Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Cambridge Stud was in the thick of the action at Matamata with a hat-trick of winners and also made an impression further afield.
The premier nursery’s graduates were led by stakes victor What You Wish For, while Balance Of Power and Moschino starred on the undercard.
In Australia, resident stallion Almanzor was represented by stakes winner Rise At Dawn and the farm also enjoyed success in Hong Kong, with veteran Gallant Crown adding to his tally at Sha Tin.
What You Wish For is a son of Embellish and opened his winning black-type account when triumphant in the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m).
The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained representative joined Hitabell, Bold Soul and the stud-raced Luberon as stakes winners produced by the Group One-winning son of Savabeel.
“Embellish has had a fantastic summer and it was a great result, especially for Te Akau who raced Embellish and have been such big supporters of him,” said Scott Calder, Cambridge Stud’s Head of Sales and Nominations.
What You Wish For is the first foal of the Smart Missile mare Grand Wish and was a $60,000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale buy for Te Akau’s David Ellis who also secured her unraced half-sister, Wish Come True, by Savabeel for $190,000.
Their dam is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Galaxy Handicap (1100m) winner Griante, who was raced by her trainer David Brideoake with Brendan and Jo Lindsay.
Grand Wish has a yearling son by Sword Of State, produced a sister to What You Wish For last season and is back in foal to Embellish.
“The Sword Of State colt will be part of the NZB Online Yearling Sale so he’s had a big boost,” Calder said.
Meanwhile, What You Wish For’s stablemate Balance Of Power, an Almanzor four-year-old, was also secured at Karaka by Ellis for $300,000.
He now has three career victories to his credit and a runner-up finish in the Listed Challenge Stakes as a juvenile.
Balance Of Power is the first foal of the Power mare Respin, successful in an edition of the Listed Inglewood Stakes, and his brother was sold to trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou and Andrew Williams Bloodstock at Karaka last year for $260,000.
“The mare has a yearling filly by Almanzor and had a filly by Satono Aladdin last season and is in foal to Chaldean,” Calder said.
Moschino is trained by Margaret Falconer and raced under her Ellesmere Thoroughbreds banner, and following six placings has now won her last two starts.
Moschino is a daughter of Ten Sovereigns and the Stravinsky mare Botanic and was purchased via the Gavelhouse platform for $2700.
The dam is a half-sister to the South African stakes winner Diamond King and since Moschino, has produced a pair of fillies by Sword Of State and is back in foal to the Snitzel stallion.
Rise At Dawn, who was bred by Monovale Holdings, won Saturday’s Listed The Elms Handicap (1400m) to earn the Lindsay Park-trained representative a spot in the Gr.1 All Star Mile (1600m).
“He has gone through the grades and has had eight wins from 13 starts and just puts himself in his races and takes bad luck out of the equation,” Calder said.
Cambridge Stud’s weekend was crowned at Sha Tin on Sunday evening when graduate Gallant Crown posted his eighth victory.
The David Hayes-trained eight-year-old was initially purchased at Karaka for $40,000 by Mark Forbes’ Kiltannon Stables and was later passed in at the Ready to Run Sale.
He was a trial winner at Ruakaka for Forbes as a three-year-old and subsequently sold to Hong Kong interests.
The gelding is a son of Hallowed Crown and the Stravinsky mare Justagem, who has a Sword Of State yearling, and her half-sister Penny Gem won the G1 Captain Cook Stakes.
