The sun was shining at Curraghmore on Monday and it was apt that a rainbow appeared over the paddocks where Saturday's Group winners Tofane (Ocean Park x Baggy Green) and Kinane (Reliable Man x Tres Rapide) were raised.
The Michael Moroney-trained Tofane was crowned queen of Randwick winning the time honoured All Aged Stakes (1400m) with a last-stride lunge to the line in the Group One feature.
Tofane’s win continued a stellar season for multiple Group One winner Ocean Park who grabbed headlines during the spring through the deeds of his progeny including Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) winner Kolding and Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) winner Oceanex.
Tofane was bred by Curraghmore Principal Gordon Cunningham and did her initial education in Moroney’s Matamata barn under the care of his New Zealand-based co-trainer Pam Gerard.
She won an 820m trial at Te Teko before Ballymore Stable clients purchased her from Cunningham and she was transferred to Moroney’s Melbourne barn.
Earlier in the day Kinane had raced away to win the Gr.3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) and marked himself as a quality stayer in the making.
It was another gun ride from expat James McDonald who has been in outstanding form.
“He gives you an excellent feel, but probably almost close to the feel of the carnival for mine, he was pretty special today,” McDonald said.
“He’s just very new and how he executes his craft, once he got out he had many lengths to make up and he did it effortlessly he's a very special horse.”
Bred by Nearco Stud, Kinane was purchased by Highden Park's Libby and Sam Bleakley as a weanling out of Curraghmore's 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock draft. He was then purchased by Justin Wong's Red Hare Bloodstock and he subsequently went through Phoenix Park's 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft where he was knocked down to respected bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo on trainer Mick Kent’s behalf.
Cataldo went to $165,000 to secure the son of Reliable Man and the three-year-old gelding was transferred to Chris Waller's care after Kent opted to take a sabbatical earlier this year.
Also at Randwick, Not An Option (Not A Single Doubt x Chintz) was unlucky not to run a place but he showed he was up to Australian Group level and he looks like he will develop further and be one to watch next campaign.
On Sunday Hong Kong winner Fantasy (Sizzling x Bon Fire) capped off a fantastic weekend of results for Curraghmore, one that will be celebrated for years to come.
A graduate of Curraghmore's 2017 NZB Ready To Run draft when consigned on behalf of Hallmark Stud, Fantasy jumped as favourite at Sha Tin on Sunday and powered over the top of the front-running Team Spirit to score by half-a-length.
“He’s a young horse and he’s going forward every time he goes out there to race," jockey Joao Moreira said. "Danny said to me before the race that he’d put on better condition this time and he was 100 percent right. It’s a great training effort."
Fantasy has now won three of his seven starts in Hong Kong and finished runner-up in another three.
Fantasy was purchased by Danny Shum and Henry Plumptre and the former also purchased Age of Chivalry from the same draft.
The results over the last few months in Australia have been great for the farm and for the New Zealand racing and breeding industry.
To see Opie Bosson ride four Group Ones over the carnival, the success of Te Akau, Ballymore, Chris Waller, and bloodstock agents such as Guy Mulcaster, Phil Cataldo is something to be proud of and celebrated.
Curraghmore, along with neighbouring farms that include Trelawney Stud, The Oaks, Windsor Park, and Wentwood Grange, continue to prove they are the ideal place to raise athletes and New Zealand is a reliable source of Group performing horses.
