Northern Rivers Equine debut draft at Bathurst

By Peter Wharton

The Goulburn Valley-based Northern Rivers Equine will present their first draft at the 2020 Bathurst Gold Crown Yearling Sale with a terrific selection of seven yearlings by a wide range of popular sires.

The consignment of six fillies and a colt were specifically selected on pedigree and type in Auckland last May and represent the top maternal families in New Zealand and Australia today.

They are by some of the world’s greatest sires including Bettor’s Delight, Art Major, American Ideal, Mach Three and Sweet Lou as well as up-and-coming NZ stallion Highview Tommy.

The families to which the yearlings belong have produced top horses the calibre of Code Bailey, the dual WA Cup winner Chicago Bull, Hunter Cup winner Stunin Cullen, Cash N Flow and the champion NZ racemares Tigerish, The Orange Agent and Lauraella.

The first two of the Northern Rivers’ draft to enter the ring are the superbly bred American Ideal fillies Ideal Energy NZ (Lot 19) and French Racket NZ (Lot 39).

Ideal Energy NZ, a long barrelled, athletic filly, is from an Artsplace mare that left the Terang Guineas and Mount Gambier Gold Cup winner Iam Erik. The filly is closely related to Time Flies ($624,230), the WA Oaks placegetter Dame Puissant and Floyd Mayweather ($326,285).

French Racket NZ, a strong, athletic type, is out of a daughter of the broodmare gem Vicario, the dam of nine winners including the NZ 3YO Colt of the Year, Hunter Cup winner and successful sire Stunin Cullen and the NZ 4YO Mare of the Year Coburg. This season’s top NZ juvenile It’s All About Faith (1:56.4) is also a member of this fine family.

Next, is Delightful Gem NZ (Lot 59), a powerful bay filly bred the very successful Bettor’s Delight-Art Major cross. Her dam, Diamond Like NZ, ranks as a half-sister to the Queensland Premier’s Cup winner Smiling Armada and to the dam of the NZ Jewels winner Pembrook’s Delight.

Tiger Tommy NZ (Lot 69) is a stunning filly by the former NZ 2YO of the Year Highview Tommy out of a daughter of the champion NZ racemare Tigerish ($491,957), the dam of seven winners including the NZ 2YO Filly of the Year Tiger Turner and grand-dam of the Group winner All Tiger 1:49.2 ($514,726). This is the family of the recent Northam Cup winner Son Of A Tiger, the Group 1 Westbred Classic winner One Off Delight, Tiger Swift and so on.

Lot 75, Sweet Emmylou NZ, the only Sweet Lou colt in the sale, ranks as a half-brother to the Menangle winner Its Inevitable and the NSW Sapling placegetter He’s Bettor. The colt’s second dam, Matter Of Time, is a half-sister to six sub 2:00 performers and to the dam of Inter Dominion heat winner Cincinnati Kid ($499,495) and is closely related to the six-time Group 1 winner The Orange Agent ($746,423).

The only Art Major filly at the sale is Major Annie NZ (Lot 83), who is the second foal of the Group 2 NZ Ladyship Stakes runner-up Annie Morva (1:52.9). The classy filly hails from a strong family which includes the exported Elliesjet (1:51.8), Bet Out Of Ell and Magie Lilly Rose (1:54.2).

Completing the Northern Rivers entry is Mach’s Last NZ (Lot 90), a correct, good bodied filly from the last crop of Mach Three and his only representative in the sale. A member of the noted Black Watch tribe, the filly is closely related to the NZ Young Guns heat winner Im Meticulous (1:55.6), the dual Oaks winner Lauraelle ($699,946) and the Group two and three-year-old placegetter Express Stride (1:49).

For a pre-sale inspection and further information phone Dr Kath McIntosh on (03) 5852 2845 or 0427 497 429