchased by Kavanagh Racing and is out of a half-sister to the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner One Last Dance (Encosta De Lago) and the family of the champion 2-year-old colt and G1 Hanshin Asahi Hai Futurity S. winner Satono Ares (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
The Lonhro colt was knocked down to Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr and is a three-quarter brother to multiple winner and G2 Shaftesbury Avenue S. runner-up Holbien (Pierro).
Their dam Caribbean Sunset (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was a quality performer who won three times at Group 3 level and collected three Group 1 placings.
Price and Kent Jnr also secured Kia Ora’s daughter of Zoustar, Lot 470, and the Listed June S. winner Alberton Park (NZ) (Thorn Park) for $120,000.
The filly is a half-sister to four winners and hails from the family of the G1 Captain Cook S. winner and sire Wyndspelle (NZ) and the G3 Eclipse S. winner Lady Alberton (NZ) (Golan {Ire}).
