Karaka Graduates Dominate 2000 Guineas

Karaka graduates have again dominated the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas, winning the Riccarton classic for the eighth year in succession.

The impressive Pins 3YO Madison County, a bargain $36,000 Karaka Select Sale purchase by China Horse Club, joined Embellish (Savabeel), Ugo Foscolo (Zacinto), Xtravagant (Pentire), Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj), Atlante (Fastnet Rock), Sacred Falls (O’Reilly) and Rock ‘N’ Pop (Fastnet Rock) when he added the classic to his record.

Raced by the China Horse Club and trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, Madison County has now had six starts for three wins, three placings and $396,560 in prize-money – more than 11 times his purchase price.

Madison County (Pin x Red Delicious by No Excuse Needed) was bred by Waikato Stud, who also bred last year’s 2000 Guineas winner Embellish.

He is the ninth G1 winner by the late sire Pins (Snippets) who died earlier this year at Waikato Stud from complications caused by colic.

Saturday’s race produced a trifecta for the 2017 Select Sale. Runner-up Dawn Patrol (Dawn Approach) cost $20,000 while third-placed Sir Nate (Nadeem) was bought for $65,000.

Madison County had previously won the G2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas and was a fast-finishing third in the G2 Sarten Memorial.

China Horse Club chairman Teo Ah Khing and his daughter Johannah were at Riccarton to witness the important G1 win by Madison County.

The significance of a G1 victory for the international China Horse Club wasn’t lost on Forsman.

“It’s great for New Zealand racing to have them here and to get a result like this will hopefully produce future investment in the New Zealand industry,” he said.

Madison County is the second winner from Red Delicious, a daughter of the winning Volksraad mare Aroon.

Aroon is also the dam of the G3 winner Take The Rap while Madison County’s fourth dam is the Blue Diamaond and Golden Slipper winner Courtza (Pompeii Court), the dam of multiple G1 winner and and late champion sire O’Reilly.

Classy Per Incanto mare Indecision collected her second black-type win with a dominant front-running performance in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint at Te Rapa on Saturday.

The $260,000 Karaka Premier Sale purchase won the Listed Finance Sprint at Hastings in April and was beaten by a nose when second in the G3 Sweynesse Stakes at Rotorua last month.

On Saturday she never gave her rivals a look-in after rider Leith Innes sent the five-year-old straight to the lead.

“She’s come back much stronger this season,” trainer Tony Pike said.

Indecision has now had 20 starts for five wins, six placings and $115,275 in prize-money.

Indecision was bred by Little Avondale Trust and Mrs N K Smyth and was offered in Little Avondale’s draft at the 2015 Premier Sale.

Per Incanto had a stakes double when the Shane Brown-trained Casaquinman (Per Incanto x Puan Silk by Towkay) made a winning return in the Listed Pegasus Stakes at Te Rapa.

The 6YO gelding is the 12th stakes winner by Per Incanto, a son of Street Cry standing at Little Avondale Stud.

A remarkable front-running performance saw Karaka Select Sale graduate Dee And Gee collect her first stakes win in Saturday’s Listed Redwood Metropolitan Trophy at Riccarton.

Owned and trained by Timaru couple Terrill Charles and Peter Corbett, Dee And Gee (Darci Brahma x Gabana by Jungle Pocket) has now had 22 starts for four wins, four placings and $109,485 in prize-money – almost seven times her purchase price.

Dee And Gee was offered as a yearling by The Oaks Stud at the 2015 Karaka Select Sale where she was purchased by Sean Ritchie for $16,000.

Dee And Gee is the 37th stakes winner by Darci Brahma including nine G1 winners.