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All the latest racing news from New Zealand.
First stakes success for Showcasing
Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Showcasing became the first Northern Hemisphere first season stallion to sire a stakes winning two-year-old when Cappella Sansevero was successful at The Curragh at the weekend.
The colt is now unbeaten in three appearances after a stylish display to claim the Listed Marble Hill Stakes over 1000 metres.
Trained by Ger Lyons, Cappella Sansevero showed an impressive turn of foot to race away with the feature event by three and a-quarter lengths.
With his first black-type assignment under his belt, the Norfolk Stakes and Coventry Stakes are likely Royal Ascot targets for the son of Royal Applause mare Madam President.
Cappella Sansevero’s win took Showcasing back to the top of the European first crop sires’ table and his daughter Showcard became the Haunui sire’s fourth individual winner when she broke through for her maiden victory at just her second start at Goodwood.
“Showcasing has certainly made a great start to his stallion career,” studmaster Mark Chitty. “To be the leading first season sire and already have a stakes winner and two candidates for Royal Ascot at this early stage is most encouraging.
“These results back up his recent results in the two-year-old sales in the Northern Hemisphere and he looks to be heading along the same path as Elusive City and Iffraaj did with their first crops.”
All’s well with Derby hope Telepathic
New Zealand filly Telepathic pulled up well after a tough run in Saturday’s Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes.
The Gr.1 Queensland Derby prospect finished fifth at Doomben after racing three wide from an outside gate.
“In hindsight we probably could have gone back and come with one run, but she has come out of the race well and she’s still improving,” co-trainer Dean Logan said.
“There’s still a question mark whether she’ll get the distance (2400m) though.”
The winner of three of her eight starts, Telepathic had finished runner-up in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate over 2000 metres at her previous appearance.
Stablemates Progressing Well
The best is yet to come from the Awapuni stablemates Zennista and King Kamada in Australia.
Trainer Lisa Latta said the duo were thriving and she expected them to continue to improve on their most recent efforts at the Queensland winter carnival.
“Zennista is a year older and she’s needed a couple of runs and she’s going the right way toward the Brisbane Cup,” Latta said.
Placed in the Group Two event 12 months’ ago, Zennista was a game fourth in the Gr.3 Premier’s Cup at Doomben on Saturday while King Kamada ran fourth on the track in his Australian debut earlier this month.
“He’s really improved and he’ll run in a Rating 90 race (at Eagle Farm) this weekend,” Latta said.
Jamieson Park buys well-bred filly
Jamieson Park beat off stiff opposition to secure a prime lot at the National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
The South Auckland farm went to $A400,000 for a filly by Stratum and in the process headed off heavyweights Coolmore and Arrowfield Stud to purchase the third highest-priced lot of the session.
The weanling is the first foal of the Encosta de Lago mare Quench The Thirst, who is a sister to the Gr.3 South Australia Fillies’ Classic winner Precious Lorraine and to this season’s Listed Black Opal Stakes winner Lucky Raquie.
The filly’s second dam Monsoon Wedding is also a sister to the champion stallion Redoute’s Choice and a three-quarter sister to the dam of the highly-regarded Gr.3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Rubick.
Rip Van Winkle gets off the mark
Three-time Group One winner Rip Van Winkle sired his first winner on Saturday when Jeanne Girl prevailed in the opening maiden at The Curragh in Ireland.
The Jessica Harrington-trained filly saw off her blue-blooded rivals despite the testing ground and slightly idling in front.
“We think she’s smart and she handled the ground grand, but we’ll get over today before making a plan,” said Harrington.
“Hopefully she continues improving and I imagine the way she moves, she’d like good ground as well.
“The jockey was blaming himself for not winning more easily. He said she was travelling so easily and she didn´t know what to do when she hit the front.”
The next step for Jeanne Girl is likely to be the Gr.2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot on June 18.
Rip Van Winkle shuttles from Coolmore to Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand where his eldest progeny are now yearlings. He will return in the coming breeding season, standing at a fee of $16,000 + GST.
