THOROUGHBRED

Lime Country Thoroughbred principals Greg and Jo Griffin have purposefully bided their time before presenting their first Premier Sale draft to the National Yearling Sales.

Their Hastings operation has been a Karaka vendor for the past four years at Select and Festival levels, and Greg and Jo are now confident they have assembled a top line consignment to make waves in the feature division.

"We've had opportunities to do the Premier before but we wanted to be sure they were worthy of it, and this time we are really very happy with the quality we will be offering", Jo said. Lime Country will present a quartet of exciting prospects with a son of High Chaparrel a standout.

"He's the rock star of the draft and he's been with us since he was a foal and is just a stunner. He's the Johnny Depp of the farm." The colt is out of the Pentire mare Avant Jazz, who is a half-sister to the Craiglee Stakes-Gr.2 winner Native Jazz and a sister to the dam of the Australian Derby-Gr.1 and Randwick Guineas-Gr.1 winner Shoot Out (also by High Chaparral).

"The Alamosa colt out of Young American is a big, strong correct horse and typical of the Alamosas. He is out of half-sister to the Railway Stakes-Gr.1 winner Imananabaa." Young American's first foal Brudder has won five times in Singapore, her second is the impressive debut winner Forever Joyful, while Vuela has twice placed in a brief career.

"Bred on the same Danehill sire line the Keeper colt is a half-brother to the Queensland Derby-Gr.1 winner Shootoff and this one looks another likely Derby prospect. He's got a good forearm and is a lovely, loose walking horse." His dam is the winning Zebeel mare Athenri, from the family of the George Ryder Stakes-Gr.1 winner Prince ruling.

A son of champion Sire in Stratum out of the Encosta de Lago mare Lumir, who is a half-sister to the champion Austrailian performer and multiple Gr.1 winner Mahogany, completes the draft. "This colt is very much like his sire and is all muscle. He's from a beautiful family and is sure to get a lot of attention".

Lime Country's Select Sale team will feature a pair of colts by champion first season sire Perfectly Ready. "They are both cracking types and off the back of them we sent two of our own mares to him. the filly by Authorized is the first foal out of the unraced mare Georgia Gold Rush, who is an Elusive Quality mare and a full-sister-in-blood to Australian stakes placed mare Princess Quality and from the family of blue hen mare Fanfreluche. On top of that she is bred on the same cross as Sepoy and Induna. The Savabeel filly has a lot of class and will furnish out beautifully by the sales, she has plenty of length and great natural muscle. The Elusive City is a sister to the Ryder Stakes-LR winner Lamington Vegas and the Lucky Unicorn is another close relation to Shootoff," Griffin said. "The Darci Brahma out of Vision, who is a Stakes performed half-sister to the Gr.1 winner Gaze, is another beautiful type with great residual value".

Darci Brahma is furnther represented by a daughter of the Thunder Gulch mare Concert Party, who is a half-sister to the Queensland Derby-Gr.1 winner Empires Choice. "The Fallkirk colt is the first foal of Baci who won five and was stakes placed and he is a composed and sensible colt and a good pinhooking option."

The Griffins are particularly pleased with the strength of the dam sires through both drafts with mares by Zabeel,Pentire,Snippets,Encosta de Lago and Cape Cross. "Its great to be presenting stock with sire power like this on the bottom line, sires which have excelled in our most important markets- Australia and Asia.

The Griffins established Lime Country Thoroughbreds in 2007 at the historic Okawa Stud, formerly home to top stallions Faux Tirage and Three Legs, in the Hawkes Bay. The propert is split between sales preparation, agistment and permanent boarders and the breaking-in and pre-training operation. The stud side of the property comprises large roomy broodmare and young stock agistment areas. The breaking -in and pre-training side features 24 boxes, 14 day yards, avast undercover round yard, a 1300 metre track, and turnout paddocks. It also boasts hundreds acres of laned farmland and rolling hill country. Hong Kong Horse of The Year Ambitious Dragon and the New Zealand Stakes-Gr1 winner The Party Stand are among the Group horses to have come through the Lime Country system in the short time they have been operating.