Category Archives: Northern Meteor

Maiden stakes winner for Northern Meteor in SA Sires’ Produce

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Northern Meteor (Encosta de Lago – Explosive, by Fappiano) registered his first stakes winner after The Voice won last Saturday’s Group 3 South Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks.

The Voice (Northern Meteor – Ceol Na Sraide, by King’s Theatre) defeated Murtle Turtle (Murtajill – Honey Bouquet, by Last Tycoon) by a half-length with Bulbula (Shamardal – Taameer, by General Nediym) by 1-1/4 lengths.

Winning trainer Tony McEvoy said the youngster did plenty wrong but showed he had an exciting future with his half-length success.

“He’s one of the most immature horses I’ve dealt with – so to win that race at this stage is a really good sign,” McEvoy told the Adelaide Advertiser.

“He’s been a bit of a surprise as he just wants to play all the time at home but he’s got all the physical attributes to be a very good horse.”

The Voice is a two-year-old gelding trained by Tony McEvoy. He purchased the horse for $170,000 from the draft of Glastonbury Farms at the 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

South Australian-trained horses to win the SA Sires’ Produce include Umrum (1997), Rebel Raider (2008), Silent Surround (2009), Stirling Grove (2010) and Molto Bene (2012).

The Voice is out of Ceol Na Sraide, a King’s Theatre mare who won once from 34 starts. The Voice is her fourth foal to race and win. He is a half-brother to the listed placegetter Rock Band (Rock of Gibraltar – Ceol Na Sraide, by King’s Theatre).

Northern Meteor has produced seven winners from 26 runners in a strong first-season showing for Widden Stud.

Third success for Northern Meteor at Warwick Farm

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The stock of Widden Stud’s first season sire Northern Meteor (Encosta De Lago – Explosive, by  Fappiano) has quickly made an impact on the racetrack, which only increased when Swing Vote (Northern Meteor – Swing Dance, by Danehill) won Saturday’s $85,000 TAB Number One Club Plate (1000m) at Warwick Farm .

Swing Vote led throughout for trainer Gai Waterhouse and Tommy Berry, surviving the late closing challenge of Bjorn Baker’s Twilight Royale (Testa Rossa – Royal Season, by Royal Academy), who won on debut, by 1-1/4 lengths.

Northern Meteor was trained by Waterhouse when he broke the Randwick 1200-metre track record by winning the listed Brian Crowley Stakes in 1:08.32 en route to claiming the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) during the 2008 Melbourne Cup carnival.

Swing Vote is out of unraced Danehill Dancer (Danehill – Mira Adonde) mare Swing Dance (Danehill Dancer – Newscaster, by Marscay). Swing Dance is a sister to stakes winner Turf Express (Danehill Dancer – Newscaster, by Marscay), a middle-distance galloper Waterhouse also prepared, which is now continuing his career in Hong Kong.

Swing Vote is the second winner by Northern Meteor to be trained by Waterhouse. She saddled Northern Glory (Northern Meteor – Cliantha, by Viscount), who won a two-year-old maiden over 1000 metres at Kembla Grange last month.

Northern Meteor will be represented by 25 lots during the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale, between January 9 to 15.

First winner for Northern Meteor at Ballarat

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Widden Stud stallion Northern Meteor (Encosta De Lago – Explosive, by Fappiano) sired his first winner when his son Ticket To Toorak (Northern Meteor – Ballet D’Amour, by Stravinksy) won the historic City Of Ballarat Maiden Plate (1000m) at Ballarat.

The race was the first run as part of Victoria’s new VOBIS Gold scheme. The event carried $30,000 prizemoney plus another $30,000 in bonuses to the winning connections.

A field of five lined up in the event but the bonus went unpaid as Ticket To Toorak was the only runner in the field not eligible for VOBIS Gold bonuses.

Ticket To Toorak raced greenly at the back of the field before finishing too well for the tiring Iconic (Bel Esprit – Danavia, by Danehill), who is closely related to champion mare Black Caviar.

Darren Dance’s successful operation Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock paid $80,000 for Ticket To Toorak at this year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

The colt’s trainer Matthew Williams said he would aim Ticket To Toorak for Victoria’s first right-handed race in more than 50 years on Ballarat Cup day. Magic Millions will run a right-handed race later this month for horses aimed at January’s Magic Millions race day at the Gold Coast.

