It is a strong Karaka draft being presented by Woburn Farm this year; well-related colts and fillies by a variety of proven high-class stallions - such as Fastnet Rock, Written Tycoon, Wootton Bassett (GB) and Per Incanto (USA) - and exciting up-and-comers including Tagaloa, North Pacific and Circus Maximus (Ire).
Established in 2012, Woburn Farm is situated on 84 acres of prime Waikato land and specialises in agistment and sales preparation. The farm, owned and operated by experienced horseman Adrian Stanley, also offers pre-training and rehabilitation services.
Today we look at the first seven members of the draft…
Lot 9: Fastnet Rock x Deokyhe (More Than Ready {USA}) (brown colt)
By a two times Australian Champion Sire, he is the second foal (the first Deodee by American Pharoah {USA}) was second in a recent jump-out) for a lightly raced placegetter whose fast dual stakes-winning dam Princesa (Danehill {USA}) the five times Group winner Solicit (Street Cry {Ire}) and the triple Group winner Star Of Giselle (Reset) who is in turn dam of the three times Group winner Starelle (More Than Ready {USA}).
A great-grandson of the Group 1 mare Kapchat (NZ) (Centaine), he is bred on a close 2 X 3 cross of Danehill (USA), noting that Fastnet Rock has sired four stakes-winners (amongst the 34 winners) out of mares whose dams are out of Danehill mares such as is the case here. And his strike rate with More Than Ready mares is outstanding - 32 winners from 38 runners with the four stakes winners including the Group 1 galloper Atlante.
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Lot 36: Maurice (Jpn) x Eimhear (Capitalist) (bay filly)
Bred on the same Maurice (Jpn)/Redoute’s Choice cross as the multiple Group 1 winner Hitotsu and five other stakes winners amongst 39 winners, she is the first foal for a half-sister to the G3 Zeditave S. winner Overshare.
A descendant of - and line-bred to - the influential matriarch Plucky Liege (GB) (Spearmint {GB}), Eimhear is a daughter of the Group 3-placed dual city winner Savannah’s Choice (Redoute’s Choice) whose Group 3 winning dam Kirov Premiere (GB) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) also produced the Group 1 filly Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}), in turn dam of another three elite-level winners - the G1 Japan Cup hero Epiphaneia (Jpn), the Japanese champion 3YO Colt Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and the Japanese Champion 2YO Colt Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}).
Lot 161: Ribchester (Ire) x Kate Cross (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}) (bay filly)
Bred on an exciting 4 X 3 cross of the high class race and broodmare Park Appeal (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}), she is out of a four-times winner who has done a great job at stud with her five winners including the G1 Zabeel Classic winner Consensus (NZ) (Postponed {USA}).
This is a classy New Zealand family with this filly having as her fourth dam one of the greats - the only 3-year-old filly to win the G1 WS Cox Plate; the star grey Surround (NZ) (Sovereign Edition {Ire}).
Lot 185: Wootton Bassett (GB) x Legless Veuve (NZ) (Pins) (bay colt)
By a stallion doing such a great job in the Northern Hemisphere - and whose progeny sold so well at the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale - he is out of a dual Group winner whose first foal to race- the promising Horns (Justify {USA}) - impressively broke his maiden at Canterbury at just his second start.
This is one of New Zealand’s best families, this colt able to boast amongst his relations the New Zealand Horse of the Year Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), the G1 Flight S. winner Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci) and the dual Group 1 winner Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel).
Lot 238: Tagaloa x Miss Sentimental (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) (brown/grey colt)
From the first crop of a well related G1 Blue Diamond S. winner, he is the first foal for a G1 New Zealand Oaks winner from a family which has enjoyed further big-race success in New Zealand and Australia… courtesy of the classy gallopers Dracula, Inspiration (Flying Spur), Dark Destroyer (NZ) (Proisir) and Complacent.
Whilst his sire boasts a cross of Nureyev (USA), his dam carries a strain of that stallion’s three-quarter brother Sadler’s Wells (USA) - providing for crosses of Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), one of the great modern day line-breeding forces.
Lot 274: Wootton Bassett (GB) x O’Marilyn (O’Reilly {NZ}) (brown colt)
His sire as already noted has been flying in the Northern Hemisphere and O’Reilly is going great guns as a broodmare sire 27 Group 1 winners amongst the 126 stakes winners.
This colt is out of a classy racemare already proven at stud - the G1 Manawatu Sires' Produce and dual Group 3 winner already represented by three winners (from her first four to race) including the G2 Skyline S. winner O’President (Fastnet Rock).
O’Marilyn’s dam is also an outstanding producer with another two of her progeny successful in Group 1 company - the G1 AJC Derby winner Headturner (Anabaa {USA}) and the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Anacheeva.
Wootton Bassett (GB) boasts a cross of the legendary Secretariat (USA) whilst O’Marilyn boasts a strain of his half-brother Sir Gaylord (USA), allowing for the duplication of the famed matriarch Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}). It is well worth noting that five of Wootton Bassett’s Group 1 winners have a Sir Gaylord strain within five generations.
Lot 357: North Pacific x Romabella (Lonhro) (bay filly)
Hailing from the debut crop of a Group 3 winner by Brazen Beau whose son Tassort has made such an encouraging start to his stud career, she boasts a 4 X 3 cross of the great galloper Octagonal (NZ).
Her unraced dam is a full sister to the four-times Group winner Pinwheel and half-sister to the dam of the stakes winners Gamay (Pierro) and Meidung (Bernardini {USA}); the latter in turn dam of the G2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic winner Banish (Lonhro).
The G2 Schillaci S. winning emerging stallion Dirty Work also hails from this speed family as does the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Kenvain.
