Cover image courtesy of Race Images
Bred by New Zealand’s Beaufort Downs, located on the South Island near Christchurch, Platinum Diamond (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) was sold at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale of 2024 for NZ$90,000 to trainer Lisa Latta. Her 0.75l victory in Saturday’s Listed Ryder Stakes took her record to three wins in succession, having run fourth on debut in early May.
Having won the Listed Castletown Stakes leading into the Ryder Stakes, Platinum Diamond was sent out by punters as the $2.80 second favourite to Spandeedo (NZ) (Ferrando {NZ}), who had won the race she’d debuted in, and was also coming off a last start win.
A December foal who keeps improving
In an industry that favours early foals, Platinum Diamond was born on December 4, 2022, and she didn't race until May of her juvenile season.
“She was a late foal. We actually had a lot of trouble getting the mare in foal, and she ended up being one of the last mares covered by Hello Youmzain before he got on the plane back to the Northern Hemisphere. We’d missed two seasons before her, and just wanted to get a foal,” said Beaufort Downs’ co-owner Annabel Tuthill.
“Being a December foal, she was quite behind the others at (yearling) selection time, and New Zealand Bloodstock put her in book two as she was quite backwards, but the time we got the sales she’d really developed and was a gorgeous filly. She walked so well at the sale, and has a great temperament, really business like. She went to a good trainer and it’s turned out alright. Lisa has given her lots of time and she’s had good opportunities.”
Platinum Diamond (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
One of two Southern Hemisphere first crop stakes winners for Cambridge Stud’s Hello Youmzain (Fr) who also has three Northern Hemisphere stakes winners, Platinum Diamond is the second foal for winning mare Spritz (NZ) (Thorn Park).
Bittersweet for the farm
Spritz, whose only win in 16 starts was over a mile on a heavy track, is a half-sister to Corsage (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) who was the Joint second filly on 2008-09 NZ 2YO Free Handicap thanks to running third in the G1 Diamond Stakes and is the dam of G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner Aotea Lad (NZ) (Savabeel).
“The mare died about three weeks ago in the paddock from an aneurism. It was about a week before Platinum Diamond’s first stakes win. That’s the ups and downs of breeding and is pretty gutting. It’s a weird feeling when Platinum Diamond wins, it’s a thrill, but without the mare to carry on the line, it is bittersweet,” said Tuthill.
“It’s a weird feeling when Platinum Diamond wins, it’s a thrill, but without the mare to carry on the line, it is bittersweet.” - Annabel Tuthill
“My grandmother raced the third dam Seamist, and we don’t have anything else left from the family now.” Seamist (NZ) (Beaufort Sea {USA}) won 12 races, led by the G1 New Zealand Stakes and nine others at black type level. She placed in the G1 Thorndon Mile-twice, G1 NZ 1000 Guineas, and G1 Easter Handicap. As a broodmare, she produced seven winners led by G2 New Zealand Cup winner Torlesse (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}), stakes-placed trio of Truthful (Trustful), Mistify (Montjeu {Ire}) and Mistique (Montjeu {Ire}). Seamist’s daughter, Spray (NZ) (Entrepreneur {GB}) was unplaced in one start, and is the dam of Spritz and the aforementioned stakes-placed Corsage, as well as Spritz’s Group 2-placed full sister Miss Thorn (NZ).
Spritz’s first named foal is the 5-year-old gelding Healthy Healthy (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who has done all his racing in Hong Kong. From 34 starts, he’s won five times for trainer Pierre Ng, and has earnings over HK$7.1 million (AU$1.37 million). Beaufort Downs sold him at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$160,000. After Healthy Healthy was born, Spritz was given the next year off, then missed to Per Incanto the following season, before finally getting in foal the following season to Hello Youmzain.
Healthy Healthy (NZ) | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
A Too Darn Hot to look forward to
Beaufort Downs will sign off the final chapter with Spritz next summer when Platinum Diamond’s Too Darn Hot (GB) half-brother walks through the yearling sale ring. Spritz wasn’t served the next season of Platinum Diamond’s birth, given the late arrival of Platinum Diamond, then was sent to the Hunter the following season where she was covered by Too Darn Hot.
Too Darn Hot | Standing at Darley
“She actually got in foal to Too Darn Hot first pop. Sometimes it happens like that, and the colt is a lovely horse. He’s very like her temperament wise, very chill, and we are looking forward to taking him to the sales next year.”
Small numbers but high quality
Western Australian 4-year-old mare Luvnwar (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) won the 2024 Listed Belmont Guineas and was sold by Beaufort Downs for NZ$22,500 and she’s won her last two in succession recently. It’s a good record for a farm whose first yearling draft was in 2019 and produced Group 2-placed Milford Sound (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) from just six yearlings offered. Recent drafts have been between 10 and 15 yearlings each.
Luvnwar (NZ) | Image courtesy of Wester Racepix
“We’ve had a good season. We have only small numbers and we’ve bred a couple of recent stakes winners and a few that are stakes-placed too.”
Beaufort Downs consists of 100 acres of beautiful rolling North Canterbury grass land and is run by experienced horse people. Annabel Tuthill represented New Zealand as an event rider, while her husband Olly Tuthill has represented England as a polo player.
“We’ve had a good season. We have only small numbers and we’ve bred a couple of recent stakes winners and a few that are stakes-placed too.” - Annabel Tuthill
“The South Island punches above its weight a fair bit.” When asked about the difficulties of being so far from the major stallion locations, Tuthill had a different perspective.
“We are only half an hour from Christchurch airport, so we can fly horses to the Hunter easily as it’s a direct flight from Christchurch to Sydney. It’s quicker to get to the Hunter than to the North Island, which means we can have a bit of a difference to the other studs. It’s not too big a deal and our horses travel really well.
Beaufort Downs | Image courtesy of Beaufort Downs
“We have a lovely farm, nice rolling country, loads of fresh grass and we use that to our advantage and manage everything else. You do the best with what you have.” The pragmatism will set this young farm up in good stead going forwards, and with an exciting rising 3-year-old filly in Platinum Diamond already flying the flag for the farm, it looks like we’ll be hearing a lot more from Beaufort Downs.
