The group two NRM Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes run at Counties is one of the most coveted races for fillies and mares in the country.
Each year it attracts a capacity field of the best sprinting fillies and mares in the country, and this year was no exception with 10 stakes performers in the field of 14 runners.
This year's winner Lady Kipling (Savabeel- Akela) recorded her second group two victory, and her ninth career win, when she fought like a tiger to take out the event from a lightly raced Miss Pelear (Mr Nancho[ARG]-Tori Belle) with the group one performer Guiseppina (Johar [USA]-Battocchi) three-quarters of a length back in third.
"That would have to have been her grittiest performance," said Steve Till spokesperson for her breeders, the Alchemy Family Trust and Windsor Park Stud.
"She was headed and she fought back. She has developed into such a professional racehorse - she's been successful at group two twice now, and placed twice at group one. Let's hope that she can lift another notch and get a group one win.
"We are delighted by the win, but equally delighted that she is raced by a good client of ours and good longstanding client of Murray's (Baker the co-trainer with Andrew Forsman) in Laurence Redshaw.
"He has been a client of ours for about 25-30 years and was an original shareholder in Kapstaad. Each year he sends eight or nine mares to stud here at the farm, and we are delighted to see him having some success. He tells me it's the best horse he has raced."
A member of the Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay branch of the NZTBA, Laurence was also the breeder of the group one VRC Derby winner Kibbutz (Golan [IRE]-Misskap) which he originally raced out of Murray Baker's stable before selling him to a syndicate headed by Simon O'Donnell and Terry Henderson.
Redshaw races Lady Kipling with his good friend Geoff Candy. They purchased her from Murray Baker who selected her at the New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale in 2009 for $62,500. She is the second foal of the stakes placed multiple winning Al Akbar mare Akela.
Steve Till purchased Akela in 2004 from the Spring Bloodstock Sale. She was at the end of her racing career where she had won six races for a partnership that included her breeders Chris Wood, her trainer, and Brian Avery who had raced Al Akbar. Besides her six wins, she was placed in the group three Fayette Park Stakes.
"She was a maiden mare and as she was by Al Akbar(AUS) she was relatively cheap at $20,000, but because she was by Al Akbar she was a real looker, and physically a nice mare. Her grandam was a very good In the Purple (FR) mare called Sylvaner so she had some pedigree, and I thought it was one of those families that could come again," said Till.
Sylvaner won seven races including the Manawatu Eulogy Stakes. She was also placed third in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes, the race won by her great-granddaughter. She is also the grandam of Hirschberg who was a stakes winner in Queensland, and was a half sister to Harmony, the dam of the group one winner All Glory who had some success as a sire.
"Her first foal was by Golan and it died at birth, so we decided to send her to a proven sire in Volksraad. She left a lovely colt which Richard Yuill bought for $60,000, called Kilkenny. He won three races before being sold to the States.
"Her next foal was Lady Kipling, and she sold for $62,500, and she was followed by Lady Chapel (King's Chapel). Keith Hawtin bought her for $15,000 and she is a stakes placed winner. He also purchased her next foal, a Golan colt which he on-sold to Australia.
"Earlier this year we took a High Chaparral filly to the Premier sale and on the strength of the deeds of Lady Kipling and Lady Chapel sold her for $280,000. She was purchased by John Chalmers Bloodstock for a good Western Australian client of ours in Bob Peters.
This year we are taking a Thorn Park(AUS) filly to the Premier sale and Akela has produced at filly to Rip Van Winkle (IRE).
"With Thorn Park being out of commission she has gone to Pins(AUS) and will hopefully be in foal."
"Akela is a mare that would suit most stallions. She is a very straightforward mare, has a beautiful nature, and throws a nice type. Lady Kipling is very like her mother in that respect.
"We have a share in Savabeel and it was very early in his career when we sent Akela to him. She was a young well-credentialed mare and we thought physically it would be an ideal mating. I didn't see the close double up of Success Express (USA) as negative I liked the way it fell in the pedigree with him being the sire of the dam of the sire and the sire of the sire of the dam. (Or in plain English Success Express is the sire of Savannah Express, the dam of Savabeel and the sire of Al Akbar the sire of Akela.)
"She was a lovely foal and there is a lot about her mother in her. In fact we may have to consider doing that mating again," he concluded.
