-Tara Madgwick, Breednet
John Singleton is more usually seen on the buyers list at Magic Millions, but he swung into action at Inglis Easter on Sunday purchasing the Elsdon Park consigned I Am Invincible filly from triple Group I winning Champion 3YO Filly Lucia Valentina for $700,000.
Foaled in New Zealand, she is a half-sister to Group I placed Luella Cristina and is the fourth living foal of a $4.3million earner by Savabeel that won the Group I ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2016 when trained by Kris Lees.
Singleton was accompanied at the sale by Lees, who will also be training the filly.
“She’s by a champion sire from a champion mare and Kris will be training her,” Singleton told Jemma Cutting of Inglis.
“In the past I’ve bought mostly from Magic Millions as Gerry (Harvey) is a mate and I was one of the partners there, but these days I’m a free agent and I’m enjoying the day here.”
Elsdon Park have three yearlings at Inglis Easter with the remaining two youngsters to be offered tomorrow and they include the full brother to $4.3million earning sprinter Lost and Running.
Elsdon Park’s Ardrossan gelding Yaldi made the best possible debut at Pukekohe today, bolting in for a dominant win in the TAB 1200.
Raced with David and Nikki Wilson, the Forsman Racing-trained two-year-old entered the contest with three trial wins from as many starts, and never looked in danger throughout, racing home after making all under jockey Kozzi Asano to score the one-and three-quarter length win.
“We knew he obviously had good raw ability and we expected a bold showing today, but each of his trials had been educational so he was also relatively green heading into this. He jumped to the front though and just cruised,” said trainer Andrew Forsman.
“It’s a little surprising that he’s doing all this so early as he’s quite a big two-year-old. He’s going to develop into a lovely three-year-old.
“From here he may have one or two more starts this campaign before we put him aside. There are some nice options over the next month or so, so we might even consider some black-type for him before he goes out for a spell.”
Yaldi was bred by Brown Thoroughbreds Ltd and is the 14th winner for his young Waikato Stud-based sire Ardrossan.
As a yearling, Yaldi was purchased for $50,000 at the 2023 NZB Book Two Sale by Bloodstock Agent Bruce Perry from the draft of Little Avondale Stud. See picture below.
The Kris Lees-trained Kalapour (War Commands) capped a great week for Elsdon Park with a Gr.1 win in the KIA Tancred Stakes at Rosehill today.
The seven-year-old entered the 2400m feature as a dual Gr.3 winner and when asked for the effort by jockey Dylan Gibbons, swiftly carried Elsdon Park’s colours to Gr.1 glory, with his nearest rival crossing a head margin back in second.
Kalapour was bred by His Highness The Aga Khan’s Studs and is co-owned by Elsdon Park’s Lib Petagna along with Gurners Bloodstock Co (Syndicate), Joe Singh, William Guest, Michael Clemenger, Tim Watson, David Redgrove, Susan Redgrove, Todd Johns, Ian Clifton, Peter Filipovic, Janne Guest, Jill Cross, Narelle Malone, Sue Grayson, MJM Racing (Syndicate Manager Ralph Huddy) and Tah Boys (Syndicate Manager Anthony).
The Gr.1 winner was initially purchased by his now trainer Kris Lees and Justin Bahen after four starts in the UK. Since his Australian arrival, his 19 starts have netted five wins and seven placings.
The win follows a week where Elsdon Park not only registered its first winner bred in the shape of the Bjorn Baker-trained graduate Hezdarnhottoo, but also loaded for export to Sydney its very first draft for the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
This debut draft comprises of an I Am Invincible filly out of the triple Gr.1 winning racemare Lucia Valentina, a full brother to the Australian stakes winner Lost And Running and an impressive Ardrossan colt from the black-type family of Sarancino.
Hezdarnhottoo credited Elsdon Park with their first winner produced off the Matamata-based farm since it was established in 2022.
Leading from start to finish at Randwick, the two-year-old colt was having just his second race day appearance after finishing third on debut at the same track a fortnight ago.
Ridden by Tommy Berry, Hezdarnhottoo was untroubled during the Toyota Forklifts Hcp (1100m), scoring a comprehensive win by a margin of one and three-quarter lengths.
Bred by Elsdon Park’s Lib and Katrina Petagna, Hezdarnhottoo races out of the Bjorn Baker stable and was purchased by Baker in partnership with Clarke Bloodstock for $170,000 out of Elsdon Park’s inaugural 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 draft.
The son of Too Darn Hot is the third winner from as many to race for the stakes-placed Savabeel mare Rosa Carolina who raced in Petagna’s familiar blue, yellow and apple green racing colours.
“He’s a lovely colt, a bit raw,” stable representative Luke Hilton said. “He jumped in the air at the start the other day. To Tommy’s credit he didn’t drive him mad, he let him find his feet and he worked to the line well.”
“He jumped well today, and Tommy took the race by the scruff of the neck. He had a nice colt with wraps on it behind him today.”
Elsdon Park’s General Manager Kerrie Cox said the win was an exciting milestone as they continue to build the farm’s brand.
“He was actually the first horse ever branded with the Elsdon Park cipher so he has one over one on his offside shoulder, which is special- we even have a video of him being branded to mark the occasion” she said.
