Premier NZ farm in market again

Cambridge Stud was again active at Tattersalls on Wednesday with a further three purchases at the December Mares’ Sale.

They were headed by Timespan (GB) (Al Kazeem {GB}), who was bought out of Juddmonte Farms’ draft for 55,000 guineas.

A winner as a 3-year-old, she is out of the Dansili (GB) mare All Time (GB), a sister to the Group 1 winner Passage Of Time (GB) and a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar {USA}).

Passage Of Time is the dam of the then dual Group 2 winner and now Little Avondale-based sire Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {IRE}).

Cambridge also secured Las Bricas (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) from Castlefarm Stud and Mitigate (GB) (Lawman {FR}) out of Egerton Stud’s draft for 50,000 guineas each.

The former, who has been covered by Caravaggio {USA}), is an unraced half-sister to the Listed winner Nantyglo (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {GB}) while Mitigate, in foal to Lethal Force (IRE), is a winning half-sister to the stakes winners Sabratah (GB) (Oasis Dream {GBN}) and Raw Impulse (GB) (Makfi {GB}).

Australian agent John Foote was also in the market, paying 50,000 guineas for two-time winner Di Alta (IRE) (High Chaparral {IRE}) from consignor Jamie Railton.

“I have bought her for my best friend from right back at school,” Foote said. “He has a few mares and I have bought for him up here before.

“She is a good-looking mare by High Chaparral, who we like in the Southern Hemisphere and she is from a good Aga Khan family.

“We probably will be sending her to the paddocks, but we might have a chat about running her again.”

The pedigree has already shown form in Australia – her half-sister Dibayani (IRE (Shamardal {USA}) finished runner-up in the G1 Chipping Norton S. and in the G1 Epsom H.

Juddmonte draft popular

The consignment of fillies from Juddmonte Farms was well sought after as usual at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, realising 1,848,000 guineas for the 24 lots on offer.

Trade on the third day realised 5,257,800 guineas for the 205 lots sold, at an average of 25,648 guineas and a median of 10,000 guineas.

The session-equalling top lots were two fillies from the draft , each fetching 400,000 guineas apiece with the first to Roger Varian for the 3-year-old Supporter (GB) (Dubawi {IRE}) on behalf of Nurlan Bizakov's Hesmonds Stud.

She is from the family of the Group 1 winning siblings Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill {USA}), Cacique, Champs Elysees and Banks Hill and their half-sister Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert {USA}).

”Hesmonds is a young farm for Nurlan and he is building up a strong broodmare band,” Varian said. “It is a fantastic farm and is just starting to be successful in Nurlan's ownership.

“Nurlan has had a good year with some nice horses, especially some 2-year-olds who could have Classic campaigns next year – for instance, Tauteke, a daughter of Sea The Stars who won her novice race at Chelmsford last week while Qazyna is a daughter of Frankel who won a Listed race on her last start for us this year.

American owner-breeders John Gunther and his daughter Tanya secured the joint sale-topper, the Dansili (GB) filly Weekday. She is a daughter of the Group 1 Falmouth S. winner Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar {USA}).

“She is a lovely filly and from a very good family,” John Gunther said.

“There are also a couple of Dubawi younger siblings to run for the mare, which was important to us, and they could add again to the pedigree.”

Perth Magic Millions catalogue released

The catalogue for the new-look 2019 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, to be held at Middle Swan for the first time, has been released with 310 lots.

The sale, to be held Monday, February 18 and Tuesday, February 19, features 16 half, three quarter or full relations to Group winners, including Elite Belle, Playing God and Eagle Way.

There are 76 stallions represented including eight freshman sires, with more than 90% of yearlings catalogued are eligible for either the Westspeed Platinum or standard Westspeed scheme.

Among graduates from the Perth sale in recent years have been Group 1 winners Black Heart Bart, Boom Time, Silent Sedition, Great Shot, Scenic Blast, Moment of Change, Magnifisio, Eagle Regiment and Scenic Shot.

The new sales ground is located in the Swan Valley, with the sale moving from its previous location at Belmont.

Riding for Tye

Brad Stewart hopes to do injured jockey Tye Angland proud when he competes for New South Wales in the State of Origin riding series at Doomben.

Stewart has been named as a replacement for Angland who remains in hospital in Hong Kong after a fall last Sunday week.

The Sydney-based Angland has ridden in the three previous Origin series with this year's challenge taking place on Friday and Saturday.

“Of course I will be riding for Tye and hope to do him proud. The fall was another wake-up about just how dangerous this job can be,” Stewart said.

Stewart has been a leading jockey in Brisbane for more than a decade, but started out in NSW making him eligible for the Blues team.

“I have been riding for more than 20 years and started in Grafton so I am a Blue at heart,” he said.

Six teams of two will contest the Origin series which is based on a points system.

The teams are: Jim Byrne and Matt McGillivray (Queensland), Stewart and Corey Brown (NSW), Jamie Kah and Dwayne Dunn (South Australia), Craig Newitt and Brendan McCoull (Tasmania), Damian Browne and Jason Collett (New Zealand) and Luke Nolen and Brett Prebble (Victoria).

Stokes’ first runners

Phillip Stokes will send out his first representatives at Pakenham from his new base on the course.

The South Australian currently has seven horses and is hoping in time to fill the 40-horse block.

“We'll just build it up slowly,” Stokes said. “We've got 30 in work all the time in Adelaide and we'll gradually bring them over.

“We'll hopefully be up to 20 by January and then once I've got the staff and systems right we hope to have more.

“We've got fantastic stabling, big boxes, day yards, walking machines, plus I've got a farm five minutes away which gives me everything I didn't have in the city.”

His runners on Saturday are Symphonette (Helmet) in the John Duff Handicap, It's A Myth (Sepoy) in the Fulmen Park Handicap and Nodoubtaboutit (Good Journey {USA}) will run in the Nasahi AAC Plate.

Pakenham has a Polytrack, two sand tracks and another grass track would be open next month.

Rare double for Powell

Kilmore trainer Hanna Powell has pulled off a rare feat, with the only two horses she has in her stable both winning at Kyneton on Thursday.

Powell, who has only had 24 winners in total since 2000, trained her first double since 2004 when Kissee Mee (Primus) won the Investment Rising Stars BM64 and stablemate Eyes Are Bay (Bullet Train {GB}) took out the Happy and Safe Xmas To All Bm58 Hcp.

Powell was delighted with Kissee Mee's return to form after she missed the start when well-supported last start and paid tribute to her jockey Tahlia Hope.

"It’s just great to have her back again today, Tahlia always gets on well with her. I think this may be win number three with her, obviously they have a little understanding." she said.

Eyes Are Bay's third career win was part of a treble on the day for her jockey Daniel Stackhouse.