NZB Winning Over Asia

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NZB Winning Over Asia

On a weekend featuring Singapore's International Meeting, Karaka graduates won fifteen races across Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.

The action began in Singapore and Macau on Saturday night where New Zealand Bloodstock-sold horses won eight of the eighteen races staged across the two venues.

In Singapore, trainer Brian Dean and jockey Saimee Jumaat took out the S$75,000 Saigon Racing Club Trophy (1200m) with the smart three-year-old Powerful Ruler (Viking Ruler - Capsimation, by Kaapstad) who scored by a length, two and a half months after running third to fellow NZB graduate Revolte at his last start in the Group 3 Singapore Guineas.

Now the winner of four races from ten starts, Powerful Ruler has never been unplaced, and has accrued S$351,000 for his owners No Limit Stable. Powerful Ruler was purchased from Phoenix Park at the 2007 Karaka Select Sale for $52,000 by Dean Wiles who bought 40 yearlings at Karaka 2009.

Five other winners at Singapore on Saturday night complemented two in Macau, including Easy Choice (Howbaddouwantit - Diamond Dust, by Jetball) who took out his third career victory in the The Precipitation Stakes (1500m).

Easy Choice's his first victory came just three months after the November's 2008 Ready to Run Sale, where he was secured by Willie Leung just six months ago for $90,000 from the draft of Curraghmore Stud. He is trained by leading Macau trainer Stephen Chow who is a regular visitor to New Zealand.

With no racing in Malaysia over the weekend, the focus turned to Sunday racing at Kranji in Singapore and Hong Kong action at Sha Tin.

Race 1 at Kranji saw the first Karaka victor, and 3YO Langstraat (O'Reilly - Salimah, by Kinjite) unleashed something very special for trainer Stephen Gray. His victory over 1200m, after a midfield finish looked likely just 400m out from the post, left onlookers stunned by his acceleration and had Champion Singapore jockey Saimee Jumaat comparing him to 2008 Champion 3YO Sprinter Big Maverick (O'Reilly), both of whom were sold through Karaka.

Langstraat was sold by Waikato Stud at the 2007 Karaka Select Sale for $70,000. Now raced by Meltdown Stable he has recorded one start for one win and looks set for a very bright future.

New Zealand Bloodstock graduates continued their good form at Sha Tin winning five races of the eleven race card including the feature HK$1,150,000 Austin Handicap (1600m). The race was one of three won by former Kiwi trainer Paul O'Sullivan on the night, with Legend of Colour (Kaapstad - Nuance, by Star Way) scoring by three quarters of a length in the hands of Zac Purton.

Formerly known as Avancer in New Zealand where he won three races for Stephen McKee and competed in the Group 1 NZ Derby, Legend of Colour has now won two races in Hong Kong this season where he competed in the Group 1 Mercedes Hong Kong Derby after running third in the H-K2 Mercedes Derby Trial. Both his wins have been at Sha Tin over 1600m.

New Zealand Bloodstock Asia which will be based in Singapore will open its doors in June.

ENDS

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