January 3, 2014Newhaven on a roll
Article taken for the Sydney Morning Herald
Newhaven Park has the distinction of breeding and selling the form horse of the Magic Millions, the Bjorn Baker-prepared Unencumbered, which lowered several booms in last Saturday’s B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Doomben. The Boorowa operation of Richard and John Kelly invariably makes the Gold Coast sales one of its main targets and this year has its biggest representation for some time – 32 yearlings catalogued.
Unencumbered was passed in at $75,000 but Baker was able to negotiate with John to buy the son of Testa Rossa, sealing the deal with a $70,000 offer. It was to be a stroke of fortune after the colt’s win at Doomben took his earnings to $383,850 and made him an undeniable chance in Saturday week’s $2 million Magic Millions Classic. Unencumbered is from the black-type winner Blizzardly and Newhaven has a Bernardini filly from her to sell at Easter. She also has a Commands weanling on the ground and is in foal to Denman.
”We’ve had some very pleasing results with Newhaven Park-bred youngsters, we had at least 10 home-breds contesting races and barrier trials during the past four months,” Kelly said. ”Peter Moody’s Redoute’s Choice colt from Hades, named The Iliad, won a barrier trial in great style recently. He was a cracking yearling which fetched $460,000 last year to Paul Fudge’s Waratah stud. We have a full-brother selling on day three of the sales [next Friday] and he looks likely to prove the star of our draft.
”Puzzle is one which Newhaven Park retained. She’s by Shamardal from Court and is prepared by Clarry Conners, and won a Warwick Farm trial easily [late] last month.”
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