STANDARDBRED

ALAMOSA youngsters take centre stage

Wellfield Lodge will proudly present the first crop yearlings by ALAMOSA (NZ) (O'REILLY) to Karaka in 2012.

THE Palmerston North farm's launch was given a classic boost with a royal PlANET ROCK (FASTNET ROCK) and the runner-up ABEAUTIFULRED (NZ) (HANDSOME RANSOM) and half-brothers by their resident son of O'REILLY (NZ) (LAST TYCOON) will feature in the National Sale consignment.

In this industry you are reliant on results and that Guineas showed again that we are producing horses of serious quality, director Bill Gleeson said. " It is very satisfying as we have spent a large amount of money in the past three or four years buying mares, and hopefully now we will be getting more payback from the investment."

By FASTNET ROCK (DANDHILL), Planet Rock was a $NZ290,000 Karaka purchase and is out of the ZABEEL (NZ) (SIR TRISTRAM) mare AKRIS (NZ) has got a magnificent ALAMOSA (NZ) colt coming up in the Premier Sale, Gleeson said. The dam is a half-sister to the multiple Australian stakes winner GORKY PARK (NZ) from the family of Group Three Norman Robinson Stakes winner and Group One VRC Derby placegetter SABRAGE (CHARGE FORWARD) and the stakes winner and top-flight placegetter PINNACLES (CHARGE FORWARD).

By ALAMOSA'S associate sire HANDSOME RANSOME (RED RANSOME) ABEAUTIFULRED (NZ) is out of the COMET SHINE (FAPPIANO) mare YOU BEAUTY (NZ) who was a Group One New Zealand Oaks placegetter and she has a perfect record at stud with all four of her foals to race having won. They include the Group Two Matriarch Stakes and Group Two Queen of the Turf winner BIRD OF FIRE(NZ) (STRAVINSKY). " We've got a cracking ALAMOSA colt out of You Beauty to offer. We've got a lovely line of horses by ALAMOSA to sell and the feedback on them from other farms has been really exciting.

ALAMOSA (NZ) was an outstanding performer on the racetrack with Thorndon Mile, Otaki WFA and Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes victories to his credit at home. And in Australia he triumphed in the Toorak Handicap. He stands at Wellfield alongside HANDSOME RANSON and ENCOSTA DE LAGO'S son ROAD TO ROCK winner of the Group One George Main Stakes and the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes who retired to the farm in 2010.

However it is O'REILLY'S four-time Group One winner ALAMOSA (NZ) who takes centre stage at Karaka with an impressive line up of colts and fillies for buyers to source from Wellfield's Premier draft. " He really does have the ability to leave a cracking type," marketing manager Huw Taylor said. " They're like peas in a pod and all bays or browns and he's never left a chestnut. They just look like genuine racehorses."

Two of his fillies singled out for particular mention by Taylor were daughters of the well-performed race mares EVERSWINDEKK (NZ) (ALIGN) and ST JESSIE (NZ) (JET BALL). " The EVERSWINDELL is a beautiful, precocious type of horse, and the St Jessie is a beautiful filly who just oozes class," he said. The winner of five races, EVERSWINDELL (NZ) was stakes placed as a juvenile and trained on at three to place in the Group One NZ 1000 Guineas, the Group One Wellington Cup at four and as a five year-old she won the Group Two New Zealand Cup. ST JESSIE (NZ), who boasts a Karaka average of more than $NZ280,000 from three previous yearlings, featured the Group Three Challenge Stakes among her seven wins. She is from the family of ZABEEL'S prolific son THE BIG BOPPER (NZ), who won 13 races including the Group Three White Robe Lodge Handicap. Two daughters of STARCRAFT (NZ) (SOVIET STAR) and fillies by CJARGE FORWARD (RED RANSOME) and Snitzel (REDOUTE'S CHOICE) round out the Premier line up.

ALAMOSA (NZ) again takes centre stage in Wellfield's Select consignment with three colts and a pair of fillies to be presented. " Again its type dominated and they are going to appeal to trainers and bloodstock agents across the board," Taylor said. Daughters of STARCRAFT and WONDERFUL WORLD (AGNES WORLD) complete the Select draft.

ALAMOSA (NZ) will be represented by 23 Premier lots and 20 Select lots.