Mai Guru and Ockham’s Razor placed themselves in the Top 10 for the Karaka Million with promising displays on either side of the Tasman on Saturday.
Mai Guru (Ishiguru) shot up the Karaka Million Order of Entry with a professional performance in the Bambry’s Water Treadmill Juvenile (1100m) at Woodville.
Trained by Kevin Hughes and Dean Wiles, Mai Guru went straight to the lead and led throughout, racing hard up against the rail to win by over a length under a hands and heels ride.
Mai Guru had run second on debut at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Bred by Jim Campin and owned by the Elaine Chen Stable, Mai Guru was purchased by Ben Foote Racing at NZ Bloodstock’s 2011 Karaka Select Sale for $47,500.
The gelding was re-offered at NZ Bloodstock’s Ready to Run 2YO Sale in November last year and was purchased by David Kok of Singapore from Esker Lodge for $60,000.
Jim Campin will be offering 8 yearlings at the 2012 Karaka Yearling Sales including a half-brother to Mai Guru by Europe’s champion first season sire Iffraaj at Lot 720 of the Select Sale. His other entries include:
Lot 180 – Colt by O’Reilly from the G1 winning mare Emerald (Grosvenor).
Lot 411 – Half-sister by Pentire to the G2 winner Folding Gear (Johar) who was placed in the G3 Sandown Eclipse Stakes this season. Her dam is the dual stakes winning mare Royal Show (Deputy Governor).
In Australia on Saturday, the Anthony Freedman trained Ockham’s Razor (Any Suggestion) went straight to fifth place on the Karaka Million Order of Entry when running a strong second on debut in the Thomas North Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.
Bred by Jungle Pocket P/L, Ockham’s Razor was purchased by Bahen Bloodstock from Rich Hill Stud at NZ Bloodstock’s 2011 Karaka Premier Sale for $170,000.
With his oldest progeny only two-year-olds, Any Suggestion has two horses in the Top 10 on the Karaka Million Order of Entry with Taoist Master winning at Trentham on debut in December for John Sargent.
A sister to Ockham’s Razor will be offered by Rich Hill Stud at the Karaka Select Sale at Lot 1034.
New Zealand’s richest race, the $1 million Karaka Million, will be run on Sunday, January 29 at Ellerslie and is limited to 14 starters. There are just seven two-year-old events remaining before race nominations close on Tuesday, 24 January, including the G2 Little Avondale Wakefield Challenge Stakes which carries a stake of $85,000.
New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series will be held at the Karaka sales complex from January 30 to February 5.
For news and information about the Sales Series contact reception@nzb.co.nz or visit www.nzb.co.nz