Prima Park has a good Feeling about its Ready to Run draft

Cover image courtesy of Prima Park

Kelly Van Dyk, the managing director of Prima Park, a Matamata-based, family run thoroughbred farm specialising in top-quality horse agistment and sales preparation, is riding the crest of a wave at present.

On Saturday at Flemington, 4-year-old entire Flash Feeling (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), who was a member of the Prima Park draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale in 2020, scored a nice win in the $150,000 Australian Childhood Foundation Trophy – a BM80 race over 2000 metres.

“He’s been a progressive horse and it was great to see him notch a win over the carnival,” Van Dyk told TDN AusNZ.

“He’s a beautiful horse. He was held back from the yearling sales because he was a bit weak and late maturing. We decided to keep him for the Ready to Run Sale and it was the best thing we could have done.

“He was a beautiful-moving horse and we liked him a lot from the start, but you never know how it will eventuate.

“He’s won a few races now and it looks like he will keep going the right way.”

Flash Feeling’s success was fresh on the back off two recent triumphs in Hong Kong by 4-year-old gelding Sweet Encounter (NZ) (Toronado {Ire}), who Prima Park sold at the same sale. The John Size-trained Sweet Encounter is now unbeaten in two starts.

“He’s two for two and looks to have a lot of ability,” Van Dyk said.

Van Dyk hopes the good fortune continues next week when Prima Park offers 14 2-year-olds at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.

“We’ve got a really nice draft and we’ve had some good success with graduates from that sale,” Van Dyk said.

“We’re really happy with the draft that we’re going to take to Karaka, there’s something for everyone… all price points… some very nice horses that should be in the top-end of the market.

“On the whole, they breezed-up well and did what we wanted them to do; we don’t ask them to go there and run the fastest time.

“They are all very well-educated and I think people will be pretty happy once they see what we have to offer.

“If the buyers turn up, it should be good.”

The cream of the crop

This year’s Prima Park draft is made up of six geldings, five colts and three fillies.

Van Dyk said the pick of the girls is probably Lot 33 – a Justify (USA) filly from the Listed winner Brilliant Bisc (Elvstroem), whose dam is Group 1 heroine Stella Cadente (Centaine).

The filly breezed in 11.00s.

“She has a lovely pedigree and looked really good when she breezed up,” said Van Dyk.

“I expect her to be quite popular.”

Prima Park will offer a couple of 2-year-olds by in-form Rich Hill Stud resident Proisir, who had his third individual Group 1 winner on Saturday when Pier (NZ) joined Levante (NZ) and Dark Destroyer (NZ) after registering a gusty victory in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton Park.

Lot 79 is a Proisir gelding out of Ends Meet (NZ) (Anabaa {USA}). His grandam is Group 1 winner Lady Madonna (NZ) (Kingdom Bay {NZ}).

He clocked 10.84s for his 200-metre breeze.

Gallery: Prima Park's 2-year-olds by Proisir to be offered at the NZB Ready to Run Sale, images courtesy of Prima Park

The second Proisir member of the draft is Lot 201 – a gelding from Our Showgirl (NZ) (Ego {NZ}), who is from the family of stakes winners Confiscate (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and Sarah Fay (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}).

He posted a time of a 11.40s for his breeze.

“Proisir is on fire at the moment, so we’re really excited to offer two by him,” Van Dyk added.

Van Dyk said the War Decree (USA) colt – Lot 221 – should also prove popular among buyers. He is out of the two-time winner Princess Sapphire (NZ) (Savabeel), who is a half-sister to the Listed winner Merion (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}). The gelding’s second dam is Listed victress Sapphire Belle (NZ) (Danske {NZ}).

“He’s one of the highlights, he’s a really beautiful horse,” Van Dyk commented.

“We bought him at Karaka, pinhooked him ourselves.

“He’s out of a Savabeel mare and there’s a lot of Savabeel about him. He’s a standout on type, he’s nearly black, he’s a beautiful-moving horse.”

Talent acquisition

Prima Park has recently added experienced young horseman Daniel Miller to the business. He joins the organisation as the head of race education and will maintain his trainer’s licence in partnership with Mason Stevens.

Van Dyk said Miller’s appointment has been invaluable.

“He’s come on board in the past few weeks and some of his staff have come as well, so we’ve been able to expand into breaking in, pre-training, training… we can basically offer everything now; we’re sort of one-stop shop, which has been our goal for a while. Finally, we’ve met the right match with Dan; he’s breezed all these horses up himself and done a brilliant job.

“This is the direction we are heading in; I really want to focus on the breeze-up market. We will still prepare yearlings and sell them - we’ve got a draft of 22 going to Karaka in January.”

Pinhooking success

Prima Park boasts an impressive pinhooking record, one that includes four-time Hong Kong Group 1 winner Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) and five-time Singapore Group 1 winner Debt Collector (NZ) (Thorn Park).

Beat The Clock initially sold at the 2015 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale by Yarraman Park for $70,000 to Prima Park, before going through the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale of 2-year-olds, where Prima Park fetched $200,000 for him from Bill Mitchell on behalf of Kenneth and Merrick Chung.

Debt Collector went through the Karaka sale ring twice, realising NZ$30,000 as a yearling before being offered by Prima Park at the 2014 Ready to Run Sale, where he was purchased by trainer Cliff Brown for NZ$120,000.