Savabeel - New Winner

It’s early days for the current juvenile season with only a tiny percentage of the crop seen in action so far, but as we head into the Christmas holiday period three of the top five sires on the two year-old sires list are all first season horses and that’s good news for Kia Ora Stud, Yulong and Vinery Stud.

High-class three-year-old Damask Rose has powered her way to the top of the markets for New Zealand’s biggest pots of gold.

There were three new Australasian bred winners at Sha Tin on Sunday, a French bred Zoustar bagging his first in HK and a promising one for Star Turn taking his record to two wins from three starts.

A $340,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase, the Ciaron Maher trained Savabeel gelding Vermillion Dragon made light work of a 1500m maiden event at Kembla on Friday to win as he pleased on debut.

The bloodstock world is in mourning following the sad news of the passing of Peter Heagney, a much loved and respected auctioneer and director with Inglis for many years.

Saturday’s A$300,000 Group Three Grand Prix Stakes (1800m) at Eagle Farm marked a new peak performance for Karaka graduate Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan), who has a full-brother in the catalogue for Book 1 of Karaka 2025.

We got a timely reminder ahead of Magic Millions as to the merits of Arrowfield shuttler Maurice(Jpn) in Japan on Sunday when his two year-old colt Admire Zoom won the Group I Asai Hai Futurity Stakes (1600m) at Kyoto.

There were three heats for 2YO’s at Hawkesbury on Monday and also on show was Golden Slipper winner Lady of Camelot, who might be a fruit out of season as an elite three year-old tuning up for race day a week out from Christmas, but the lure of the $3million Magic Millions Sunlight slot race has enticed connections to curtail her post spring break.

We’re talking to the man of the moment from last Saturday at Randwick, Scott Darby of Darby Racing and he opens up about a day to remember at Randwick and how a little investment and a lot of passion can go a long way in the world of bloodstock.

Bjorn Baker is never afraid to get a maiden win on the board in the country with a promising horse and he did it with Group I winners Overpass and Steffi Magnetica, so when he unleashed an impressive maiden winner at Orange by Extreme Choice we were always going to have a closer look.