The Buyer's Eye
1 June, 2015
It is always satisfying for us when horses selected and purchased by David perform on the track - and it's equally as satisfying if they then go on to have successful breeding careers in the case of colts or fillies.
We thought we would share three current examples of horses selected and bought by David that have enjoyed a very successful weekend.
The first of these of course has to be War Affair - selected and purchased by David from the Karaka Premier Sale from the draft of Trelawney Stud. The son of O'Reilly cost just $70,000 which in hindsight was great shopping!
Already Champion 2YO of the Year, Champion 3YO of the Year, and Horse of the Year in Singapore, the now 4YO was also named Social Media Horse of the Year at the end of last season.
On Sunday at Kranji he was at it again - doing what he does best - winning races! Sent out the red hot favourite (and returning only $1 for the win on the NZ TAB) War Affair came off a torrid run four wide and could not quite clear out as he normally does in the home straight, but cream rose to the top as he forged ahead to win the $300,000 Group 2 Stewards' Cup over 1400m comfortably in the end.
After his thrilling first-up win in the Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) a month ago, War Affair (pictured below) was considered a moral to secure the first Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge on Sunday.
Hot favourite War Affair (Alan Munro) stamps his class in the Stewards' Cup on Sunday.
As the Singapore Turf Club reported:
"Such is the different metal smart horses are made of. Where other lesser horses might have come under, War Affair just kept knuckling down to the task, digging deep into his reserve to hold all comers at bay."
With win No 13 now recorded, War Affair has amassed more than $2.25 million in prize money. The 4YO Triple Crown is clearly his main objective this campaign and he looks likely to contest the Group 1 Patron's Bowl (1600m) on 21 June and the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m) on 12 July.
Also on Sunday, it was the turn of a David Ellis purchased and Te Akau trained mare to set the track at Sha Tin alight through the exploits of her son.
Princess Coup was bought by David from the Gold Coast Sale (which he is attending this week) and she remains one of Te Akau's all time stars. Known as "Jill", Princess Coup won four Group 1 races for Te Akau trainer Mark Walker - two $2 million Group 1 Kelt Capital Stakes (back to back), the Group 1 NZ Oaks and the Group 1 Stoneybridge Stakes. She was also four times' Group 1 runner up in Australia in the Mackinnon Stakes the BMW, the Ranvet Stakes and the Australian Cup. However she did claim the Group 2 St George Stakes in Melbourne.
In total Princess Coup won $4.2 million in prize money and still holds the record as the highest domestic stakes' winner in the history of New Zealand racing. Bought for $230,000, she earned $4.23 million in prize money and went back to the Gold Coast Sale in 2009 fetching $3 million as a broodmare. She was won NZB Filly of the Year and was awarded Champion 3YO of the Year, Champion Middle Distance Horse of the Year (twice) and Champion Stayer of the Year.
So on Sunday night it was the turn of her son by Redoute's Choice - Thewizardofoz - to make it two wins from two starts. The three year old trained by John Size had scored brilliantly on debut on 3 May in the HK$760,000 South China Class 4 Handicap over 1200m. Ridden by arguably the best rider in the world, Joao Moreira made light work of barrier 14, having to travel three wide through to the main straight. It was a tenacious effort with Moreira's guidance assisting with his race greenness to deliver an impressive three length victory.
On Sunday, Moreira was again in charge and it was an effortless 1.5 length win in the HK$1,060,000 Class 3 Handicap again over 1200m. Thewizardofoz (pictured below) looks to have a very exciting future ahead of him that we will watch with great interest. His four year old sister Vanilla Princess is in the stable of Gai Waterhouse and has won two of her nine starts.
Finally it was terrific to see the progeny of Darci Brahma, who was selected and bought by David, claim yet another stakes' race on Saturday.
Bought as the sales' topper at the 2004 Karaka Premier Sale for $1.1 million, Darci (pictured below) earned $1.4 million on the track and under the guidance of Te Akau trainer Mark Walker, won five Group 1 races (at two, three and four years of age). He was Champion 2YO of the Year and Champion 3YO of the Year as well as Champion Sprinter/Miler of the Year at four. His son Julinsky Prince was victorious in the Listed AG Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui.
Darci Brahma is certainly also making his presence felt on the various Leading Sires' tables. As of today, following the weekend's racing ...
He currently lies fourth behind Pins, O'Reilly and Savabeel on the Centaine Award table (sire whose New Zealand conceived progeny have accumulated the highest stakes' earnings worldwide) with $5,730,926 in prize money. He is also fourth on the Dewar Stallion Trophy behind Savabeel, O'Reilly and Zabeel with $3,452,926 won (sire whose progeny have accumulated the highest combined stakes' earnings in New Zealand and Australia). Darci lies second behind Savabeel on the Grosvenor Award table for the leading sire by earnings in New Zealand with $1,648,771 banked by his offspring.
