Latest purchase Q&A with Albert
Q: What attracted you to this colt physically?
A: We always look for athleticism in the horses we buy and I felt he was up there with the horses we saw at Karaka in book 1. He’s correct, well balanced and a good size. Very importantly he moves well, which usually transfers itself to their galloping action.
Q: What about his pedigree?
A: He’s by Zacinto who is an exciting sire, he averaged $95,000 in Book 1 back in January, which shows that buyers see him as a serious horse. His oldest progeny are only 5YOs and he’s proven himself in New Zealand and Australia, our most important market. From small crops he has sired G1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner UGO FOSCOLO, multiple Stakes winner and one of the best 3YO fillies of this season SECRET ALLURE, 2YO Stakes winner ZIGWIG and Australian Stakes winners VASSILATOR and ODEON. We know he can leave a top horse and that is what we are always trying to buy.
We are always drawn to strong and current female lines and this colt is very current. He’s the first foal out of FASCINATE ME, a winning 2YO half-sister to this season’s South Island Filly of the Year and G2 Wellington Guineas winner EMILY MARGARET. His second dam SEVEN SCHILLINGS was a G3 winner and second in the G1 Diamond Stakes at 2YO. FASCINATE ME is also a half-sister to 7x Australian winner HEPTAGON and it is the the family of Derby runner-up and multiple G1 placed Kajema, so it is a super pedigree.
Q: What sort of races to you hope to target with him?
A: He is strong enough to race as a 2YO and he has been entered for the Karaka Million. He looks to me like a three-year-old miler and G1 NZ 2000 Guineas as a 3YO over a mile in November would be an ideal target for him. He can try and emulate UGO!
Q: Who will train him?
A: He will be trained by up-and-coming trainer Andrew Carston in Christchurch. I have a lot of time for Andrew and he won last season’s NZTR Up-and-Coming trainer award. He does a great job and has shown that with the stakes performing two-year-olds he has had in the last two seasons.
Q: What did you make of the New Zealand Bloodstock South Island sale overall?
A: There were some strong pedigrees and good types on offer and with only a small buying bench there was fantastic value – we paid just $39,000 for this colt which I think is remarkable.
The quality at the top end of the yearlings was right up to Book 1 standard and I think this reflects the small catalogue where only the better horses were presented, as opposed to bigger catalogues in previous years which had a long tail in terms of quality.
The South Island Sale has produced several stakes winners in recent times and was where we bought our very first horse, Silky Red Boxer, who was a G2 winner and stakes winner on both sides of the Tasman. I think the results has secured the future of the sale for coming years and we will be back next year.
For more info on this colt and a disclosure statement contact matt@goracing.co.nz or phone 0508 GO RACING (0508 46 7224).