Woodbine saves blushes for Gai Waterhouse and Nash Rawiller

SMH, ADAM PENGILLY, FEBRUARY 2 2014

Late surge: Woodbine gave punters a scare on Saturday. Photo: Jenny Evans

Nash Rawiller was hauled before stewards to explain his navigation on long odds-on shot Woodbine after the Randwick Guineas-bound colt left his supporters with near heart failure at Rosehill on Saturday.

Rawiller angled the blueblood, sent out a $1.20 hope on the tote in the four-horse field, to the centre of the track before wearing down Tim Clark on Pirandello as the leader clung grimly to the fence.

Woodbine's winning margin was a head, but it didn't deter chief steward Ray Murrihy from grilling Rawiller about the ride. And Rawiller said he was at odds with trainer Gai Waterhouse over the better ground at Rosehill.

''I told her one, two or three [horses off the fence] was the best part of the track, but she said seven off,'' Rawiller told stewards. ''She's the boss, but I won't be doing that again. I didn't agree with her … in fact, I had an argument with her before the race.''

Even Waterhouse was wondering whether Woodbine had arrived in the nick of time to make it back-to-back wins this campaign. ''I know the owner of the second horse, and John [Messara] and the group own Woodbine and I thought, 'Uh oh, there's going to be six unhappy owners and one happy','' she said. ''When they showed the replay I thought, 'No, I've got six happy owners and one unhappy'.''

Woodbine's stallion prospects will largely hinge on the rest of his three-year-old season as the Hussonet colt, out of multiple group 1 winner Miss Finland, heads towards the group 1 Randwick Guineas.

Rawiller was forced to hunt Woodbine up in the early stages in the small four-horse field after Cosmic Cameo was scratched after tossing Hugh Bowman leaving the mounting yard.

Blue Sky Bloodstock Strikes in New Zealand

New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Premier Sale
Lot 150 - RIP VAN WINKLE/ MY FUNNY FACE colt

From the first southern hemisphere crop of Rip Van Winkle, a winner of the Group One Sussex Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the International Stakes at York, Blue Sky Bloodstock have secured Lot 150 from the draft of Trelawney Stud at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale for $80,000.

From the same sale ring as Blue Sky Bloodstock secured Super Easy – a three time Singapore Group One winner, as well as Keep De Rose – a Group Two performer in the Danny O’Brien stable, our colt is out of the Marscay mare My Funny Face, the dam of five foals to race for four winners highlighted by the stakes winning pair of Gondorff (Montjeu) and Princess Annaliese (Van Nistelrooy).

Marscay mares have produced over 150 stakes performers including 21 Group One winners such as Eremein, Elvstroem, Catbird, Defier and Camarena.

To view the pedigree of the colt, click http://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/pedigree.cfm?sale_id=174&lot=150

If you would like any further information on the colt, touch base with Julian Blaxland on julian@blueskybloodstock.com.au or call (+61) 431 746 803.

Gai Waterhouse sets Woodbine on course towards Randwick Guineas

SMH, MATT JONES, JANUARY 19, 2014

Quick dash: Woodbine bolts into the clear for a first-up win. "He's a beautiful colt in the making," says trainer Gai Waterhouse. Photo: Jenny Evans

Gai Waterhouse declared Woodbine a Randwick Guineas contender after his impressive first-up win at Randwick on Saturday.

The superbly-bred Hussonet colt out of Golden Slipper winner Miss Finland overcame missing a run at the top of the straight to beat Dream Forward with a quick dash when he got clear.

''He'll go on to group races. He's a beautiful colt in the making,'' Waterhouse said. The Eskimo Prince Stakes is the likely first black-type assignment for Woodbine before a shot at the Guineas.

Woodbine didn't show a lot of early speed and James McDonald sat third on the fence before aiming for a run between second favourite Atmospherical and Dream Forward soon after turning for home. He finally got clear at the 250m mark and the colt did the rest. 

