Two New Contenders for Karaka Million Riches

Two New Contenders for Karaka Million Riches

Two new youngsters have placed themselves firmly in Karaka Million contention this weekend, with good performances on each side of the Tasman putting them amongst the current top 10 on the Karaka Million Order of Entry.

Racing at Woodville on Saturday saw the son of Ishiguru, Mai Guru (NZ) (Ishiguru x Everglow), shoot up the Karaka Million Order of Entry with a professional winning performance in the Bambry's Water Treadmill Juvenile (1100m).

Trained by Kevin Hughes and Dean Wiles, Mai Guru went straight to the lead with jockey Hayden Tinsley aboard and the pair led throughout, racing hard up against the rail to win by one-and-a-half-lengths in a hands and heals ride.

The win takes Mai Guru's stakes earnings to $9,050 and puts him in tenth place on the Karaka Million Order of Entry which is based on prize money earned.

Mai Guru ran second in his race debut at his last start at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, putting in a big display when taking the lead at the 250 metre mark, only to be run down late by the O'Reilly colt Freedom.

Bred by Jim Campin and owned by the Elaine Chen Stable, Mai Guru was purchased by Ben Foote Racing Stables from Jim Campin at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2011 Karaka Select Sale for $47,500.

The gelding was re-offered at New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds in November last year and was purchased by David Kok of Singapore from Esker Lodge for $60,000.

Jim Campin will be offering eight yearlings at the Karaka Yearling Sales including a half-brother to Mai Guru by Europe's champion first season sire Iffraaj at Lot 720 of the Select Sale. His other entries include:

* Lot 180, the colt by O'Reilly from the Group 1 winning mare Emerald (Grosvenor).

* Lot 411, the half-sister by Pentire to the Group 2 winner Folding Gear (Johar) who was placed in the Group 3 Sandown Eclipse Stakes this season. Her dam is the dual stakes winning mare Royal Show (Deputy Governor).

In Australia on Saturday, the Anthony Freedman trained Ockham's Razor (NZ) (Any Suggestion x Shadow Ray) has gone straight to fifth on the Karaka Million Order of Entry when running a strong second on debut in the Thomas North Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.

Any Suggestion
Any Suggestion (above) and General Nediym both
have two two-year-olds in the top 10 on the
Karaka Million Order of Entry
Bred by Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd, Ockham's Razor was purchased by Bahen Bloodstock from Rich Hill Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2011 Karaka Premier Sale for $170,000.

With his oldest progeny only two-year-olds, Any Suggestion has two horses in the top 10 on the Karaka Million Order of Entry with Taoist Master winning at Trentham on debut in December for John Sargent.

A sister to Ockham's Razor will be offered by Rich Hill Stud at the Karaka Select Sale at Lot 1034.

New Zealand's richest race, the $1 million Karaka Million, will be run on Sunday January 29 at Ellerslie and is limited to 14 starters. There are just seven two-year-old events remaining before race nominations close on Tuesday 24 January, including the Group 2 Little Avondale Wakefield Challenge Stakes which carries a stake of $85,000.

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