“He was a real standout as a young horse so it’s great to see him go on and perform on the track. It’s not easy to get a city win as a two-year-old, especially in Sydney. By all accounts the stable has a high opinion of him.
“It’s a great advertisement ahead of us taking our first Inglis Easter consignment to Sydney next month with 3 beautiful yearlings, highlighted by our I am Invincible filly out of 3 x Group 1 winner Lucia Valentina.”
Rosa Carolina was covered by State Of Rest last spring while Roger James and Robert Wellwood went to $220,000 to secure her Almanzor yearling filly when consigned by Elsdon Park at Karaka 2024.
Matamata’s newly established Thoroughbred operation Elsdon Park is seeking a part-time Office Assistant to join its fast paced, high-performing team.
This role will be fundamental to the administrative operations of the stud farm and will require a minimum of 10 hours per week, with hours able to be flexibly tailored for the right applicant.
Responsibilities include:
- Office Administration
- Data Entry
- Customer Service
- Event Assistance
- Staff communication
- Office presentation
The successful applicant will have
- A positive attitude
- Strong communication skills and a professional manner.
- Excellent organizational abilities and a high attention to detail.
- Proficiency in basic computer skills, including Microsoft Office applications.
- Knowledge or interest in the Thoroughbred industry is a plus.
If you are keen to learn, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, and have a knack for office administration, we would love to hear from you.
For more information, please contact Sarah Scott on 027 412 4606 or email office@elsdonpark.com
Applications close 5pm Wednesday, March 13.
Elsdon Park’s second-ever yearling draft presented at a public auction has been strongly received.
Improving on its $176,923 average registered with its debut draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book OneYearling Sale, Elsdon Park returned in 2024 to popular reception, selling 14 of its 15 yearlings offered (93.3% clearance rate) for an average of $271,429.
Such an average saw Elsdon Park sit second behind Hallmark Stud on the Leading NZB Book One Vendor by Average table and saw it positioned well in advance of the sale’s overall Book One average and clearance rate of $168,257 and 78%.
The honours of the highest price yearling offered by Elsdon Park in 2024 would go ti Lot 55, a Zoustar colt ex Evalina who sold to Jamie Richards / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (Hong Kong) for $725,000.
Like the average, this top price compares favourably with Elsdon’s first draft, where the highest price was awarded to Lot 97, the Savabeel filly out of Chiaretta, who sold to Forsman Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock / Bevan Smith Bloodstock (Waikato) for $600,000. Named Macaluso, this filly has already been stakes placed.
To see the sale details of each member of our 2024, please click here.
We now look forward to witnessing these yearlings enjoy highly competitive careers for their connections.
On the eve of the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales at Karaka, a number of major players in the Kiwi breeding industry shared a black-type success with Kinloch (I Am Invincible) in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed Coastline BMW Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m) in Queensland.
Kinloch was a $300,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2019 by bloodstock agent Bruce Perry, who races him in partnership with a syndicate that includes Elsdon Park’s Lib Petagna, Waikato Stud’s Mark and Garry Chittick, Jomara Bloodstock and Jamieson Park’s James Chapman.
From 29 starts, Kinloch has now recorded seven wins and 11 placings, banking more than A$840,000 in prize-money.
Kinloch is trained by Kris Lees and was ridden to Saturday’s Sunshine Coast success by Andrew Mallyon, who allowed him to drift back to the tail of the field before launching a powerful finish in the straight. He burst to the lead and completed a comfortable three-quarter-length victory over Essonne (NZ) (Reliable Man).
“He’s always had the talent, and I’ve been on the back of him when he hasn’t been able to get out and it’s awfully frustrating,” Mallyon said. “So it’s bloody nice to get a good win on him today and to repay the faith of the owners. This horse is starting to show what he’s always promised and he deserves this black-type win.”
Source: NZB
We were delighted to be involved as sponsor of the inaugural $1 million Aotearoa Classic (4YO, 1600m) at the TAB Karaka Millions race meeting at Ellerslie tonight and what a race it turned out to be.
In the hands of Vinnie Colgan, the Peter and Dawn Williams-trained Gr.1 winner Desert Lightning (Pride of Dubai) took control of proceedings turning for home, powering away for a 1 3/4 length win over the talented short-priced favorite, Legarto (Proisir).
Desert Lightning is now the winner of four of his 16 starts and gains an automatic entry into the All-Star Mile.
Congrats to owners Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer of Barneswood Farm, and breeder, the Mahoenui Partnership for tonight’s win and the exciting horse you have on your hands.
A bold barnstorming effort out wide from the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Smokeshow saw our talented Contributor gelding register a well-deserved win under Joe Doyle at Matamata today.
In all 3 of his career starts prior, the Simms Davison-bred 3YO had placed second.
Photos: Kenton Wright, Race Images NZ
Just like it was for his Gr.1 dam Nicoletta, Te Aroha proved just the ticket for our homebred 3YO Rebecchi today.
The Andrew Forsman-trained son of Trapeze Artist was having his third career start, and could not have been more impressive striking his maiden win.
Midfield throughout, jockey Sam Weatherley angled him out into the clear upon straightening and it was game over from there, careering away to brilliantly land the Graeme Wright 1600 by a 5 3/4 length margin.
Rebecchi’s Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained dam Nicoletta (Savabeel) also loved the Te Aroha track, winning the Gr.1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes there in 2019.
