Beautiful Breeze Ups by Karaka Million nominated Two-Year-Olds

Ballymore pair: Lot 406 2 c Rothesay – Cinnamon Dove (Gulch) (10.54) and Lot 293 2 f Ocean Park – Thimble (Pins) (10.64) breezed up very well together, in the top tier of times, ahead of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale on 21 & 22 November at Karaka. The colt was ridden by Jake Bayliss and filly by Cameron Lammas.

Bay colt Rothesay – Cinnamon Dove (Gulch) $95,000 (draft: Kilgravin Lodge)

Born 12 September 2016, selected by Paul Moroney, he was purchased from the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale (Book 1, Lot 112) on 29 January at Karaka.

His sire, Rothesay is a son of the Australian Champion sire Fastnet Rock, in turn by the most successful sire of all time, Danehill. As a racehorse, Rothesay won four of his nine starts, including a debut win as a two-year-old and the Queensland Guineas (Gr. 2, 1600m) at three.

His dam, Cinnamon Dove, has already left the hardy gelding Dark Eyes (Snitzel) who has won eight races up to 2000 metres and $588,836 in Sydney.

“He took our eye as the right sort of horse for $1m Karaka Million as a two-year-old,” said co-trainer Mike Moroney.

“He’s strong, beautifully balanced, and a good walking horse.

“We thought there was a lot of Fastnet (Rock) about him, but more so a lot of Danehill and that’s why we were very keen on buying him. And, an earlier type of Danehill at that,” he said.

Overseeing his training at the Ballymore stables in Matamata, co-trainer Pam Gerard said: “He is a stunner and a very placid colt, well muscled but not too heavy. He’s quite laidback and you’ve got to like the way he gets his head down and stretches his neck. He finds the line and tries hard. He’s a pretty impressive colt.”

Catalogue link: /nzb.co.nz/sales/pedigree.cfm?sale_id=206&lot=406

Chestnut filly Ocean Park – Thimble (Pins) $16,000 (draft: Seaton Park)

Born 19 November 2016, selected by Paul Moroney, she was purchased from the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale (Book 2, Lot 1047) on 2 February at Karaka.

Her sire, Ocean Park (Thorn Park), was trained at Matamata. He won five Group One races, including the Cox Plate (Gr. 1, 2040m), and now a stallion at Waikato Stud – Champion NZ based 2nd season sire in Australia. His three and four year olds (oldest progeny) are performing on the race track, while his yearlings sold up to $280,000 this year at Karaka.

(She is bred on the same cross as Lot 90: Ocean Park out of a Pins mare (Caramellos), also selected by Paul Moroney, and purchased for $120,000.)

Her dam, Thimble, was very consistent in a brief racing career of 10 starts and included winning the NZB Insurance Stakes (Listed, 1400m), and on paper Ocean Park has been her best mating.

“We have bought a lot of horses over the years that have thrown to the stallion Lunctime (grand-sire of Pins) and had a lot of success in doing it,” said co-trainer Mike Moroney.

“Any time we see Lunchtime in the pedigree, with that particular chestnut influence, with his strength, we are very keen on them. We have always been a big fan of Lunchtime, as a speed sire.

“She looks a powerful, running, filly and very similar to True Jewels (a Group One winner of the Blue Diamond (1200m) for Moroney).

“She has a lovely walk, very correct, and looks as though she will get up and run as an early type,” he said.

Overseeing her training at the Ballymore stables in Matamata, co-trainer Pam Gerard said: “She had a growth spurt and thrived in training since, and she’s a very fast filly. She has not taken a backward step and continued to get better and better.

“She is also a very quiet filly, with a great nature, gets on and does the job and gives the riders a good feel.”

Catalogue link: /nzb.co.nz/sales/pedigree.cfm?sale_id=206&lot=293