Fantastic Day for Embellish
18 February, 2025
NZ Racing News reports:
Cambridge Stud was in the thick of the action at Matamata with a hat-trick of winners and also made an impression further afield.
The premier nursery’s graduates were led by stakes victor What You Wish For, while Balance Of Power and Moschino starred on the undercard.
In Australia, resident stallion Almanzor was represented by stakes winner Rise At Dawn and the farm also enjoyed success in Hong Kong, with veteran Gallant Crown adding to his tally at Sha Tin.
What You Wish For is a son of Embellish and opened his winning black-type account when triumphant in the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m).
The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained representative joined Hitabell, Bold Soul and the stud-raced Luberon as stakes winners produced by the Group One-winning son of Savabeel.
“Embellish has had a fantastic summer and it was a great result, especially for Te Akau who raced Embellish and have been such big supporters of him,” said Scott Calder, Cambridge Stud’s Head of Sales and Nominations.
What You Wish For is the first foal of the Smart Missile mare Grand Wish and was a $60,000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale buy for Te Akau’s David Ellis who also secured her unraced half-sister, Wish Come True, by Savabeel for $190,000.
Their dam is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Galaxy Handicap (1100m) winner Griante, who was raced by her trainer David Brideoake with Brendan and Jo Lindsay.
Grand Wish has a yearling son by Sword Of State, produced a sister to What You Wish For last season and is back in foal to Embellish.
“The Sword Of State colt will be part of the NZB Online Yearling Sale so he’s had a big boost,” Calder said.
Meanwhile, What You Wish For’s stablemate Balance Of Power, an Almanzor four-year-old, was also secured at Karaka by Ellis for $300,000.
He now has three career victories to his credit and a runner-up finish in the Listed Challenge Stakes as a juvenile.
Balance Of Power is the first foal of the Power mare Respin, successful in an edition of the Listed Inglewood Stakes, and his brother was sold to trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou and Andrew Williams Bloodstock at Karaka last year for $260,000.
“The mare has a yearling filly by Almanzor and had a filly by Satono Aladdin last season and is in foal to Chaldean,” Calder said.
Rise At Dawn, who was bred by Monovale Holdings, won Saturday’s Listed The Elms Handicap (1400m) to earn the Lindsay Park-trained representative a spot in the Gr.1 All Star Mile (1600m).
“He has gone through the grades and has had eight wins from 13 starts and just puts himself in his races and takes bad luck out of the equation,” Calder said.
NOTE: Te Akau's David Ellis CNZM bought an Almanzor filly Lot 43 at Karaka for just $135,000 - she is out of a half sister to Rise At Dawn and is a stunner - check her out here:
https://www.teakauracing.com/yearling/lot-43-almanzor-fr-kays-legacy-bay-filly