 

 

More Than Ready filly easily wins Blue Diamond

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Vinery Stud resident More Than Ready (Southern Halo – Woodman’s Girl, by Woodman) completed the ‘big three’ of Australia’s rich juvenile races when Samaready (More Than Ready – Samar, by Secret Savings) easily claimed Saturday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

More Than Ready had sired multiple winners of the multi-million-dollar races the Golden Slipper and Magic Millions 2YO Classic but had not produced the winner of the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes.

Mick Price had prepared Perfectly Ready (More Than Ready – Elle Duccio, by Danehill) to finish third in the 2005 Blue Diamond Stakes but Samaready easily surpassed the colt’s Blue Diamond performance with an outstanding win.

Craig Newitt parked Samaready just off the pace before the filly sprinted clear of her opposition at the 200 metres, showcasing Vinery’s green and white colours as she careered to a three-length win.

“It was a mission accomplished, wasn’t it? You check yourself training horses all the time but she is just one of those fillies that has had the perfect prep (preparation),” he said.

“Even saddling her up before the race, she wasn’t concerned by the weather and I had a look at her in the mounting yard and thought ‘have I done enough with her?’ as you do.

“We had a little guess with her trackwork last Saturday and we didn’t do a lot with her and you see the results. These two-year-olds, you just have to train them a bit differently.”

Belmont Bloodstock signed for Samaready for $150,000 at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney.

Samaready’s dam Samar (Secret Savings – Nice Choice, by Touching Wood) also produced the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) winner Night War (General Nediym – Samar, by Secret Savings). The mare foaled a filly by Northern Meteor in 2010 and another by Testa Rossa last year.

Exceed And Excel served Samar in October 2011.

Starry Eyed tops Scone Sale

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Starry Eyed topped Friday’s Inglis Scone Broodmare Sale at ¬†$42,000 on a day where just under $500,000 was traded.¬†112 mares sold today for $458,350 at a strong clearance rate of 87%.

Starry Eyed is by Rock Of Gibraltar from the former outstanding racemare Starstruck whose 13 wins included the G1 VRC Australian Cup and she earned $912,895 on the track. She was offered by Coolmore Stud in foal to Kingmambo stallion Henrythenavigator (USA) and sold for $42,000.

Danehill (USA) mare Magical Roma, carrying a positive test to Widden Stud’s Northern Meteor, brought the day’s second highest lot at $30,000.

“This sale was typical of most of the sales we have seen this year in that there was good competition on the better lots, in particular those fillies and mares straight off the racetrack,‚Äù Inglis Bloodstock Director Jonathan D’Arcy said.

“The clearance rate was pleasing, but the reality is that it’s very much a buyers’ market at the moment and I am sure we will look back on this sale and a number of others this year as being great value buying.‚Äù

Widden offer packages

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Widden Stud yesterday announced two new stallion fee packages for this spring aimed squarely at assisting the serious commercial breeder in what can only be described as a tough economic climate.

“We’ve been listening to our clients and have been looking at ways we can help breeders to get their mares covered by the best possible sires at a price that is affordable and as a result have come up with the following package deals,” said Antony Thompson.

“The Golden Slipper Winners” РSend a mare to our Golden Slipper winners Stratum and Sebring for $65,000+ gst (advertised price for Stratum $55,000 and Sebring $38,500).

“Choose Two for 50k” РSend two mares to either Northern Meteor, Sebring or Star Witness for $50,000 +gst (advertised price Northern Meteor $33,000, Sebring $38,500 and Star Witness $33,000).

Stratum was Champion Australian First Season Sire in 2009/2010 and will also be Champion Second Season Sire for 2010/2011 by earnings, winners and stakes-winners, while the first foals by Sebring and Northern Meteor will be offered as yearlings in 2012.

“Stratum has done all we could have asked of him and is well established now as the best sire of his generation, while the Sebring and Northern Meteor foals have impressed everyone and we look forward with great anticipation to the sales next year,” Thompson said.

Sebring and Northern Meteor are poised for the next stage in their stud careers, while global traveller Star Witness is due back in Australia soon to embark on his first season at stud.

“All of these sires are rock solid commercial options for the breeder seeking to produce a superior athlete and participate at top end yearling sales, so we expect these new packages to generate considerable interest and given the popularity of these sires, there may be a limited number of mares accepted under these terms, so we urge breeders to give us a call,” Thompson added.

“Widden have always maintained a willingness to work with our clients and are ready to discuss other package options with the best deal possible and this could include the likes of Champion 3yo sprinter and dual Group I winner Nicconi, who was the most popular first season sire last year.‚Äù