Cover image courtesy of Riverrock Farm
Plenty can change in a decade, especially in the world of horse racing. The iPhone may have been around longer than Riverrock Farm, but for Chad Ormsby, the journey has been a fruitful one.
“We started with one or two pinhookers.” Ormsby explained, “My wife, Aliesha, and I combined try and produce quality horses for the sale.
Chad Ormsby | Image courtesy of Riverrock Farm
“We get offered horses that fit our mould of what we’re looking for, what we’re trying to achieve.
“We’ve been through a lot over the years, we’re always continuously learning, and with horses and the selling game, it’s quite a finicky game that can turn hot or cold really quickly.”
Fortunately for Ormsby’s sake, Riverrock’s last draft was a scorcher, headlined by the NZ$520,000 sale of Cordozar, a colt by No Nay Never (USA).
“We’ve been through a lot over the years, we’re always continuously learning, and with horses and the selling game, it’s quite a finicky game that can turn hot or cold really quickly.” - Chad Ormsby
“We had one right at the top end, and some others that were up there as well. In terms of results, it was a good year for our own horses and for clients' horses as well,” Ormsby said when asked about last year’s Ready to Run results.
Riverrock are always on the lookout for well-built prospects, a strategy that has seen them gather a diverse range of 2-year-olds for this sale. “When we go to the sales in New Zealand or Australia, we buy a horse on type. It’s always been about types, I don’t know why that is, I think we were just brought up that way,” Ormsby said of his strategy around building his draft classes.
A Force to be reckoned with
First-season sire Cosmic Force is represented in the Riverrock draft with Lot 189, a handsome colt out of the classy mare Princess Marizza (Scenic {Ire}). It’s been a fruitful start for Cosmic Force, with Devine Force victorious in Queensland, indicating strong potential as a 2-year-old sire as the season progresses.
Lot 189 - Cosmic Force x Princess Marizza (colt) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Princess Marizza won the Listed SAJC CS Hayes Memorial Cup, as well as Group-placings in the G2 MVRC Sunline S. and the G3 MVRC Tesio S. Her foals have shown plenty of ability, including Dizzy Miss Lizzy (I Am Invincible), who was an earner of over $150,000 in prizemoney. Her pedigree page is deep, she’s a half-sister to Buckle My Shoe (Rory’s Jester), who won the G2 ARC Royal S. and has produced four winners in her own right.
Another half-sister, Twilight Rose (Night Shift {USA}), won from 1100 to 2050 metres, and is the grandam of quarter-of-a-million-dollar earner Magnesium Rose (Magnus).
He completed his breeze up in a strong time of 10.66s, a time Ormsby was evidently happy with, “He breezed really well, he was purchased by a client in Australia specifically to target this sale.
“He (Lot 189) breezed really well (10.66s), he was purchased by a client in Australia specifically to target this sale.” - Chad Ormsby
“He’s been very easy to do anything with, and he’s a horse with a lot of upside.”
Lot 189 was an $85,000 purchase at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, from the Rosemont Stud draft.
A Savvy Colt
The ever-present Waikato Stud stalwart sire, Savabeel appears once again in the Riverrock draft, offering Lot 260, a bay colt out of 2-year-old winning mare, Subatomic (GB) (Makfi {GB}).
Being by a sire of 134 stakes winners (at the time of writing), there’s always an air of expectation around his progeny, and his solid breeze-up time of 10.92s is a good sign for his potential racing future. Riverrock were evidently a big fan of this colt as a yearling, parting with NZ$140,000 at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Lot 260 - Savabeel x Subatomic (colt) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
“It’s not often you can get your hands on a colt with this sort of quality around that $400-$500,000 range but we managed to steal him I believe,” Ormsby said when asked about this colt.
“We’re hoping that everyone else will see what we see in him.”
His dam, Subatomic, was a four-time winner on the track, including over 1400 metres as a 2-year-old. Her family is that of winners, including her half-brother Worldly (GB) (Selkirk {USA}), who won the G2 Del Mar La Jolla H. and the G3 Hollywood Park Cinema H. Another half-sibling, Donativum (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), was placed in the Listed Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Vanburgh produces promising colt
Most easily identifiable as the sire of Group 1 star Mustang Valley (NZ), Vanbrugh is building himself a rather nice account of stakes winners, and Riverrock will be hoping Lot 10, a colt out of Diamantaire (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}) can be the next on that list.
Lot 10 - Vanbrugh x Diamantaire (colt) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
A September foal, this colt has a rich pedigree page, his second dam La Brillante (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) is a three-quarter sister to Octagonal (NZ), a producer of five winners. Among those is Philidor (Chief's Crown {USA}), who won the Listed City Tattersall’s Club Cup. Also featuring on Diamantaire’s page are Viscount, Viking Ruler, Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones).
This is the first time the colt has been through a sales ring, and he put his best hoof forward in his 200-metre breeze up, clocking a time of 10.80s.
Crafted by charm
Lot 39 should certainly turn heads on looks alone, a bay or grey roan colt by prolific producer Charm Spirit (Ire). The leading New Zealand first-season sire of 2018/19 has continued on with his early promise, highlighted by the recently retired Shaquille (GB), who himself looks like a stallion with great potential.
Lot 39 - Charm Spirit (Ire) x Flavigny (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
This colt's dam is stakes winner Flavigny (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who was the victress of the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. She is a full sister to the Group-placed Masterhorseman (NZ) - Pingwu Speak (NZ), who ran third in the G2 HKJC Chairman’s Trophy. Flavigny has so far produced one winner in her breeding career, Felicienne (NZ) (Savabeel), who has two wins next to her name.
Ormsby has a close connection to this Lot, saying, “He’s an outstanding colt, a big strong horse.
“Funnily enough I trained his mother to win a stakes race a fair few years ago now, but having him now is almost like having her, they’re very similar.
“Funnily enough I trained his (Lot 39) mother (Flavigny) to win a stakes race a fair few years ago now, but having him now is almost like having her, they’re very similar.” - Chad Ormsby
“The ability here is untapped, a horse like him (Lot 39) would slot into any stable, whether locally or internationally.”
This colt was entered in the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, but was later withdrawn. His breeze-up time in preparation for this sale was a tidy 10.62s.
High hopes
Those in the market for a colt that could end up running a staying trip will undoubtedly be taking notice of Lot 140, a colt by G1 Victoria Derby winner Ace High. He was spotted early, with Rich Hill Stud stumping up NZ$50,000 to secure him in Book 1 of the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Lot 140 - Ace High x Miss Thorn (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Both sire and dam Miss Thorn (NZ) (Thorn Park) were successful five times each on the racetrack, with the latter also picking up a placing in the G2 Matamata Breeders’ S. Her record as a producer provides three winners, across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore from 1100 to 1600 metres. She is a half-sibling to stakes-placed Corsage (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}), who produced Safura (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}).
Lot 140 looks to have plenty of potential over a staying trip, trucking along in his breeze up at a time of 11.39s. The time isn’t without merit according to Ormsby, who said, “He wasn’t asked to stretch too much in the breeze-ups, reason being he is a staying horse.
“In the long run it’s not really beneficial to him (to be extended in the breeze-ups) when he’s going to get better over time.”
