Expat Kiwi jockey James McDonald (pictured) will don New Zealand-based syndicator Go Racing’s silks to ride Dial Me In at Royal Ascot.
Cambridge Stud was set to offer a select draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale at Karaka today (Thursday).
Cambridge Stud was set to offer a select draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale at Karaka today with Chaldean
The stud was in the news for Joliestar’s gallant third placing in the $2.4 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over 1200 metres in Berkshire, England on Sunday.
Farm principals Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay are in England where they cheered home the mare – ridden by Cambridge’s James McDonald – and they are proud of her performance.
“She tried her best and she wasn’t good enough on the day,” Sir Brendan told Racing and Sports. “We came here full of hope, and we have left here pretty happy.
“James said she slipped coming down the hill and that might have been the difference, but at the line she was as strong as anything.
“We would have liked to have won. Are we disappointed? No. We have just had a life experience and lucky for Jo and I, we have met the King and the Queen. Life’s not too bad.”
Back in New Zealand, Cambridge Stud staff have this week put the final touches on their nine weanlings ahead today’s sale, and sales and nominations manager Scott Calder is pleased with the quality.
“We have nine in our draft and obviously have a good representation from our own stallions,” he said. “We have a five-strong cohort of Almanzors and a lot of them are out of black-type mares or out of young, well-credentialled mares.
The farm will also offer a couple of weanlings by outside stallions and a colt by champion sire Savabeel, who died aged 24 last week.
The colt is one of only two weanlings by Waikato Stud’s former patriarch in the sale.
While not in their draft, the first New Zealand progeny of Cambridge Stud’s freshman sire Chaldean will go through the sales ring at Karaka.
The Group One-winning son of Frankel’s first crop of weanlings have been well-received in Europe, averaging the equivalent of NZ$260,000 and selling up to NZ$580,000 at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in England, while his first Southern Hemisphere youngster to be offered at a public sale was purchased at Inglis’ Great Southern Weanling Sale earlier this month for A$180,000.
Expat Kiwi jockey James McDonald (pictured) will don New Zealand-based syndicator Go Racing’s silks to ride Dial Me In at Royal Ascot.
Photo: Race Images
