Cover image courtesy of Race Images
A Group 1 winner is just about the best advertisement a vendor could ask for in the days before a major sale, and three horses catalogued for last year's New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale will have their chance to deliver exactly that in Saturday's G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
Among them is Thunder In Motion (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), who made NZ$700,000 at Karaka last November after failing to meet his NZ$150,000 reserve as a yearling.
The Mark Forbes-trained colt has raced just twice, breaking his maiden impressively at Trentham last start, and now heads to Riccarton with champion jockey Opie Bosson aboard.
For his vendor, Trelawney Stud, a Group 1 victory would be particularly well timed. The 2026 Ready To Run Sale begins on Wednesday, November 18, with three Trelawney horses catalogued.
Thunder In Motion is joined in the Guineas field by fellow 2025 sale graduate Zafar (Snitzel), a NZ$165,000 purchase from Kilgravin Lodge, and Excite (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who was catalogued by KB Bloodstock but subsequently withdrawn.
For Trelawney's Cherry Taylor, Thunder In Motion's progress has already justified the decision to give the colt more time.
“It’s a nice result. When someone pays a lot of money, it’s great to get a good result for them. We love it when any of our horses win but it’s particularly satisfying when someone has stumped up a lot,” Cherry Taylor said.
Thunder In Motion (NZ) | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)
“We presented him as a yearling but he was a big soft type who needed time. We both liked him but he passed in at $150,000. We had an offer afterwards for $100,000 but said no, we’ll take him to the 2-year-old sale instead, and it was a lucky thing for us!
“He grew and developed well, trialled up well and ran a good time, and the rest is history. We had a $250,000 reserve on him, so $700,000 was great.”
“He (Thunder In Motion) grew and developed well, trialled up well and ran a good time, and the rest is history.” - Cherry Taylor
He was the equal fourth-top price of the 2025 sale.
“He’s done nothing wrong. His first start, the heavy track didn’t suit him and he stormed home. Then at Wellington, he was very impressive and beat two horses who were previous winners, so it wasn’t a maiden class race.
“Hopefully for Mr Ma who bought him, he’ll carry the Trelawney brand to another Group 1 win. The only thing against him is inexperience, but he has an experienced jockey piloting him.”
Cherry Taylor | Image courtesy of Trelawney Stud
Regular jockey Joe Doyle will ride race favourite Coniston (NZ) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), so Thunder In Motion will be ridden by champion jockey Opie Bosson.
“He is a big horse, so I wouldn’t want him to be boxed in on the fence. Joe knows the horse, but he had commitments to Wexford, and I am very happy with Opie as a replacement,” trainer Mark Forbes told Loveracing.nz.
“Alex Teng purchased him for a client of his, Mr Ma, who is from mainland China. He is flying down for the race before he goes to the Ready To Run Sale. He (Thunder In Motion) is not going to Hong Kong or anything, he is going to stay in the country. It is nice to have these high-profile horses staying in the country.”
Coniston (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Trelawney Stud have three entered in this year’s sale. Lots 249 and 435 are by Ocean Park (NZ) and Lot 458 is by Circus Maximus (Ire).
“Most years we have 2-3 but we don’t pinhook. They are horses we’ve bred that weren’t ready for a yearling sale,” Taylor said.
He has Zafar to go
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained 3-year-old colt Zafar (Snitzel) was a Listed winner on debut at two, but has had mixed form this time in. He comes into the race off a fifth in the G3 War Decree Stakes. Kilgravin Lodge sold him at the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for NZ$165,000 to Fortuna Racing and David Ellis.
“He came over from Aussie for the sale. He was a bit of a handful to start with but once he worked out what he was doing, he was good. He had a light prep, and did a lot on his own ability,” Kilgravin Lodge’s Eion Kemp said.
Zafar | Image courtesy of Race Images
When asked if he has a chance of winning, Kemp joked.
“If they are in, they’re a chance. It’s an open race, and we definitely won’t turn down a Group 1 winner a week out from the sale. We’ve already had Invincible Ibis win the Hong Kong Derby this year.”
Invincible Ibis (Hellbent) went through their 2023 draft and added the G3 Celebration Cup to his record last start, having won the Listed Hong Kong Derby last season. He was an $80,000 purchase at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale who developed into a NZ$425,000 breeze up sale horse, bought by Mark Newnham Bloodstock.
Of his 43 strong draft for next week’s sale, Lot 374 is the one Kemp says to watch. The Proisir colt breezed up in 10.4 but it’s his half-sister Horse Of The Year Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) that makes his pedigree stand out.
Lot 374 - Proisir x Meleka Belle (NZ) colt | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
“The half to Melody Belle is the highlight of the draft. He was kept back as a yearling, as he wasn’t mature enough. He still needs to mature a little, but he’s a nice horse.”
Melody Belle won four times at two including the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes and the R.Listed Karaka Million 2YO, but it was as an older horse that she truly excelled taking her record to 14 Group 1 wins.
“The Maurice filly from Pretty Elsa is the other one. Maurice is doing a good job at the moment and her stride analysis stats are good. I’ve had a lot of time for her through the prep.”
Lot 438 - Maurice (Jpn) x Pretty Elsa filly | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Lot 438 breezed up in 10.56s and is the third foal of winning mare Pretty Elsa (Exceed And Excel). It’s a huge pedigree, as Pretty Elsa is a half-sister to Listed winner Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock), the dam of three stakes winners including G1 Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon).
Are you excited?
Listed winner Excite (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was catalogued for the sale by KB Bloodstock, but withdrawn. The colt was a Listed winner at two and is in form having won at Ellerslie last time out. He’s the third of the field of ten catalogued for the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale, an enviable record for any sale in a Group 1 event.
One of two sons of Wootton Bassett (GB) in the field, Excite was also withdrawn from the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by Yarraman Park Stud. Along with the filly Sword Of Stars (NZ) (Sword Of State) and the favourite Coniston, the trio are the only three in the field who have won twice.
Excite | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
The only non-winner in the field is Raymond (NZ) (Ardrossan).
“He has been racing really well from wide draws and his sectionals have been good, this looks a perfect race for him,” trainer Stephen Marsh told Loveracing.nz.
“He’s finally got a good barrier (four), he’s been screaming out for the mile, and the side winkers have worked well for him. He got down there perfectly and has eaten well since he arrived, everything seems spot on. He’s a smart horse who is still putting it together, he lacks a little bit of ringcraft, but it is an open field.”
“He’s (Excite) a smart horse who is still putting it together, he lacks a little bit of ringcraft, but it is an open field.” - Stephen Marsh
Raced by Elsdon Park, he’s a full brother to Group 3 winner Ardalio (NZ). Elsdon Park also features as a vendor in the field, having sold Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express). The filly comes into this off the back of a second in the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas. She was a NZ$340,000 purchase by Wexford Stables at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Wootton Bassett is be the only sire with two runners, Excite and Coniston, while Savabeel pops up twice as a damsire with Coniston and Rip Tide (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).
On Saturday, a new Guineas winner will be crowned, and vendors at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale will be hoping that it brings a new graduate to their books ahead of the sale.