''I loved the way when he got a little bit lost in stages, took a good slap on the shoulders with vigorous riding by James McDonald and was able to pick up and really attack the line,'' Waterhouse said. ''We'll run him one more time in this type of race then go on to the group races.

''It's very exciting. John Messara bred the horse at Arrowfield Stud and we just thought he was an exceptional type and he's proven it today.''

The three-year-old ran over the top of Dream Forward inside the final 50m to win by a neck with Watabout a further 11Ž2 lengths back in third. McDonald was hopeful more than confident that the horse would take the next step in the autumn.

''He didn't have a lot of speed early and I managed to take a sit, and he came over the top of them really well,'' he said. ''He was in a nice pocket and it was just a matter of being patient and waiting for the run. He slowly got there and he sprinted quickly in the end. He's got a lot of ability and hopefully he'll go all the way.''

Atmospherical couldn't keep her unbeaten run intact, finishing fourth, and jockey Jay Ford wasn't confident as the field went into the barriers. ''I think she's gone off,'' he said. ''She was really sour and agitated in the parade today and sweated up badly. All she wanted to do was run through the bridle and never wanted to settle.''

Christian Reith said Dream Forward was spent in the run to the line. ''It was a great run but she just emptied out in the last couple of bounds,'' he said.

Waterhouse gave Woodbine only two starts at his first campaign and despite recording a win and a placing she wasn't tempted to keep the horse racing. ''He was growing and still maturing. I said to John, 'If you're a little bit patient you'll be amazed at how good he will be','' she said.

RACE REPLAY – RANDWICK WOODBINE WIN 

Magic Fastnet Rock Colt Secured on the Gold Coast

Magic Millions Premier Sale
Lot 529 - FASTNET ROCK/ LIVEALIFEOFLOVE colt

Secured from the draft of Coolmore Australia during the third day of selling at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Lot 529 is a bay Fastnet Rock colt out of the Hennessy mare Livealifeoflove.

By a sire that really needs no introduction – Danehill’s Champion Group One winning and producing son Fastnet Rock is already the sire of over 50 stakes winners highlighted by 13 Group One winners, this colt is a lovely early August foal.

Lovealifeoflove is already the dam of three to the races, all winners, including the three time stakes-winning mare Srumdiddlyumptious and the winning, Group One placed Hamsa.

The colt is from a black-type pedigree which includes numerous stakes winners such as Group One winner Vicar, successful sire and Group One winner Astronomer Royal, as well as Group One performers Itsmyluckyday, as well as fellow stakes winners Just Ruler, Sheepscot, Navesink River and Perfectly Candid. Hennessy as a broodmare sire has been represented by 42 stakes winners highlighted by five Group One winners including Irish Lights – bred on the exact same cross as our colt.

Price and Blaxland combine on Northern Meteor colt

RACENET, DARRYL SHEARER, JANUARY 9 2014

Trainer Mick Price and Blue Sky Bloodstock's Julian Blaxland have combined previously with the stakes winning colt Instinction and the combination struck early on Thursday morning to secure a colt by Northern Meteor at the Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale.

Magic Millions Premier Sale
Lot 197 - NORTHERN METEOR/ AGONY COLT

Like Instinction, this colt is also grey, but that is where the similarities end.

Offered by Newhaven Park Stud as agent, the October 12 foal is a half-brother to the Sydney winning two-year-old Demanding Miss, who also finished third in a Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Justin Bahen was keen but he cried enough at $230,000 and the colt by the same sire as Zoustar will now head to Caulfield.

"We are buying this horse with a view to making him a stallion, you saw what happened with Zoustar last Spring, so we are selling half and Julian is selling half of the horse," Price said.

"He's the right horse, we went a little bit over budget but who cares? You see the nice horses, they x-ray good and there's not enough of them around so you have to go for it."

The Agony colt is the most expensive of the Northern Meteors to sell so far.

"He looks a two-year-old, I've got a couple of other Northern Meteors and I like them so I'm rapt to have got this fella."

Northern Meteor was euthanised last July due to a severe bout of colic. The Group I-winning son of Encosta de Lago ended last season as the champion first-season sire.

