Prized mare offered on Gavelhouse Plus

Having sold nine-time Group One winner Avantage for an online world record of $4.1 million on Gavelhouse Plus, Te Akau Racing’s Exaltation is the latest high-class mare to be auctioned on the platform from the leading stable.

A half-sister to dual New Zealand Horse Of The Year and 14-time Group One winner Melody Belle, Exaltation is offered in-foal to Champion Sire Savabeel.

“Exaltation finished her career the way she started it, in winning style having won her first two starts and her last quite impressively,” Te Akau principal David Ellis said.

“Our policy is to sell all of our mares off the track and we’re very sorry to see her go as she has a gorgeous temperament.

“She’s one of the best types that I’ve bought at Karaka and I am really looking forward to inspecting her progeny.

“She will have an October foal and is an easy mare to mate genetically. It’s a terrific mating with Savabeel.”

Testament to her quality, Ellis secured Exaltation with a final bid of $900,000 at Karaka from breeder Marie Leicester through Haunui Farm’s yearling draft in 2018.

She went on to win five of her 15 starts over distances from 1200m to 2000m while placing on three occasions. 

She is by outstanding sire Not A Single Doubt, sire of 79 stakes winners, 16 at Group One level, and hails from the much sought after ‘Belle’ family with plenty of scope for further improvement close up in her pedigree.

Her three-year-old half-brother Tutukaka is a dual stakes winner in Australia and is being set for the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m), while dam Meleka Belle has Snitzel and Pierro fillies yet to run and visited Hello Youmzain this season.

Bidding will run from 21 March to 7pm (NZ time) on Friday 25 March. In order to bid on Gavelhouse Plus you must have prior approval. Buyers are encouraged to set up their accounts well in advance.

Exaltation is located at Lena Jones and Benji King’s Richmond Downs in Walton, near Matamata, and is available for inspection by appointment. Contact Benji King to book: +64 27 827 710

 

Doncaster likely for Inspirational Girl

New Zealand-bred mare Inspirational Girl is likely to continue her autumn campaign in Sydney, with leading owner Bob Peters weighing up two options for the star Western Australian mare.

Winner of the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) back in 2020, Inspirational Girl has raced just five times since due to injury and won the Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) a fortnight ago.

The daughter of Reliable Man finished a creditable sixth in Saturday’s A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) won by Zaaki, unsuited by the sedate tempo of the race.

Peters said Inspirational Girl had come through the run well and could now potentially target the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 2, where the six-year-old mare has been allotted just 51.5kgs.

The mare could be reunited with Peters’ former number one rider William Pike, who is plying his trade in Sydney after refusing to conform with the mandatory vaccination rules enforced by Racing & Wagering WA.

“I’ve just got to make a decision whether we go to Sydney,” Peters told The West Australian. “There is the Doncaster and Queen Of The Turf.

“The Doncaster is the better option, I think, getting in on that weight. The bookies are usually a good guide and she’s on the fifth line of betting at the moment. Everything basically went wrong in the All-Star Mile.”

The market for the time-honoured handicap is headed by Converge and Forbidden Love at $6, with Inspirational Girl a $13 chance.