Sleeping Beauty and warhorse, Authentic Paddy retired
Sleeping Beauty retired
Dual stakes winner Sleeping Beauty has already been courted by her Prince following her race retirement earlier this month.
The Sir Peter Vela-owned mare had her last run in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings and seven days later she was in the breeding barn being served by her selected suitor.
“She has been scanned in-foal to Iffraaj,” said Leon Casey, studmaster of Vela’s thoroughbred farm, Pencarrow Stud.
“We were looking for a proven stallion and he succeeds across a wide range of mares, but he does seem to have a real affinity with Danehill close up on the dam side.”
Sleeping Beauty won ten of her 24 career starts for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, including the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) and Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m).
They were her last two starts before her tilt at the Tarzino Trophy and Casey said she will be an excellent addition to Pencarrow’s broodmare band.
“She is a seven-year-old now,” he said. “The plan was to keep her going to have a crack at that Group One race and she is retired now.
“She is out of a Danehill mare and has a good family behind her. She is a lovely type of mare with plenty of natural speed, so she is a good prospect.”
Warhorse, Authentic Paddy retired
Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta has announced the retirement of Group One winner and perennial stable favourite Authentic Paddy.
The 10-year-old gelding by Howbaddouwantit went to the races 101 times for 11 wins and 35 placings for just over $780,000 in stakes earnings.
A consistent black-type performer his biggest victory came in the 2017 edition of the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie after five Group One placings, two of which were third in the previous editions of the race.
Prior to his Group One victory he was a Group Three winner of the Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) at Riccarton.
Always relied upon to give his best effort, trainer Lisa Latta and the owners made the decision to retire him while he was still in perfect health.
“He’s been battling in his last few races,” Latta said.
“He’s been such a good horse to us and we don’t want to see anything go wrong with him. He’s been retired to a nice home and will be well looked after.”
Bred by the late Don Robinson, he was raced by his breeder before his passing, and then later raced by members of Robinson’s family.
He will see out his days on a neighbouring farm to one of his owners in Hawke’s Bay.
