Ladies combine for quarter-million sale-topping colt

By Garrick Knight

Three women passionate about harness racing came together to produce one of the richest standardbred lots in New Zealand yearling history at Karaka on Monday.

Sydney’s Mary Rosati cast the winning bid of $250,000, for Im Cushty, a standout Captaintreacherous colt out of the Badlands Hanover mare, Hi Ho Silver Lining.

Rosati and husband, Emilio, had been locked in a fierce bidding war with Melbourne’s Jean Feiss, who suffered a very rare sale-ring defeat.

Numerous others were involved in the early bidding, but Feiss and the Rosatis soon emerged, as usual, from the ruck to fight it out.

Sitting nervously behind the auctioneers’ dais was co-breeder Anne Parker, who together with husband Tony operates Tardina Stud in Bombay.

“I was so nervous at the beginning but just started feeling better and better and better,” Parker told HRNZ moments after the hammer fell.

She gave the colt a name derived from Romany Gypsy which basically means ‘I’m excellent’ or ‘I’m good’.

“Because I’m a gypsy princess and I knew he was going to do well.

“Cushty is very good in gypsy.”

Unfortunately for Parker, the name will be removed as the Rosatis rename all their purchases with the ‘Stride’ suffix.

Still, nothing was going to wipe the smile of her and husband Tony’s faces after such a delightful result.

“It’s taken a bit of work to get to this position, but we really enjoy it.

“And if you’re lucky, like we have been, you keep going.”

Parker described it as a “mixed sale” for them on the whole with five of their seven lots selling for a gross of $400,000.

And they’ll go to good stables, too with Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen buying another Captaintreacherous, Tony Herlihy picking up a third one, Ray Green to train Im Cushty and Purdon’s son Michael, who is making waves as a trainer, buying an Andover Hall colt.

The Parkers are well past retirement age but still breed from “about 30” mares.

“This has been reward for a lot of hard work we’ve put in over many years,” said Tony Parker.

This year’s crop had its preparations compromised by an especially dry summer, so the effort by staff to turn them out as they did was a big effort, Parker reckoned.

The Parkers’ results also underlined the rising star that is Captaintreacherous as a sire.

He only had four in the sale and they netted $395,000 with a $40,000 minimum.

His results in the American sale ring have been excellent and his first crop Down Under has already seen winners in both Australia and New Zealand.

“I think we’ll have to speak to David James at Empire and book all our mares in to him for next season,” quipped Anne.

Im Cushty was the Rosatis’ only purchase on the day, but it was one of four lots that exceeded $200,000.

Jean Feiss purchased Georgias Bettor, a Bettor’s Delight colt offered by Cambridge’s John Taylor, $200,000.

And Lincoln Farms’ John Street was active again, spending nearly $600,000 on six lots, including two Bettor’s Delight colts that went for $210,000 and $200,000 each.

Stonewall Stud continued on their expansion plans with Steve Stockman, Jill Stockman and trainer Steve Telfer signing for 11 lots at a cost of nearly $600,000 too.

Among their buys was Jesse Duke’s full brother for $115,000.

Woodlands Stud had a watershed sale once again, selling 36 of 38 lots to accrue the highest aggregate among vendors at $1,648,500.

Amongst the trotters, Greg Hope signed for a Muscle Hill brother to Tailored Elegance on behalf of buyer Ian Dobson, who went to $90,000.

There were plenty of Australian buyers in action, including Perth’s Albert Walmsley, Greg and Sky Bond and Jim and Wilma Giumelli and Queensland’s Dean Shannon.