Beatson hoping to fill his boots at Karaka

Cover image courtesy of Ohukia Lodge

Jamie Beatson read the play. As soon as he got an inkling life would return to some form of normality and borders would open up, he went on a shopping spree, purchasing a stack of quality yearlings with the view of on-selling them at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2022 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, a two-day sale commencing Wednesday, November 16.

As a result, Beatson’s Ohukia Lodge – a specialist breeze-up vendor that starting selling in 2015 - will head to the two-day sale with its largest draft.

Beatson will offer 38 2-year-olds under the Ohukia Lodge banner, of which 31 are colts, three are geldings and four are fillies. He insists his draft comprises quantity and quality, not just the latter.

“It’s a big draft, but they’ve come up really well; I’m happy with the lot of them. This is the best draft we’ve taken to Karaka by miles,” Beatson told TDN AusNZ.

“That was the reason we bought a few extras, hoping everyone would be able to get over here to New Zealand. Thankfully, that’s proven to be the case.

“The borders started to open in January, so we bought a few fillies for the Aussies.

“We bred a couple and the rest we have pinhooked.

“It’s a proven sale, obviously, with a long list of top-quality graduates that have gone on to win big races on the track… it always attracts the attention of buyers.”

The savvy businessman has a proven track record at this particular sale, having sold Group 1 winner Vin De Dance (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}) and Group 2 winner Gold Bracelet (NZ) (Pins).

Beatson admitted it was “very hard to pick a standout this year”, but he did speak glowingly about Lot 318 – the first foal of the Bernardini (USA) mare Virani, by Russian Revolution, which breezed in 10.08s.

The colt’s grandam, Venetian Lady (USA) (Woodman {USA}) is a half-sister to Verveine (USA) (Lear Fan {USA}), who won a Group 2 in France and has thrown two Group 1 winners – Vallee Enchantee (Ire) (Peintre Celebre {USA}) and Volga (Ire) (Caerleon {USA}).

His third dam, Venise (USA) (Nureyev {USA), is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Vin De France (USA) (Foolish Pleasure {USA}).

“He’s a good-looking horse and breezed really well, I’m sure he’ll be popular,” said Beatson.

“He’s a belter, a nice, big, strong horse.

“There’s a fair bit of class about him and from the moment we broke him in, he’s done everything so easily.”

Super Savabeel

Beatson has had a great run with progeny of Waikato Stud’s star performer Savabeel.

At this sale in 2021, a Savabeel colt out of Etiquette (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) – an unraced sister to Sacred Falls (NZ) – was the top lot, making NZ$640,000. He was bought by David Ellis and named Savoir Faire (NZ), and in three starts, he has posted three minor placings.

Ohukia Lodge also had a colt from Karla Bruni (NZ) (Pins) make NZ$250,000 and a gelding out of Daisy Chain (NZ) (Pins) fetch NZ$200,000.

Twelve months earlier, Ohukia Lodge consigned a Savabeel colt from On Broadway (NZ) (Pins), which made NZ$400,000. He was bought by his trainers, Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, and named Footlights (NZ). The gelding has won three races in Victoria.

In 2018, Ohukia Lodge had two Savabeels make NZ$500,000 – one, a colt from Lady Chaparral (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), the other, a colt out of Maxmara (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}). Named Regency Master (NZ) and Dublin Star (NZ) respectively, both were exported to Hong Kong where they have notched multiple wins.

Ohukia Lodge has seven Savabeels in this year’s draft, including one from Daisy Chain (Lot 65) and one out of Maxmara (Lot 166).

The Daisy Chain colt, who breezed up in 10.85s, is from the beautiful Waikato Stud family. The colt’s grandam, Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}), was a three-time Group 1 winner and the Champion 3-Year-Old in New Zealand in 2008/09.

Daffodil’s dam, Spring (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), is the grandam of recent G2 Matriarch S. heroine Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel).

The colt from Maxmara breezed in 10.80s. Maxmara was an unraced sister to Listed victress Salsa (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), while this colt’s second dam, Ungaro (NZ) (Centaine) has thrown three stakes winners and is a sister to Group 1 winner Centisle (NZ).

“The way Savabeel has been going lately has been hugely impressive,” Beatson commented.

“There’s some belters in there by him and his progeny always attract attention.

“The Maxmara colt is a nice dark horse that really fills the eye.”

Thinking she’ll have admirers

Arguably the pick of the fillies in the draft is Lot 191. She is by So You Think (NZ) from the three-time winner No Doubt Ma’am (Not A Single Doubt), who is a half-sister to Listed placegetter Just Dreaming (Snitzel).

The filly’s grandam, Royal Commands (Commands), was a Listed winner, while multiple Group 2 winner Bundy Lad (NZ) (Karioi Lad) is also on the colt’s page.

“She’s a stunning filly, she will get a bit of attention, I would have thought, although you never know until you get up there,” Beatson said.

Ready to Run

The quickest breeze-up time from the Ohukia Lodge draft was turned in by Lot 305 – a colt by Lean Mean Machine from the unraced Snitzel mare Thwayya, who has produced the Wangaratta debut winner Xtrayya (Xtravagant {NZ}).

The colt’s grandam, Miss Rainmaker (Hurricane Sky) won her first two races, the second at Warwick Farm, before being retired after just four starts.

Watch: Lot 305, a colt by Lean Mean Machine out of Thwayya breeze-up in 10.06s

“He’s just a an out and out runner, really,” Beatson described.

“He’s pretty quick and got a nice turn of foot.

“He breezed the fastest, so he should get a bit of attention based on that.

“He’s a nice, strong horse.

“He won’t take a lot of time, he’ll be running as a 2-year-old, I would have thought.”