THOROUGHBRED

Haunui Farm is well established among Australasia's elite thoroughbred nurseries with more than half a century of breeding and racing success and a rewarding association with the National Yearling Sales. However, the 2012 series will turn a page for the Chitty family with their first draft to be presented after Haunui's relocation to Karaka.

The move their long-held Whitford base was completed earlier this year to 101 ha (250 acres) of select farmland that has been further developed to high standards for the resident bluebloods. "There is uniqueness about this draft and we have all been very, very happy with the way the horses have progressed here", Mark Chitty, the third generation of his family to hold the Haunui reins, said. "You're only as good as your last winner in this game and we've been fortunate to have another good year with five stakes winners and seven takes performers, which gives buyers confidence to come and look at our horses".

among the farm's leading lights are Galileo's son Galileo's Destiny, who has twice been Gr.1 placed in South Africa and collected a further four Group placings, while Do You Think won the Baillieu Handicap-Gr.3 and the Haunui-raised pair of Anne Higgins, winner of the Sunline Vase-LR and a multiple Gr.2 placegetter, and Blinding, placed in the Levin Classic-Gr.1, have also been to the fore.

"We've got a lot of nice, young horses out there that within the next 12 or 18 months look like they are going to be going right on with it", Chitty said. Among them are the Galilee Series Final-LR winner Almodovar, Adamantium, Cultural City and Atlantis Dream. On the stallion front, Don Eduardo (NZ) (Zabeel-Diamond Lover by Sticks and Stones) has continued to show his versatility with top flight sprinters such as Swift Alliance and Dashing Donna and quality staying performers like the dual Gr.1 winner Booming, Older than Time, Divine Rebel, All in Black and Vickezzchardonnay. "He had five stakes winners again last season", Chitty said. Champion European First Season Sire Iffraaji (GB) (Zafonic-Pastorale by Nureyev) produced a record 38 individual winners with seven stakes performers and spearheaded by the Jean-Luc Lagardere-Gr.1 winner Wootton Bassett. He has already been represented by his first southern hemisphere winner with Liberating, who was so impressive on debut.

"It was great to get the monkey off the back and we didn't think it would come as early as October, although I always felt Iffraaj's fillies would come earlier than his colts", Chitty said. "They will improve further with a bit of time, so it's been satisfying that he's been able to get one up and running".

The Gimcrack Stakes-Gr.1 winner showcasing (GB) is the new boy on the Haunui block and the son of Oasis Dream-Arabseque by Zafonic has proved hugely popular. "He has been very well received and it's been nice to have a fully syndicated horse serving a full book of 120 mares and he's proved very fertile. We also had a bit of luck with Foreteller winning a Group Three in Melbourne in the spring. He is out of a half-sister to the dam of showcasing and it is great to get some further southern hemisphere for in the pedigree".

Haunui will present a draft of 20 in the Premier Sale at Karaka in 1012. "As always there's a variety of proven stallions represented in the top end of the calalogue, and that's fantastic. We've got a Don Eduardo filly out of Bonachi who's a daughter of Bonanove, so that's a lovely pedigree and the Savabeel out of Captivate will offer a chance to buy into that great Soliloquy family". a daughter of High Chaparral is also tipped as a standout. "She's out of Freequence, and on type she is as good a filly as you'll see", he said.

Haunui's Premier colts are described as a very even bunch. "There are some really well related horses and pedigrees featuring some nice, young mares through to the order mares who have already performed at stud", Chitty said. Their stallion representation is outstanding and further features youngsters by Iffraaj, Pins, O'Reilly, Pentire, Zabeel, Stavinsky, Thorn Park, Tale of the Cat, Exceed and Excel, Flying Spur Fastnet Rock and Commands.

"WE've always sold well in the Select Sale as well and, again, we've got great variety and a selection of really lovely individuals", Chitty said. They are by Iffraaj, Don Eduardo, Elusive City, Thorn Park, Volsraad, Pentire, Stratum, Authorized, Alamosa, Dane Shadow and Perfectly Ready.