Sires With Winners - Sunday February 13

The 100th New Zealand National Yearling Sale kicks off on Sunday at Karaka and Maree McEwan has been out talking to some optimistic vendors and looking for their highlights.

Good looking Zoustar colt Space Rider has always shown glimpses of serious talent and kicked off his autumn campaign with a first up win in the $200,000 Group III Manfred  Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Yulong Investments have furthered their position among New Zealand’s racing ranks this week with the purchase of eye-catching Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) winner Ohope Wins.

For those looking for a succinct summary of the result in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie, the answer was very simple – Well Written first, daylight second.

The Karaka Millions twilight meeting is always a key focus for Te Akau Racing, and they are set to have another strong hand in this year’s edition.

Scratched from Friday night’s Listed Goldmarket at the Gold Coast, trainer Matthew Smth made the right decision, sending his 7yo Reward For Effort gelding Way To The Stars down to Victoria for the Listed MRC W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m).

Queensland trainer Liam Birchley continued his great association with the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) when recording his third win in the juvenile feature at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Letham Stud stallion Unusual Suspect was credited with his second stakes winner when Anemacore lived up to his long-held potential and pre-race favouritism with victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed Coastline BMW Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m).

Expat Kiwi jockey Logan Bates returned home to record his biggest moment in racing when scoring his first elite-level success aboard Manhattan Rain gelding Jigsaw in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

With neither trainer Bjorn Baker or jockey Nash Rawiller having previously won the Listed ATC Carrington Stakes (1400m) in the past, both added the race to their records as Darby Racing’s Snitzel gelding Sandpaper showed plenty of determination, leading throughout to record his third black type victory.