Cover image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
G1 Railway, NZ$240,000, 1200m
The first of 2022's Group 1 races saw a smart performance from Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), part of a great day for the Jamie Richards stable.
Having her first New Zealand run since March (a G3 King's Plate victory), Entriviere campaigned successfully in Australia, winning the G3 Sheraco S. in September.
Boasting a fantastic overall record - winning seven of her 11 starts - Entriviere was well deserving of her big-race victory and a soft one it was too.
Bred by K & K A Gray, the daughter of the late and much missed Tavistock (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}) is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Satin Belt (NZ) (Power {GB}) out of the Metropolitan winner Marcey's Belt (Golan {Ire}).
Not served last spring having produced a filly by Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute's Choice), Marcey's Belt is a half-sister to the G2 Light Fingers S. winner Adrift (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and the R. Listed Karaka Million winner Imperial Win (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) from the family of the G1 W.S Cox Plate winner Maldivian (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Ancestress of this family is the acclaimed matriarch Frizette (USA) (Hamburg {USA}), ancestress of such great stallions as Mr Prospector (USA) (Raise A Native {USA}) and Seattle Slew (USA) (Bold Reasoning {USA}).
Entriviere is the fourth Group 1 winner (and one of 12 stakes winners) line-bred to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Rainbow Quest (USA) (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and she also boasts a 6 X 6 cross of Nijinsky II (Can) (Northern Dancer {Can}) and a 6 X 7 cross of the stakes-placed successful broodmare Country House (GB) (Vieux Manoir {Fr}) - dam of the multiple Group 1 winner Reform (Ire) (Pall Mall {Ire}) and fourth dam of Golan (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}).
G3 City Of Auckland Cup, NZ$200,000, 2400m
Described by co-trainer Roger James as "the class horse of the field," Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel) displayed all the qualities of class and toughness that have seen her win 11 of her 31 starts.
Finding plenty when challenged late by stablemate and fellow Savabeel (Zabeel {NZ}) mare Cheaperthandivorce (NZ) (noting that Savabeel went close to a trifecta with Starrybeel {NZ}) finishing fourth), Concert Hall recorded her seventh success at stakes level.
A homebred for Joan Egan who was cheering from home recovering from injury, Concert Hall is one of her Waikato Stud-based star sire's 123 stakes winners, she is out of the handy metropolitan class mare Classic Legacy (NZ) (Carnegie {Ire}).
Not served last spring after producing a Per Incanto (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) filly, Classic Legacy is out of the stakes-placed Super Sound (NZ) (Sound Reason {Can}) whose G1 South Australian Oaks-winning half-sister Lee's Bid (NZ) (Tawfiq {USA}) produced the G1 VRC Derby and G1 Canterbury Guineas winner Arena (Danehill {USA}).
Super Sound is also a full sister to the dual stakes winner Ultra Sound (NZ) (Sound Reason {Can}) whose daughter Tartan Tights (NZ) (Tights {USA}) was crowned New Zealand Filly of the Year, winning two races at Group 1 level and going on to produce the G2 Chelmsford S. winner Nevis (NZ) (Danehill {USA}).
Concert Hall boasts duplications of four great mares within seven generations - Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), Derna (Fr) (Sunny Boy {Fr}), Perfume II (GB) (Badruddin {Fr}) and All Moonshine (GB) (Bobsleigh {GB}). She is one of the seven stakes winners and three Group 1 winners bringing together the close relations Zabeel (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and Carnegie (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}).
G2 Eclipse S., NZ$120,000, 1200m
It was in the stewards' room that the result was decided, Pacific Dragon (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) having her nose in front on the line only to lose the race on protest from the unbeaten Wolverine (NZ) (Tivaci).
That's three starts for three wins for the exciting Roydon Bergerson-trained filly, a NZ$50,000 graduate of Book 1 at last year's New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale; purchased by her trainer with Chris Rutton Bloodstock.
Bred by Waikato Stud, she is the second stakes winner (and the first from his second crop) for that farm's G1 All Aged S. winner Tivaci (High Chaparral {Ire}).
She is the second foal and second winner for Knew It (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) who looked good easily winning a Benalla maiden at debut as an odds-on favourite only to never race again.
Knew It is a granddaughter of the G1 Maori S. winner Critic (NZ) (Centaine) from one of New Zealand's finest families, that of the big-race winners Ocean Park (NZ) (Thorn Park), O'Reilly (NZ) (Last Tycoon {Ire}), Courtza (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}), Grunt (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), Our Pompeii (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}) and Prince Kaapstad (NZ) (Kaapstad {NZ}).
Paying a return visit last spring to Tivaci, Keep It also has a yearling by former shuttler Iffraaj (GB) (Zafonic {USA}).
Boasting crosses of the great stallions Northern Dancer (Can) (Nearctic {Can}), Sir Tristram (Ire) (Sir Ivor {USA}) and Mill Reef (USA) (Never Bend {USA}), Wolverine is also line-bred to the influential mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}). And her dam is nicely line-bred, boasting a 3 X 4 cross of her own fourth dam Hunza (NZ) (Pakistan II {GB}).
