Karaka Clean Sweep in Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes

Breednet - Friday November 17

Wednesday’s $120,000 Group Three Windsor Park Stud Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton was dominated by graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock Sales, who filled all of the first three placings.

Fashion Shoot

The prestigious fillies and mares’ feature was won by Fashion Shoot (NZ) (Savabeel), who was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $320,000 from the draft of Waikato Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2019. From a 27-start career, Fashion Shoot has now had six wins, 12 placings and $259,480 in stakes, with an enormously valuable Group Three victory adding extra sparkle to her high-class pedigree page.

Runner-up Live Drama (NZ) (Ghibellines) has been one of New Zealand Bloodstock’s best bargain buys of the last decade, snapped up for just $8,500 from the 2018 South Island Sale. She has lined up in 34 races, winning nine times and placing in another 11 to bank more than $328,000 for a big group of owners. She has been a two-time stakes winner and an eight-time placegetter in black-type company.

Advertisement

Wednesday’s third placegetter was Miss Layla (NZ) (Burgundy), who was a $20,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2021. From just seven starts, she has had two wins, two placings and over $60,000 in stakes. She was a Listed winner as a three-year-old last season.

Fashion Shoot was a third placegetter in the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes 12 months ago, but a spectacular come-from-behind win in her season debut at Hastings in September hinted that she might have come back even better as a six-year-old.

Wednesday’s performance confirmed that suspicion, dropping back from gate 13 before producing a blistering turn of foot in the straight. She roared past Live Drama in the shadows of the finish line and snatched a superb victory by a neck.

“She travelled in a good rhythm,” jockey Warren Kennedy said. “She was breathing lovely and midway through the race she started to kick up at me really nicely. She was building throughout the race, and when I showed her clear air at the 250, she really kicked smartly.”

Fashion Shoot is trained by the premiership-leading Te Akau combination of Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson.

“That was some ride,” Bergerson said. “I was watching the race and thinking, ‘She can’t win from there,’ but fair play to him – he was patient.

“We thought we had to ride her cold today and just come at them with one last run, and she was electric. It was a massive effort.

“She was probably unlucky not to have picked up a black-type race before today. She’s a lovely mare and lovely to deal with, so it’s fantastic to finally get a result for the team.

“It’s great to win a race sponsored by Windsor Park. They are great supporters of the industry and of us as a stable as well, so a huge result.”

Advertisment
More Reading...
Derby déjà vu for Busuttin
Trent Busuttin believes the stars have aligned in his quest for a second Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) title at Flemington.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
The barrier trials at Randwick on Friday morning featured two heats for juveniles won by a filly that placed in the Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes and a colt from an outstanding producer that has had six foals to race all winners!
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.
Bellatrix Star to Lead Flemington Contenders for Te Akau and Fortuna
The Melbourne Cup Carnival holds special memories for both Te Akau Racing and Fortuna Racing, and there could be more to come with five black-type contenders on Derby Day at Flemington on Saturday.
Strong Trade Continues at Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale
Strong trade continued on the fourth day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale with an interesting horse set to join the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald stable as turnover has already soared to be the second highest in the sale’s history with the fifth and final session still to come. 
Speed is What Sells
There are two Group I events for three year-olds at Flemington on Saturday and both are worth $2million, but the profile of the horses engaged, many of them being colts, couldn’t be more different starting with their purchase price.
Invincible Spirit Retired at Age 27
The Irish National Stud has announced the retirement of Invincible Spirit, the sire of 22 individual Group I winners worldwide, including leading European sire Kingman, and also in Australia he has had a profound influence as the sire of our reigning champion sire I Am Invincible.
Flightline and Cogburn Shares Highlight Inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale
Stallion shares in Horse of the Year and exciting young sire Flightline and also Widden Stud's new shuttle prospect Cogburn changed hands at the inaugural Keeneland Championship Sale.
Golden Eagle – Find the Winner
The $10million ATC Golden Eagle (1500m) is a race that has gone from strength to strength since being first run in 2019, so we’ve taken a look at what’s happened so far in our quest to narrow the 20 strong field in search of this year’s winner.
New Group One Connected Foals
With Yulong Stud publishing a fantastic photo of first foal for Montefilia by Alabama Express we thought it a good time to highlight a few more foals with Group One connections that have hit the Foal Gallery in the past couple of weeks.