October 22, 2012Newhaven Park-bred lights up Caulfield
Newhaven Park-bred lights up Caulfield
After finishing just over two lengths in fourth place at his first attempt at Group One level in the Epsom Handicap recently, connections of the lightly raced five-year-old Galileo gelding Lightinthenite were confident that sending their charge to Melbourne would produce a positive result.
Stepping up to the 2000m for the first time in the $150,000 Group Three David Jones Cup, the Newhaven Park-bred runner forced his way through a gap to record his sixth career victory from 13 starts, and his first at black type level.
Ridden by champion jockey Craig Williams, all was seemingly going very well during the run, sitting in a handy third on the rail. As the field headed for home, Williams desperately needed an out, sitting patiently until a gap appeared, then forcing his way through to record a narrow, but decisive half-neck victory over Bagman and Extra Zero.
The first foal out of the Grand Lodge mare Tiffin, herself a half-sister to the Listed-winning full-relations Major and Happen, the grand-dam of juvenile stakes winner Shamillion, Lightinthenite is by the world-wide Champion sire Galileo. Tiffin has a yearling filly by Domesday and is set to foal this spring to Dane Shadow.
Given time by his trainer John O’Shea and connections Champion Thoroughbreds, all are confident that in 12 months time they could be back on track at Caulfield with a live chance in the feature race of the day, the Group One Caulfield Cup over 2400m.
Lightinthenite was purchased by Brian Grassick Bloodstock from the Magic millions Weanling sale for $77,500. Following the sale Lightinthenite was then sent back to Newhaven Park to grow and develop before he went into training with John O’Shea. Lightinthenite’s six career wins have netted in excess of $340,000 for his successful owners, with connections looking to target an 1800m Listed race on Melbourne Cup day, with a possible tilt at the Group Three Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2600m on the final day of the carnival.
Lightinthenite’s performance was not the only notable result of the weekend for Newhaven Park, with fellow five-year-old Zac Influence racing in Sunday’s Singapore Group One Raffles Cup over 1800m.
Already a winner of the Singapore Group Three TC Proinn Construct Stakes over 1800m, the Cliff Brown-trained runner finished third in the local Group One contest after settling second last in the field of 13 and making up many lengths in the run.
By Rock Of Gibraltar and out of the multiple stakes-performed Quest For Fame mare Kidman, Zac Influence comes from the family of top line Group One gallopers including Melito, Zeditave, Alannon and Greys Inn.
Purchased from the 2009 Inglis Easter yearling sale by his trainer for $60,000, so impressed was he with how Zac Influence was progressing, that he returned in 2011 to purchase Kidman’s next yearling, a Flying Spur half-brother, this time going to $140,000 to secure the colt.
Having bred many Group One gallopers over the years including Magic Albert, Shogun Lodge, Burst, Prowl and Absolute Champion to name but a few, Newhaven Park’s Booroowa-based property offers breeders the opportunity to agist their mares, foaling, weanling and handling, as well as preparing drafts for the major yearling and breeding stock sales each year in Australia, consistently achieves top sales results.
For further information please contact
John Kelly – 02 63858335
Lindy Maurice (marketing) – 0488066604