G2 Royal S., NZ$120,000, 2000m
A ding-dong finish between two determined horses with Self Obsession (NZ) (Shocking) having her nose out right on the line - Princess Lowry (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}) game in defeat.
A homebred for her owner D Price, Self Obsession was having just her third start having easily broken her maiden at Tauranga at her previous outing.
Trained by the Hong Kong-bound Jamie Richards, Self Obsession is the 16th stakes winner for her G1 Melbourne Cup-winning Rich Hill Stud-based sire. Her dam is the lightly raced Sandown winner Mawaakib (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), also dam of the lightly raced Sale winner Generation Gap (NZ) (Nadeem). Sadly she produced only three foals with Self Obsession the last of those.
Mawaakib's dam is the Group 2-placed My Hangover (NZ) (My Halo {Arg}) whose dam Hangover Street (Whiskey Road {USA}) is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Electrique (Zephyr Zip {NZ}).
Boasting crosses of the close relations Halo (USA) (Hail To Reason {USA}) and Northern Dancer (Can) (Nearctic {Can}) with a strain of another member of this prolific family in Machiavellian (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}) thrown in, Self Obsession is also 6 X 6 the wonderful mare Flower Bowl (USA) (Alibhai {GB}).
Other members of this family include the stakes winners Fontelina (Testa Rossa), Burberry (SAf) (Whistling Wood {SAf}), Stormy Miss (More Than Ready {USA}), Caretaker (Dr Grace {NZ}), Kinnersley (Al Maher) and Power Princess (Marwina).
G2 Auckland Guineas, NZ$120,000, 1600m
Two grandsons of the late Choisir (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) were gallant fighting out the finish - Field Of Gold (Starspangledbanner) trying hard after making the pace but unable to hold off a late charge by Dark Destroyer (NZ) (Proisir).
It was a second stakes win a row for the in-form Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained gelding who showed similar determination taking out the G3 Bonecrusher S. in early December.
Bred by WE Jeffries Ltd and passed in at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale (Book 2), he is stakes winner number seven for Rich Hill’s G3 Spring S. winner Proisir (Choisir).
He is the first named foal for the lightly raced All Can Party (All American), half-sister to the metropolitan winner Exclusive Choice (Redoute’s Choice) out of a daughter of the multiple city winner Party (Lunchtime {GB}) who did a great job at stud with her nine winners including the Group 1 sprinters Masked Party (Marscay) and Festal (Vain).
Party’s daughter La Bamba (Last Tycoon {Ire}) has also done a fine job at stud with her 10 winners including the G1 Hong Kong Sprint winner Inspiration (Flying Spur), the G1 Australian Guineas winner Wandjina (Snitzel) and the Listed winners Lucky Unicorn (Redoute’s Choice) and Provence (Redoute’s Choice) - in turn dam of the stakes winners My Admiration (Encosta De Lago) and Banaadeer (More Than Ready {USA}).
Party is also ancestress of the G1 Spring Champion S. winner Complacent (Authorized {Ire}), the triple Group 1 winner Dracula (Quest For Fame {GB}) and the G1 New Zealand Oaks heroine Miss Sentimental (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}).
Not served last spring with her previous foal dying, All Can Party has a 2-year-old full brother to Dark Destroyer, a yet to be named colt purchased by Kaipira Lodge for NZ$180,000 from Book 2 at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale.
G2 Rich Hill Mile, NZ$120,000, 1600m
A photo was needed to split Mali Ston (NZ) (El Roca) and Mai Tai (NZ) (Atlante) who went to the line locked together in an exciting finish with the former getting the bob.
A homebred for Markwood Lodge, Mali Storm was having just his seventh start and it was his fifth win and his fourth in a row.
The fifth stakes winner for El Roca, Westbury Stud's dual Listed-winning son of Fastnet Rock (Danehill {USA}), Mali Storm is a half-brother to the Metropolitan winner Nasha River (NZ) (Shocking) out of the four-time winner Loviste (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe {USA}).
Not returned to the Stud Book since being served by Shocking (Street Cry {Ire}) in 2019, Loviste is out of the winner Fib's (NZ) (Casual Lies {USA}) whose Listed-winning dam Martinet (NZ) (Marceau) also produced the G2 Wellington Guineas winner Old Tawny (NZ) (Star Board {NZ}).
A descendant of (and line-bred to) the influential matriarch Marchetta (GB) (Marco {GB}), Mali Ston is bred on a 5 X 5 cross of Nijinsky II (Can) (Northern Dancer {Can}) and the terrific mare Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}).
He is one of the 34 stakes winners combining Fastnet Rock and Storm Cat (USA) (Storm Bird {Can}) - the former's dam sire Royal Academy (USA) (Nijinsky II {Can}) being Crimson Saint's son whilst the latter is her grandson.
