Trish Dunell
The best advertisement a farm can hope for leading into the annual Karaka yearling sales are results on the track, and Bradbury Park graduates are doing just that with three stakes wins in the last five weeks.
The Andrew Carston-trained Miss Federer (Swiss Ace x Halobelle) kicked off the series of black-type wins with victory in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton in November. The two-year-old filly was having just her third start and jumped as race favourite following her debut third placing and subsequent win at Riccarton on October 17.
Under a brilliant ride from jockey Matthew Cameron the Nearco Stud bred filly was the first to clear the gates after a tumultuous time getting into the barriers, and looked a place chance at best in the finishing stages before digging in to pip Challa and Diva Express at the post.
“As a yearling she was a little bit different, a little bit tough,” recalls Casey Dando who owns and manages Bradbury Park with wife Michelle.
“I think that has shone through in the couple of starts that she has had, she looks a bit tough and gave the barrier attendants a work over in that stakes race.”
“Her dam Halobelle is still on the farm, she had a Sacred Falls filly the night before Miss Federer’s stakes win. It is a very nice filly and she is back in foal to Sacred Falls.”
Miss Federer, who was picked up by Carston for $10,000 out of Bradbury’s 2018 Book 2 draft, currently sits second on the order of entry for the Karaka Million and is likely to start at Ellerslie in the New Year to test the right-handed way of going.
Spirits Aubeer (Spirit of Boom x Friendly Glow) was the toast of the farm after his win in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on December 8 when the Nigel Tiley-trained three-year-old proved too good for his rivals despite laying-out markedly in the home straight.
“We had two Spirit of Boom horses sent over that year to prep by the people that own the stallion, they were both nice athletic types and with Spirits Aubeer it looks like the more racing he does the better he will get,” Dando said.
Spirits Aubeer, who was a $55,000 purchase out of Bradbury’s 2017 Select draft, has now won three of his six starts and is likely to return to Ellerslie for the Gr.2 Jamieson Park Auckland Guineas (1600m) on New Year’s Day.
Rounding off the trio of triumphs was popular mare Belle Du Nord (Reliable Man x Bankside Belle) who swept down the outside at Te Rapa to take out the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) last Saturday.
Purchased by bloodstock agent Michael Otto for $50,000 as a yearling out of Bradbury’s 2016 May Sale draft, Belle Du Nord was collecting just her second career win, but in doing so took her earnings to over $194,000, a testament to how consistent she has been in her racing.
“As a yearling Belle Du Nord was a little bit weak and not up to being sold at the main yearling sale and Nearco do sometimes hang on to them till the May Sale. She developed in that five months and went on to be a very nice filly and to make $50k at May Sale seemed huge money, but it looks like it has turned out to be not much,” Dando said.
“We were certainly lucky to have to have Nearco’s support early on and it is flowing on, they are great clients and we have sold well for them.”
Bradbury Park will present twelve Book 1 yearlings and ten Book 2 yearlings at the 2019 edition of the New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale.
“We are pretty happy with them,” Dando said. “They are a nice bunch of classic three-year-old types and we are very happy with where they are at.”
For any enquires regarding the Bradbury Park draft call Casey on 021 503 212 or email info@bradburypark.co.nz -Bradbury Park