Lady Kipling (inner) fights back to snatch the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes from Miss Pelear and Rory Hutchings. Photo: NZTM website
- Michelle Saba
Each year it attracts a capacity field of the best sprinting fillies and mares in the country, and this year was no exception with 10 stakes performers in the field of 14 runners.
This year's winner Lady Kipling (Savabeel- Akela) recorded her second group two victory, and her ninth career win, when she fought like a tiger to take out the event from a lightly raced Miss Pelear (Mr Nancho[ARG]-Tori Belle) with the group one performer Guiseppina (Johar [USA]-Battocchi) three-quarters of a length back in third.
"That would have to have been her grittiest performance," said Steve Till spokesperson for her breeders, the Alchemy Family Trust and Windsor Park Stud.
"She was headed and she fought back. She has developed into such a professional racehorse - she's been successful at group two twice now, and placed twice at group one. Let's hope that she can lift another notch and get a group one win.
"We are delighted by the win, but equally delighted that she is raced by a good client of ours and good longstanding client of Murray's (Baker the co-trainer with Andrew Forsman) in Laurence Redshaw.
"He has been a client of ours for about 25-30 years and was an original shareholder in Kapstaad. Each year he sends eight or nine mares to stud here at the farm, and we are delighted to see him having some success. He tells me it's the best horse he has raced."
A member of the Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay branch of the NZTBA, Laurence was also the breeder of the group one VRC Derby winner Kibbutz (Golan [IRE]-Misskap) which he originally raced out of Murray Baker's stable before selling him to a syndicate headed by Simon O'Donnell and Terry Henderson.
Redshaw races Lady Kipling with his good friend Geoff Candy. They purchased her from Murray Baker who selected her at the New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale in 2009 for $62,500. She is the second foal of the stakes placed multiple winning Al Akbar mare Akela.
Steve Till purchased Akela in 2004 from the Spring Bloodstock Sale. She was at the end of her racing career where she had won six races for a partnership that included her breeders Chris Wood, her trainer, and Brian Avery who had raced Al Akbar. Besides her six wins, she was placed in the group three Fayette Park Stakes.
"She was a maiden mare and as she was by Al Akbar(AUS) she was relatively cheap at $20,000, but because she was by Al Akbar she was a real looker, and physically a nice mare. Her grandam was a very good In the Purple (FR) mare called Sylvaner so she had some pedigree, and I thought it was one of those families that could come again," said Till.
Sylvaner won seven races including the Manawatu Eulogy Stakes. She was also placed third in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes, the race won by her great-granddaughter. She is also the grandam of Hirschberg who was a stakes winner in Queensland, and was a half sister to Harmony, the dam of the group one winner All Glory who had some success as a sire.
"Her first foal was by Golan and it died at birth, so we decided to send her to a proven sire in Volksraad. She left a lovely colt which Richard Yuill bought for $60,000, called Kilkenny. He won three races before being sold to the States.
"Her next foal was Lady Kipling, and she sold for $62,500, and she was followed by Lady Chapel (King's Chapel). Keith Hawtin bought her for $15,000 and she is a stakes placed winner. He also purchased her next foal, a Golan colt which he on-sold to Australia.
"Earlier this year we took a High Chaparral filly to the Premier sale and on the strength of the deeds of Lady Kipling and Lady Chapel sold her for $280,000. She was purchased by John Chalmers Bloodstock for a good Western Australian client of ours in Bob Peters.
This year we are taking a Thorn Park(AUS) filly to the Premier sale and Akela has produced at filly to Rip Van Winkle (IRE).
"With Thorn Park being out of commission she has gone to Pins(AUS) and will hopefully be in foal."
"Akela is a mare that would suit most stallions. She is a very straightforward mare, has a beautiful nature, and throws a nice type. Lady Kipling is very like her mother in that respect.
"We have a share in Savabeel and it was very early in his career when we sent Akela to him. She was a young well-credentialed mare and we thought physically it would be an ideal mating. I didn't see the close double up of Success Express (USA) as negative I liked the way it fell in the pedigree with him being the sire of the dam of the sire and the sire of the sire of the dam. (Or in plain English Success Express is the sire of Savannah Express, the dam of Savabeel and the sire of Al Akbar the sire of Akela.)
"She was a lovely foal and there is a lot about her mother in her. In fact we may have to consider doing that mating again," he concluded.
Lady Kipling (inner) fights back to snatch the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes from Miss Pelear and Rory Hutchings. Photo: NZTM website
- Michelle Saba
