Well Bred Colt to Debut

The Informant reports:

One of the highest-priced colts at the Karaka yearling sales earlier this year will make his debut in tomorrow's Cure Kids 880 at Ellerslie.

Al Hasa is by Exceed and Excel out of the Oasis Dream mare Oasis Rose, and Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis bought him for $625,000 from the draft of Cambridge Stud.

Ellis revealed immediately after the purchase that the Golden Slipper was his dream goal for the well-bred colt, and Al Hasa is among the 1610 early nominations for the famous race at Rosehill in March.

Saturday's $22,500 sprint is the first step along that long road, and Al Hasa has had two trials to prepare him - winning at Avondale on August 22 and finishing second at Ruakaka earlier this month.

Al Hasa will jump from gate four tomorrow and will be ridden by Cameron Lammas.

“He's a little horse that we really like,” co-trainer Stephen Autridge told www.theinformant.co.nz this week. “He worked particularly well on Tuesday morning. There's not many in the race on Saturday. Hopefully he'll go well.”

Al Hasa was bred by Cambridge Stud's Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan. The dam Oasis Rose won one of her six starts and was a multiple stakes placegetter, including a close second to the then-unbeaten Sacred Falls in the Gr. 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton. She is out of a half-sister to dual Hong Kong Vase winner Doctor Dino. Al Hasa is her first foal.