Pins Produces More International Success

With Waikato Stud's smart young sire Pins already claiming Cox Plate champion El Segundo amongst his winning progeny this season, his run of success continued at the weekend with more eye catching international performances.

In Singapore, with the Trainers Premiership already in the bag, Laurie Laxon is still notching up the winners, this time with his own horse, the Kiwi-bred Waikato (Pins x Skywalker Wilkes by Skywalker).

One of two winners on Friday night in Singapore sold at Karaka by Brent and Louise Gillovic's Highview Stud, Waikato finished three lengths ahead of his nearest rival in the Open Benchmark 97 over 1200 metres. Ridden by lightweight hoop Ronnie Stewart, and also trained by Laurie Laxon, the four-year-old gelding recorded his fourth consecutive win bringing his impressive tally to five wins, three seconds and a third from just 10 career starts.

Bred by Amadi Park, Waikato was purchased by Laxon at the Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$50,000 from Highview Stud. Highview was also responsible for a winner earlier in the evening when NZ$30,000 Select Sale graduate Jeram Sunshine (Align x Country Road) recorded his first win on just his second race-day start in the Restricted Maiden 1200 metre.

At Flemington the next day, four-year-old Karaka graduate Gallopin (Pins x Carla Rossi) put in an eye-catching show for trainer Danny O'Brien.

Racing back in the field, Gallopin sprinted home to put three-quarters-of-a-length between him and second placegetter Road to Athens (Redoute's Choice x Shannon Wood) with Arbitration (Brief Truce x Solamina) a short head back in third.

Gallopin has now raced on 11 occasions for six wins and three seconds. Bought by Richard Collett at the 2005 Karaka Select Sale for NZ$40,000 from Waikato Stud, this year Shelby Park will offer his half-brother by O'Reilly at Lot 540 of the Karaka Select Sale.

Meanwhile El Segundo's younger brother Redondo Beach (Elnadim x Palos Verdes) also shined at Flemington on Saturday when Greg Childs rode the Karaka graduate to his fourth win from eight starts in the Western Health Cup (2500m).

Purchased by Paul Moroney Bloodstock at the 2005 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale for NZ$87,500 and trained by brother Mike, Redondo Beach won by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Perusen (Perugino x Sentimental Girl) and Constant Cheers (Pentire x Royal Claudia)

Pins (Snippets x No Finer by Kaoru Star) was the Champion New Zealand Sire by Average Earnings Index in 2006-07 and has sired four Group 1 winners including El Segundo, Legs, Porotene Gem and Econsul from five crops to race. Pin's first crop contains 11 individual stakeswinners - more than Danehill, Redoute's Choice, Flying Spur or Encosta de Lago in their first crops.

He is represented at Karaka 2008 by 33 yearlings in the Premier Sale and 23 in the Select Sale. These include a half-sister to Champion Sprinter-Miler Gee I Jane (Jahafil x Miss Distinction by Bletchencore) on account of Hallmark Stud at Lot 257, and a half-brother from Group 1 performed mare Soltanto (Tights) to stakeswinner in New Zealand and Australia Temple Hills (Marju) (Lot 367).

Other significant updates to Karaka 2008 from racing over the weekend came with San Bernadino (Gold Mine x Miss Katella by The Commander) winning his second listed race, the Fairview Ford Stakes (1100m). The Karaka Million hopeful was purchased by Rogerson Bloodstock at the 2007 Karaka Select Sale for NZ$28,000 from Hallmark Stud. Hallmark Stud will offer his half-sister by Bertolini at the 2008 Karaka Select Sale.

Sarajay (Danasinga x Sriwijaya by Last Tycoon) won the Group 2 Gasmate Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa. She was purchased by Trevor McKee at the 2001 Select Fillies Sale for NZ$90,000 from Waikato Stud. Entered in the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale is a half-brother to Sarajay by Waikato Stud's first season sire Savabeel at Lot 375.

Rounding off a huge weekend for Karaka graduates, Sircross (Cape Cross x Contra Aid by Hostage) won the Listed First Sovereign Trust Great Northern Guineas Prelude (2100m) from Twoeezy (Keeper x Stareel by Zabeel) and Katoon (Kaapstad x Toonsie by Affirmed) at Ellerslie. William Lloyd bought the horse at the Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$105,000 from Raffles Farm.