The sale continues.

First Beneteau yearling makes $170,000

NEWS FROM ARROWFIELD STUD, JANUARY 8 2014

Blue Sky Bloodstock was always going to be at short odds to buy at least one yearling from the first crop of their high-class 2YO Group 1 performer Beneteau. 

Sure enough, Blue Sky's Julian Blaxland joined Melbourne trainer Mick Price to bid $170,000 for the Beneteau-Rocketing colt on the first day of the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale. Rocketing, by Rock of Gibraltar, is a half-sister to Group 2-winning juvenile Indian Ocean. 

The colt was offered by Musk Creek Farm which had paid $80,000 for him as a weanling and so completed a successful pin-hooking play.

Another 12 yearlings by Beneteau will be offered over the next five selling days, including Arrowfield's colt from the Stravinsky mare Bella Cantata, a city-winning half-sister to Group 1 winner Inaflury. He will be offered on Thursday as Lot 236 and can be viewed here. 

Beneteau, by champion sire Redoute's Choice from a stakes-placed sister of champion filly Alinghi, won the MRC Blue Diamond Prelude G3 at two, and was third in the Blue Diamond S. G1. He stood two seasons at Arrowfield at a fee of $11,000 inc. GST before his premature death last January.

Pictured: The Beneteau-Rocketing colt purchased by Blue Sky Bloodstock & Mick Price for $170,000. (PHOTO: Magic Millions/Musk Creek Farm)

Nordic Empire Gets Visitors Draw in Magic Millions Classic

Have a listen to Mick Price Racing thoughts on Nordic Empire's barrier draw for Saturday's $2million Magic Millions 2yo Classic

Having recently secured an interest in the Mick Price Racing-trained 2yo Wilander colt Nordic Empire on behalf of Blue Sky Bloodstock owners, Managing Director Julian Blaxland is pictured "on the beach" at the barrier draw today.

Image courtesy of Amy Austin Bloodstock Media (AABM)

Drawing barrier 19, the colt will come in a few gates with the withdrawal of the emergencies should they not get a run.

Final field and form: http://bit.ly/1cLDgq2

Sensing a Big Run at Randwick

Street Sense 4yo Sensing contests Race 4: McGrath Estate Agents NSW Officers Handicap over 1800m at Randwick.

Best of luck to the connections of the Inglis Easter yearling sale, Blue Sky bloodstock purchase

http://www.risa.com.au/FreeFields/Form.aspx?Key=2013Nov29%2CNSW%2CKensington#Race4

Another class victory to Better Than Ready

A valuable stallion prospect in the making, the multiple stakes-winning son of More Than Ready, Better Than Ready claimed his fourth stakes victory on Saturday, winning the Listed Keith Noud Handicap over 1200m at Eagle Farm.

Already the winner of the Brian Crowley Stakes, Falvelon Handicap and the Mick Dittman Plate, all at Listed level as well as a great third in the Group One BTC Cup, Better Than Ready was purchased by Blue Sky Bloodstock from the draft of Edinburgh Park at the 2010 Magic Millions weanling sale for $120,000 for client Dan Hayes. 

The colt was then sold as a yearling (pictured) at the Inglis Easter yearling sale to his now trainer Kelly Schweida and so impressed with the More Than Ready colt, Dan Hayes then purchased back into him where he now races him in partnership with fellow owners.

Carrying the top weight of 60.5kg to victory on Saturday, jockey Ric McMahon has ridden the impressive looking colt in all eight victories to date and hopes to be able to stay with the colt when he heads to Melbourne in the Autumn to contest races like the Group One Oakleigh Plate.

“In Melbourne he’ll be down in the weights so that will give him the chance to show his good turn of foot and he’ll be very competitive,” he said.

“I love him, he’s my favourite horse by far. I’ve won eight races on him and he goes really well for me.”

Having won eight of his 15 starts to date and over $475,000 in earnings for his connections, Better Than Ready will now spell after his unbeaten campaign, before returning for a crack at the Autumn riches in Melbourne.