October 12th, 2007

Promising NZ-Bred filly Dashing Donna (ex Epic Pulse by Epidaurus) has been sold to Hong Kong interests, and has joined the stable of Donna and Dean Logan and Chris Gibbs at Ruakaka.  The speedy three-year-old daughter of blue-blood sire Don Eduardo (Zabeel) impressed when winning on debut, and then went on to record a black-type placing at her next start in the Listed JC Carters-Gib Wanganui Stakes (3YOF).

Dashing Donna was bred, raced and formerly trained by Wanganui horseman Nigel Auret.  Don Eduardo will be represented by three of his progeny in the New Zealand Bloodstock's November Ready to Run Sale of 2YO's, 20 & 21st.  Don Eduardo is off to a great start in his new career, already producing five winners from only 31 starters, as a racehorse he won at the highest level with his career highlight in the Group 1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m) in 2002.  He currently stands at stud in New Zealand at Haunui Farm for a fee of NZ$10,000.

August 31st, 2007

Loud cheers could be heard from the office of Haunui Farm on Thursday, after a three-year-old filly by their resident blueblood sire Don Eduardo (Zabeel) trounced her opposition over 1200m at Foxton. 

Bred, owned and trained by Nigel Auret, the almost black Dashing Donna (NZ) (ex Epic Pulse) had hinted to her talent earlier with two trial wins and was subsequently sent out the favourite with jockey Michael Walker aboard.

After flying the gates Dashing Donna (NZ) took a nice trail behind Ima Akbar (NZ) (Al Akbar), and turning for home raced away to put five-and-a-quarter lengths between herself and her nearest rival.

"She has always been a nice filly," said trainer Nigel Auret. 

"We thought we would just line her up today to get a line on her and she won very nicely," he said. 

"We'll be looking to step her up to the next level but we'll just see how she pulls up over the next few days and then take things from there," said Nigel.

Don Eduardo (NZ) claimed the Gr.1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m) in 2002 and is about to commence stud duties in the next few days at Haunui Farm. 

"It's always nice to see horses winning like that," said Mark Chitty of Haunui Farm. 

"This filly has impressed in both her trials so I guess she was expected to perform today and she surely did," said Mark. 

"It's as three-year-olds we're expecting big things from the Don Eduardo's and all the signs are looking good," he said. 

July 22nd, 2007

The blueblood Haunui Farm sire Don Eduardo (Zabeel) was rewarded with the second winner from his first crop last Saturday, when the smart two-year-old Trydon claimed a debut victory at Newcastle.

Trained by Kim Waugh, Trydon led for most of the race and responded gamely when challenged at the 200m mark, eventually crossing a length in advance of Mr Wadam.  Trydon's time for the 900m event was 54.10 seconds, with the last 600m in 34.71.

Bred by Soliloquy Lodge, Trydon was sold at the 2006 Premier Sale for $43,000 to the bid of Australian bloodstock agent Robert Roulston. "He's always shown me a lot," said trainer Kim Waugh, "and we've just given him that bit more time to mature before pushing him too hard," she said. 

"He's pulled up well and I'll look to line him up next in the City and then see where we go from there," Waugh continued. 

Part-owned by husband and former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh, the colt is raced by a large group and Kim says they could be in for a bit of fun with the horse. 

"He's a very nice horse and we'll just take it one step at a time with him," she said.

Don Eduardo's (NZ) first winner came in May when the Lee Freedman-trained filly Ditas won over 1000m at Sale in the colours of her owner and breeder, Mr Eduardo Cojuangco of Gooree Park Stud. 

"With the new season just around the corner it is great that Don Eduardo has notched up another winner in Australia and I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of them in New Zealand come the new season," said Mark Chitty of Haunui Farm. 

"With both his winners coming up trumps over the shorter trips, you'd only expect more from them as they get over a bit more ground and that's what we're looking forward to seeing in the new season," he said. 

"Comments from trainers right the way through have been that the Don Eduardo's have shown a good turn of foot but, that they will just get better with time, so the new season will soon tell us the story," he said.

Don Eduardo is standing at Haunui Farm in 2007 for a fee of NZ$10,000 + GST. 

May 29th, 2007

One of Australasia’s most classically-bred thoroughbreds, Don Eduardo, has had his first Australian winner thanks to the victory of Ditas at Sale in Victoria last weekend.
Owned as his sire was by Gooree, Ditas is trained by Lee Freedman, who also prepared Don Eduardo.

Ditas, a filly from the Fuji Kiseki mare Zembu, grabbed victory on the line in a style that suggested she would appreciate more ground than the 1000m contest and would also be up to a rise in class.
"She showed a great turn of foot to pull in the leader and it's a great result to get Don Eduardo's first winner on the board," said Gooree’s Andrew Baddock. 

Ditas (NZ) is the result of Don Eduardo's first season at stud and is the first foal out of Zembu, a two-year-old winner herself from the family of Fantastic Light.
Baddock said Gooree had several promising youngsters by Don Eduardo, including one prepared by Gai Waterhouse who has been likened by its trainer to Desert War.

“They're only going to get better with time and Don Eduardo himself wasn't at his best until the autumn," Baddock said. 

Don Eduardo has had only a handful of starters on both sides of the Tasman so far, and since Easter he has sired three trial winners in New Zealand.
After selling an $180,000 filly at Karaka when his first crop of yearlings went through the sales ring in 2006, Don Eduardo followed up in 2007 with a top price of $190,000.
"When trainers are stepping up and paying good money for a stallion's progeny, they're obviously happy with the ones they've got or, they're impressed with what they've seen and heard of from others," said Mark Chitty of Haunui Farm.
"It's as three-year-olds that we expect them to be at their best, so anything achieved at two is literally a bonus.”

Don Eduardo enters his fifth season at stud this spring and will stand at an unchanged fee of NZ$10,000 + GST.