Carlaw Park offer quality consignment at Karaka

Media Release - Thursday March 3

Nick Fairweather and Nicole Brown are looking forward to offering their sixth draft at Karaka next week under their Carlaw Park banner.

The couple founded the business in 2016 in partnership with Brown’s parents, Peter and Roslyn, and they have enjoyed building on those foundations and will offer their largest consignment of 18 yearlings in the Book 1 session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling sale.

Carlaw Park principals Nick Fairweather and Nicole Brown. Photo: Michael Rist

“We have been operating for just a tick over five years and this is our biggest consignment that we have had,” Fairweather said.

“We are really excited and we have got a really nice, consistent draft that we are really proud to present this year.”

From their boutique operation, they already boast a number of promising graduates.

“We just really wanted to focus on yearling preparation and spelling. We still want to keep to a smaller boutique draft,” Fairweather said.

“From the small numbers that we have had, we have had Lady Maroal, who is a stakes winner for Nigel Tiley, and Scribe, who is looking to be very promising.

“We are getting a lot of winners in Australia and locally. As long as the product keeps delivering, we will be very happy.”

Advertisement

Fairweather is also looking forward to continuing his association with his former boss, Sir Patrick Hogan, at this year’s sale.

“We are preparing four yearlings for Sir Patrick Hogan, three fillies and one colt,” he said.

“Having worked for him for a number of years, a lot of our preparation style and techniques are effectively based on his way. It is a privilege and honour to prep horses for him.”

One of the four that Fairweather is particularly interested in watching go through the ring is lot 583, the Iffraaj filly out of Simogramor.

Lot 583.

The filly has received plenty of interest from potential buyers, including Graeme Rogerson, who earlier this week labelled her the best filly he had seen in the sale to date.

“She is a lovely filly and he (Rogerson) has obviously got ties with that family with (dual Group One winner) Katie Lee being the grandam,” Fairweather said.

“She is all quality. A lovely, loose walking filly that has got good bone and substance. She really catches the eye and has been really popular.”

Fairweather is also looking forward to offering lot 229, a U S Navy Flag half-brother to Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) winner Etah James.

“He is a very powerful, forward colt who has a nice, loose walk,” Fairweather said.

“He is by first season sire U S Navy Flag, who has been extremely well received. He sold quite well in Australia.

“Being a half to Etah James, he is going to really appeal to some of those Australians looking for a Classic-Cups horse. He has been very popular and has been well-received.”

Fairweather highlighted lot 181, the Headwater filly out of a half-sister to Group One winner Headway, and lot 363, the Exceed and Excel colt out of Lady Krovanh, as two other leading lights from his draft.

“The Headwater filly is an outstanding individual, one of the nicest fillies Nicole and I have pinhooked,” he said.

“She is a half-sister to Scribe, who was trained by Tony Pike and won two races before being sold to Hong Kong for huge money.

“She has been very well liked in the early stages of inspections.

“The Exceed and Excel colt is a half-brother to Dragon Pride who has won three of his four starts in Hong Kong, the most recent being last (Wednesday) night.

“He is a very dominant sort of horse - very strong and athletic.”

Fairweather said the sentiment on the ground at Karaka has been good, with Vendors having experienced a similar situation last year with international buyers unable to be physically present at the sales complex as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

“The feeling has been very good,” he said. “A lot of the vendors have put a lot of time and effort into the videos and photos. NZB have marketed them accordingly and I think we have given Australian and International buyers a really good insight into the quality that we have to offer this year.

“Last year was a real unknown and it was successful, so I think that gave everyone a bit of confidence going into this year.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Pericles Banks the Big Bucks in Five Diamonds
As a half-brother to Mr Brightside’s Group III winning sire Bullbars, multiple Group 1 winner Helmet and Epaulette and Group II winner Pearls, Godolphin’s Street Boss gelding Pericles had plenty to live up to, and he has not let the side down.
Darby Racing Win $500,000 Inglis Banner
Scott Darby’s extraordinary affinity with the Classic Yearling Sale continued at Flemington today when $30,0000 bargain buy Within The Law (Lucky Vega) won the $500,000 Listed Inglis Banner.
Depth aplenty in November (Early) Online Sale
The dam of and a sister to G1 sprinter Oscar’s Fortune, mares in foal on desirable covers and an unreserved dispersal from a respected bloodstock operator are among the highlights of the Inglis Digital November (Early) Online Sale.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Via Sistina Dominant in G1 Champions Stakes
Fresh from a virtuoso performance to win the Group I MVRC Cox Plate in track record time, Yulong owned Fastnet Rock mare Via Sistina (IRE) turned on the afterburners again at Flemington on Saturday to win the Group I VRC Champions Stakes (2000m) by nearly three lengths.
G1 Pedigree Watch – Fabulous Flemington - NZ 2000 Guineas
There might be a red tape storm unfolding on what is Black Type in Australia and what is not, but the Flemington Melbourne Spring Carnival featured eight fair dinkum Group I races so let’s take a look at the pedigrees of this year’s winners, plus the NZ 2000 Guineas, won by a colt closely related to one of them.
Initial Entries of SH Covered Mares for Tattersalls Online December Sale Announced
The first entries for the highly anticipated collaboration between Tattersalls Online and Inglis Digital have been confirmed and they include three mares in foal to Too Darn Hot, currently the leading second crop sire in Australia with five stakes-winners this season.
One to Watch – Wyong
With so much stakes racing on Saturday it’s hard to keep an eye on everything, but this maiden winner at Wyong on Saturday was an eye-catcher for both her pedigree and ability with more wins to come for the talented daughter of Pierro.
North England Continues Inglis Graduate Success in $1million Golden Gift
Exciting colt North England (Farnan) secured his berth in all the feature 2YO races of next year with a tough victory in today’s $1m Inglis Golden Gift at Rosehill.
New Perth Stakes-Winner for So You Think
 A homebred for Bob and Sandra Peters sporting the fames cerise and white colours, progressive So You Think gelding Diamond Scene landed his first Black Type success at Ascot on Saturday when charging to the line to win the Listed WATC Luckygray Stakes (1800m).