Perfect start over a middle distance
NOBODY wanted Perfect Start as a yearling but buyers might have a bigger appetite for her half-sister at Karaka next month.
Perfect Start, a Perfectly Ready mare, failed to make her $25,000 reserve at Karaka in 2011 but has since earned $196,000 in stakes, including $75,000 in the past 10 days.
The five-year-old took her career to new heights when winning the Group III Manawatu Cup at Awapuni last Saturday, a week after taking the $25,000 Cup Prelude on the first day of the meeting.
In addition, since Perfect Start went through the ring, her halfsister Art Beat has won a Winter Cup and two listed races and Smartly, another half-sister, has won five races and run second in a Marton Cup.
As a result, there should be some interest in the yearling halfsister by Shocking when she is offered on the second day of the premier session.
The dam, Artemesia, won twice herself and is building a good record as a broodmare, despite leaving seven successive fillies.
Her first four foals have been winners and between them have won 22 races. All four have been raced by their breeders, Garry and Shirley Bluett and Jim Marks.
The other winner has been the Darci Brahma mare Darting, who was also passed in as a yearling, as was the now three-year-old Martini Lass, a Librettist filly who has had a placing from four starts.
However, Marks and the Bluetts had more luck in the sales ring last summer, when Artemesia’s Savabeel filly made $180,000.
Perfect Start did not run past 1600m till she raced at the Brisbane winter carnival this year and is unbeaten from two middle distance starts this campaign.
She might now tackle the City of Auckland Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie on January 1 and the Wellington Cup will also be on the radar. She was at $14 for the City of Auckland Cup yesterday and at $18 for the Wellington Cup. She was ridden in her two Awapuni wins by Sam Spratt, who had not ridden the mare previously.
‘‘She [Perfect Start] has been slow away in a lot of her races but Sam has been able to put her on the speed,’’ trainer Wayne Hillis said.
Ransomed, a $4.60 favourite for the Manawatu Cup, settled back and tried to make some headway on the turn but never got into the race. Trainer Gary Vile had been expecting Ransomed to settle closer to the pace and will press on towards the Auckland and Wellington Cups.
‘‘It was a bit of stop-start tempo and it is difficult when they get that far back with 59kg,’’ Vile said. ‘‘But the horse has pulled up well.’’
Vile was happy with Anniesstar’s effort for fifth, beaten two lengths, and she will also head towards the Auckland and Wellington Cups.
Maygrove, winner of the rating 85 2000m at Awapuni, might be a late entry for the $200,000 Wellington Cup (2400m).
Maygrove’s racing manners remain a work in progress but such is the lack of depth among the New Zealand stayers, that she is already equal third the Wellington Cup.
The market is headed by Pondarosa Miss at $5. Pondarosa Miss, a High Chaparral mare, has looked much above average but has yet to race past 1600m.
Tie Me Down, winner of the rating 75 1400m at Awapuni, is likely to tackle the listed Anniversary Handicap (1600m), on the first
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The Pins mare, who races in the Little Avondale Stud colours, has won three of her four starts from Roydon Bergerson’s stable.
She is a half-sister to the New Zealand Oaks placegetter Can’t Keeper Down and Little Avondale will offer a yearling half-sister by Nadeem at Karaka next month.