Optimism at Newhaven
John Kelly has been selling Easter yearlings for many years, but has rarely been in a more buoyant mood than he is approaching this year’s sale.
Not only is the draft from Newhaven Park bristling with close relations to G1 winners, but it’s been a watershed few weeks for the farm’s young stallion Xtravagant, now pushing for second season sire honours. He’s climbed to 3rd on the prizemoney list and lies second by individual stakes winners, with less runners than almost every stallion in the top ten.
I asked John Kelly for his thoughts on Newhaven’s 2022 Easter draft and the exciting developments with Xtravagant and he offered the following comments.
“Xtravagant was an extraordinary athlete on the track, it’s hard to find horses anywhere in the world that can win one, let alone two G1 races by eight lengths or more. So we’ve had a lot of faith in this horse, who is a great physical specimen, he was a sale topper, and to complete the picture he is Danehill free, so should suit most commercial mares. After being well supported in his first few seasons, as with many young sires, if their stock don’t win the early juvenile contests, impatience takes over and he was hard to fill last year.
However, he’s had a sensational past few months with Xtravagant Star winning the $2 million Inglis Millennium, Lavish Girl winning the Angus Armanasco-G2, He’s Xceptional also a stakes winner and Devoted being G2 placed. I know for certain of several other smart ones about.
What’s even more impressive is that with far less runners at the same stage of their careers to the end of February with their second crop runners he has a better strike rate of stakes winners to runners than Snitzel, Written Tycoon, Not A Single Doubt and I Am Invincible did at the same stage, and he has more individual stakes winners than all but Vinny did.
As Xtravagant is by Pentire out of a Zabeel mare it’s hard to imagine that the best isn’t yet to come.
Our first four into the ring are all out of Group winning mares, a G1 winner, a G1 4th, a G2 winner and a G3 winner.
I might add that our other young stallion Cool Aza Beel has a similar profile, being the fastest 2YO son of a Great Classic sire, so I’m hoping breeders will see the similarities and take advantage of the opportunities our two young stallions offer.”
John’s enthusiasm was apparent as we turned to a discussion of the Newhaven Park Easter draft of five colts and three fillies.
“Our first four into the ring are all out of Group winning mares, a G1 winner, a G1 4th, a G2 winner and a G3 winner, and we are also offering a Zoustar half sister to Written Tycoon’s MRC One Thousand Guineas-G1 winner Odeum. This filly is also a half sister to G3 winner Goodfella, winner of over $1 million and from the family of $3.7 million earner, the crack G1 sprinter Gytrash. Fillies like this don’t often come on the market.
So we’re really looking forward to Easter, a restriction free Easter by the look of it, and catching up with all our clients and friends, and parading our draft for inspection.”
A brief rundown on the Newhaven draft shows the quality on offer:
Lot 5 is a colt by hot sire Zoustar out of the G3 winner and G1 Doncaster 4th Vergara whose first to race is already a winner. This colt’s second dam is a half-sister to multiple G1 winner and G1 sire Turffontein.
Lot 7 is by the reigning ‘king ‘of G1 sires Fastnet Rock (42 G1 winners) out of the triple G1 winning mare Viadana whose first two to race are both winners.
Lot 155 is a colt by champion first season sire Capitalist out of the G3 winner Enquare with second dam Skewiff also a G3 winner and G1 placed. The dam’s first two to race are both winners including this colt’s three quarter-sister Written Miss, winner of three of her only four starts and $190k.
Lot 184 is Written Tycoon filly out of Golden Slipper runnerup Frolic winner of the Reisling Slipper Trial-G2 and over $1million prizemoney. Second dam is the G3 winning Redoute’s Choice mare Leveller and this is the prolific family of Bam’s On Fire, Shovhog and Midnight Fever.
Special Note: this filly is bred on the Written Tycoon/Mr Prospector nick which is present in 8 of Written Tycoon’s 11 G1 winners.
Lot 212 is a Lonhro filly which is the first foal of the winning Helmet (Exceed And Excel) mare Hill Of Grange who is a daughter of G2 winner Heatherly, who was also multiple G1 placed.
NB: The Lonhro/Exceed And Excel cross has produced G1 winning mare Bounding and G2 winner Encryption.
Lot 301 is a Dundeel colt out of the stakes winning Intikhab (Red Ransom) mare Moone’s My Name whose first foal to race is a winner.
NB: The Dundeel/Red Ransom cross has been outstanding producing G1 winner Yourdeel and stakes placed Dealmaker from just 14 runners.
Lot 307 is a filly by Zoustar, star sire of fillies such as Sunlight, out of the stakes mare Movie who is a gem of the Newhaven broodmare band having already left two high class stakes winners in G3 winner Goodfella and the brilliant One Thousand Guineas-G1 winner Odeum. This is also the family of crack G1 sprinter Gytrash ($3.7 million). An investment quality filly.
Lot 351 is a Deep Field colt and is the first foal of the stakes mare Plastered, with second dam Classic Woman being a stakes winning Storm Bird mare. This is the family of champion 2YO and G1 sire Ad Valorem.
With a very current honour roll of elite Graduates such a Xtravagant Star, Odeum, Shout The Bar, Aim, The Harrovian and Lavish Girl. Newhaven has every reason to be optimistic about the 2022 Inglis Easter Sale. And there are undoubtedly exciting times ahead for their two young sires Xtravagant and Cool Aza Beel.
“I think my phone will be a lot busier than last year, Xtravagant deserves it!” John Kelly concluded.
www.newhavenpark.com.au
643 Springvale Rd
Boorowa NSW 2586
John Kelly
M: + 61 412 654 620
E: office@newhavenpark.com.au