The Karaka Sales are always bursting with hype of one sort of another. What spins my wheels is being able to buy into yearlings which are at the very top of my list. I’ve learned over the years that “OK” yearlings are best avoided; the ones who repay you are the ones you really, really want.
This year we are now the proud co-owners of two colts and a filly which not only have strong pedigrees; they are also excellent types.
The first purchase was Lot 982, the colt by Proisir out of the three-win Yamanin Vital mare Yamanna. The female family abounds in stamina and I felt that Proisir would maintain the staying-orientation of the mare whilst adding a touch of speed and class. The son of Choisir pushed Dundeel hard in the Group 1 Spring Championship Stakes and has been well-supported at stud. We are fortunate to currently part-own the Derby prospect Super Gee; hopefully our new colt has the ability to follow a similar path.
The sale then moved onto Book 3. Astute trainer Frank Ritchie outlaid $13,000 for Lot 1113, a chestnut filly by El Roca out of the Sir Percy mare Lady Grace. I was quickly on the phone as this was the filly I rated as the best prospect in this section of the sale. The dam was herself a $75,000 yearling and, in spite of being somewhat injury-prone, had scored a facile maiden victory over 2200 at Wingatui. The pedigree is jam-packed with desirable crosses and the recent performance of El Roca’s 2YOs indicates that we may just have pulled the right rein.
Finally, there was Lot 1278 – a stunning colt by Jimmy Choux – Danness (Danske). Although Jimmy Choux is unlikely to ever be champion sire and is anything but currently fashionable, he can leave a good horse. I’ll analyse our colt’s pedigree in depth should his performances match his looks, but suffice to say it has a range of highly desirable features. At $5000, he could turn out to be a bargain.
