With Kia Ora’s 2020 Easter graduates being in such capable hands as the stables of Hawkes, Busuttin & Young, Chris Waller, Price & Kent, Kris Lees, Peter & Paul Snowden and Annabel Neasham, there is much to look forward to for the farm that presents another stellar draft in 2021.
“I could not be happier with the draft we are bringing to Easter,” said Kia Ora stud manager Shane Wright. “There is a superb mixture of colts and fillies by both proven and young sires who we believe in. The yearling marketplace has been extremely strong this year and with the cream heading to Sydney it is a really exciting time for the farm.”
“We have had huge success on the track with Easter graduates in the last few years with the likes of Loving Gaby, Wild Ruler and now O’President. I feel this gives buyers confidence when looking at our drafts; that although our numbers are modest there is a genuine chance of finding the next ‘one’ among them.”
“Our philosophy is to breed to produce the racehorse first and a commercial yearling second and with a clearance of 21 /22 from all our drafts thus far this season I feel that message is being received.”
Highlights include…
Lot 253 bay colt by I Am Invincible from Cosmic Endeavour (by Northern Meteor): his dual Group One winning dam, dam of the city winner L’Cosmo, is a daughter of the stakes winner Crevette, daughter of the Group Two winning high class broodmare Twiglet, dam of Fairy King Prawn and Easy Rocking.
“The first two fillies out of this great race mare were both retained to race,” Wright said, “so this is the first opportunity to buy into the family and what an opportunity it is. This Vinnie colt just possesses so much presence and quality, he is the ultimate forward two-year-old type with a huge action. He has strength and depth and is as nice a colt as I have had the pleasure of presenting at a sale.”
Lot 283 bay colt by Written Tycoon from Dream Play (by Hennessy): what a fabulous job his imported Group Two winning dam is doing, her first four to race all winners including the Group Two winner Zululand and the Group Three placed recent Singapore winner Chicago Star.
“He is a colt with a stallion’s pedigree; by the sire of the year and he has the looks to match. He looks an early type who is just ready to go. He has an abundance of strength, a wonderful attitude and that constitution which makes great colts; and you could never miss his big white blaze in the home straight. The mare has done a phenomenal job so far and has been knocking on the door of producing a Group One winner; this could be the colt that gets her over the line.”
Lot 326 brown filly by American Pharoah from Gypsy Robin (by Dehere): half-sister to the Roman Consul-Gr.2, 1200m winner Wild Ruler who has trialled well in preparation for his autumn campaign.
“A beautiful filly with great size and scope, very correct and sound. Maybe not quite as sharp looking as her brother who was a very talented two-year-old but she looks like a ready-made race filly. Wild Ruler looks to be training on very well and it would be a brave person who would argue she won’t be a half-sister to a Group One winning colt by the end of the year.”
Lot 432 bay filly by Zoustar from Miss Wilson (by Stratum): another exciting first foal, this one for the winner of the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes-Gr.1, 1600m, a half-sister to NZ Horse Of The Year Jimmy Choux. Bred on a cross of Redoute’s Choice as are Zoustar stakes winners Haut Brion Her and Solar Star.
“She is a quality type who brings together the best bloodlines in both Australia and New Zealand and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome. She has perfect balance with a good step and a beautiful head; I’m sure she will have plenty of admirers.”
Lot 448 bay colt by So You Think from Nakataan (by Zabeel): out of a city placed winning half-sister to the NZ Bloodstock Filly Of The Year Fix from the family of the triple Group One winner Foreteller and successful stallion Showcasing.
“Talk about a sire on fire! So You think can do no wrong and this colt is a wonderful example of the sublime types he can produce. He has got great length and a swagger about him. He looks like a sharp type but his pedigree and shape also suggests he should have great longevity and be very versatile
in his career. And he has the amazing So You Think forelock!”
Lot 458 bay filly by I Am Invincible from O’Marilyn (by O’Reilly): daughter of a Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes-Gr.1, 1400m whose second and third foals are both recent city winners including the Skyline Stakes-Gr.2 winner O’President. Her grandam is the outstanding broodmare Monroe Magic, dam of another two Group One winners; Headturner and Anacheeva. Eleven of the 13 runners bred on this I Am Invincible/O’Reilly cross are winners inclusive of three stakes winners.
“We do love an update! Her half-brother O’President is an extremely exciting colt and this filly is a more mature, sharper type who oozes quality with a great action. Her residual as a broodmare is already evident but she looks like she could have plenty of exciting days on the track before that day comes.”
2021 Draft
