The National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka and the sales preparation company Phoenix Park stole the spotlight at Rosehill on Saturday with a quinella in the A$500,000 Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) for three-year-old fillies.
The race was won by Montoya's Secret (High Chaparral), who sold for $130,000 from Phoenix Park's draft at the 2015 Premier Sale. Runner-up Nurse Kitchen (NZ) (Savabeel) was in the same draft but had to be withdrawn the day before the sale.
Phoenix Park had six fillies catalogued for the 2015 Premier Sale, and all have gone on to black-type success. Gold Rush (NZ) (So You Think) and Samara Dancer (NZ) (Hinchinbrook) have been Group 2 winners, while Storytime (NZ) (Savabeel) and Rosa Carolina (NZ) (Savabeel) have both placed at Group 2 level.
Montoya's Secret and Nurse Kitchen had the finish of Saturday's race all to themselves, kicking two lengths clear of the rest of the field and fighting tooth and nail to the finish. Montoya's Secret, ridden by Noel Callow, prevailed by a desperate neck.
"It was a good win," Callow said. "She had to dig deep. She just wandered that last bit, but she still held on though. I got there too early and she wanted to have a look around."
Trained by Leon and Troy Corstens, Montoya's Secret has now had 10 starts for three wins, four placings and prizemoney of A$405,375 – more than three times her purchase price. She is raced by Troy Corstens in partnership with J Sawford, A Douglas, Mrs C Douglas, DJ Blair, HR O'Neill, MJ Fernon, JK Gerner, Ms P McCarthy, Palya Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Mgr: C McKeon), Anembo Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Mgr: AJ Hardwick) & Rosemont Stud Pty Ltd (Mgr: AP Mithen).
Montoya's Secret was bred by Rosemont Stud. She is out of the Thunder Gulch mare Divine Secret , who was a winner and placed in the Group 1 Blue Diamond. She is the dam of five winners from seven foals to race, with two of them now stakes winners. The other is Delago's Secret (Encosta De Lago), who won five races for Kiwi trainer Roger James including the Group 3 City of Auckland Cup. Another sibling, Secret Delight (Encosta De Lago), placed at Listed level.
The win completed a Rosehill Group 1 double this week for three-year-olds who are graduates of Karaka sales, with Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj) winning the previous Saturday's Rosehill Guineas.
| Vendor | Phoenix Park |
| Purchaser | Bahen Bloodstock/Malua Bloodstock (Victoria) |
| Breeding | High Chaparral – Divine Secret |
| Sale | Lot 356, 2015 Premier Sale, $130,000 |
